For players like Live Oak graduate Cody Van Aken, the Charlie
Wedemeyer High School All-Star Football Game is indeed special. It
is one last chance to go under the helmet, against some of the best
players in Santa Clara County, starting at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in
San Jose State’s Spartan Stadium
MORGAN HILL
For players like Live Oak graduate Cody Van Aken, the Charlie Wedemeyer High School All-Star Football Game is indeed special.
It is one last chance to go under the helmet, against some of the best players in Santa Clara County, starting at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in San Jose State’s Spartan Stadium.
It also is the perfect send-off for Van Aken, the 2010 Mount Hamilton Division Running Back of the Year, who has signed to play baseball for Cal State Monterey Bay.
“It definitely caps it off,” said the 6-foot, 185-pound Van Aken, who will represent Morgan Hill in the 37th Annual Silicon Valley Youth Classic along with Live Oak defensive back Dominic Bejarano and Sobrato tackle Gustavo Ramirez. “It’s a good finish point to the whole thing.”
Van Aken earned second-team all-Central Coast Section honors after totaling 990 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, plus 59 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery at linebacker.
He mostly played tight end as a junior and caught 16 passes for 251 yards. Wednesday Van Aken will try his hand at wide receiver for the South All-Stars, who won 27-24 last year on a late field goal by Live Oak’s Dylan Frechette.
“I don’t care where they put me,” Van Aken said. “I just want to play and do my best.”
Bejarano could see playing time at several positions. As a 6-foot-1, 155-pound quarterback/cornerback, he rushed for 440 yards and 11 touchdowns, threw for 436 yards and three scores and had three interceptions and a fumble recovery.
Bejarano was named the 2010 Utility Player of the Year for the Mount Hamilton.
“I was happy to see both of them make it,” former Live Oak coach Jon Michael Porras said of Bejarano and Van Aken in March. “It’s hard because we had guys that were talented enough, but a lot of the time, it just goes by position. Cody and Dominic definitely deserved it.”
Sobrato coach Nick Borello was disappointed his team received the minimal one invite, but he was happy to see it go to Ramirez, a 6-foot-1, 270-pounder who anchored the Bulldogs’ offensive and defensive lines. Ramirez made first-team all-Santa Teresa Division.
“He’s the guy to represent us,” Borello said. “I’m excited to see how he does out there. He might turn some heads, make some people think Sobrato kids are a little underrated.”
