SAN JOSE – The late Charlie Wedemeyer is known in the South Bay as a great Los Gatos High football coach and by the nation as a man who defied the odds and fought ALS (known commonly as Lou Gehrig’s disease) for more than three decades before his death in 2010.
But at the Wedemeyer banquet on Wednesday at Santa Teresa High, held before Saturday’s annual Santa Clara County all-star football game bearing the legendary coach’s name, keynote speaker Ken Niumatalolo remembered the man for what he meant to their shared home state.
“He’s a legend in the Islands,” the San Jose State football coach said. “In Hawaii, he’s recognized for what a great forerunner and pioneer he was for the islands.”
Seniors from around the county gave Niumatalolo their undivided attention as the longtime coach implored them to live by the values Wedemeyer represented.
His first request was directed toward the parents, who sat with their sons at tables around the room.
“Make sure you thank your parents,” Niumatalolo said. “I know how hard it is to raise kids. There’s a lot of things out there in the world today, and so for you guys to be here at this time and at this point in your lives, it tells me that you’re doing a lot of great things.”
The themes and values he preached echoed those championed by the late Wedemeyer, who the players will honor in Saturday’s all-star game when it kicks off at 5 p.m. at Los Gatos High.
It will be the 50th edition of the contest, and the 15th since Wedemeyer died after a decades-long battle with ALS.
Here’s what you need to know about the game:
Who was Charlie Wedemeyer?
Wedemeyer grew up in Hawaii and played at Michigan State in the late 1960s. He then went on to become the head coach at Los Gatos.
In 1978, Wedemeyer was diagnosed with ALS. He fought the debilitating condition for decades despite being given only a few years to live by doctors.
“You will remember this game, and hopefully you’ll take coach Wedemeyer’s story with you for any time that you run into tough stuff,” Charlie’s widow, Lucy Wedemeyer, said. “And you will, because nothing is perfect, and nothing is easy.”
Charlie Wedemeyer’s Los Gatos team won a section championship under his leadership in 1985, with Wedemeyer calling plays from a golf cart and Lucy helping to communicate with the players.
Wedemeyer’s story was told in a 1988 made-for-TV movie and a PBS documentary.
The all-star game named in his honor has been played annually except for a one-year hiatus in 2021 because of the pandemic. It was moved from summer to winter in 2020.
Star-studded lineups
The Santa Clara County seniors will be split into two teams for the game. Coach Paul Rosa, fresh off leading Wilcox to the CCS Division II championship, will lead the North while coaching his son, Brayden, one more time.
Opposing him on the South’s sideline will be Santa Teresa coach Steve Papin, who played with Pioneer coach Eric Perry in the 1990 edition of the game.
“It’s about having fun and enjoying being around each other,” Papin said. “You’re bitter rivals for 12 weeks, and then for 10 days you’re trying to accomplish the same goal. So its been an honor to coach them.”
A number of all-Bay Area News Group honorees will suit up for each side.
Branham’s Jack Lewis will once again throw passes to Zayne St. Laurent and Gunn’s Luke Hines and Westmont’s Spencer Hoang should play big roles on both sides of the ball as they represent the North.
The South has plenty of firepower, too. Christopher quarterback Jaxen Robinson and receiver Evan Vernon will aim to show off their chemistry, and Leland’s Hudson Vye will have a shot to display his versatility once more.
Host Los Gatos will have five of its players in the game. From WCAL powerhouses such as St. Francis and Valley Christian to public schools like Evergreen Valley and Cupertino, 46 programs will be represented.
“You’re the cream of the crop in an area that plays really good football, with really good coaches and competition,” former 49ers coach Steve Mariucci said in a pre-recorded video message.
The “Cowboy Kicker” Casey Carr of Santa Teresa might have a chance to make one last clutch kick in a game that has been low-scoring over the past few years thanks to heavy rain.
Clouds and light precipitation are expected Saturday.
Big names of past games
Some of the biggest football stars in the county’s history have suited up for the Wedemeyer game over the past half century.
Milpitas graduate Vita Vea held his own in the trenches before eventually becoming a Super Bowl-winning star with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The late Pat Tillman represented Leland in the 1990s, and former Dallas Cowboys tight end Doug Cosbie played in the game as a St. Francis senior.
Los Gatos alum and former Stanford quarterback Trent Edwards played in one edition, as did former Wildcat Jared Allen, who went on to stardom in the NFL and is a finalist for the Hall of Fame.
49ers Pro Bowl quarterback Jeff Garcia also made his mark in the game, but the Gilroy graduate did so as a defensive back at Spartan Stadium.
Supporting a cause
Proceeds from Wednesday’s banquet and Saturday’s game will go to the ALS Network and Coaches Against Cancer. Everyone from coaches to game referees participate as volunteers.
With each player holding their Wedemeyer game jersey at the end of the banquet, Los Gatos coach Mark Krail had a final message for the all-stars.
“I have one request for all of you players, and that is that you do it the right way,” Krail said. “For many of you, this is the last time that you’re going to put on a helmet and hit somebody. So respect the game, have fun, and have a hell of a good time.”