Top football players from Gilroy, Christopher, Live Oak and Sobrato joined a Sobrato-oriented coaching staff for the South squad in the 51st annual Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star Game at Los Gatos High on Feb. 1.
In the Bay Area’s most well-known and prestigious high school football all-star game, seniors from the four South County schools played together on the same team. The contest raised funds for the ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) Network and Coaches Against Cancer.
For the first time ever, there was a doubleheader. The inaugural girls flag football All-Star Game took place at 2pm, with the football matchup following at 5pm.
The nonprofit Coaches Against Cancer, formed by Los Gatos High football coach Mark Krail, has raised more than $900,000 since its inception, with all funds donated to The American Cancer Society, the National Brain Tumor Society and the CAC Dream Come True Program.
The game honors the life and career of Charlie Wedemeyer, the former Los Gatos High coach who was 64 years old when he died in June 2010 after a long battle with ALS.
The South staff was headed by Sobrato head coach Joel Rueda, fresh off leading the Bulldogs to their first-ever Central Coast Section final this past season. He was assisted by fellow Bulldog coaches Tim Hughes, Kevin Taylor, Nick Borello, Jerry Wyness, Travis Seaton and Spencer Gilford, along with Gilroy head coach Dillon Babb.
In the early evening football game, the North had a great start and led 24-0. The South rallied back hard but fell short, with the final tally being 31-20 in favor of the North.
Local heroes included Sobrato quarterback Brayden Hughes who opened the South scoring with a long touchdown pass to Santa Teresa’s Prince Collins. Fellow Bulldog Jacob Sorrentino had a stellar performance, catching five passes for 83 yards.
Sobrato linebacker Rayan Daneshvar was also an all-star.
Christopher High players included linebacker Aiden Swann, defensive end Gabriel Jimenez, wide receiver/safety Kordell Crocker and lineman Siaosi Vai.
Evan Passama, a tackle, represented the Gilroy High Mustangs.
Live Oak had selections with quarterback Adrian Leal, linebacker/fullback Anden Rogers and wide receiver/defensive back Tanner Holeman.
Wedemeyer was born in Honolulu and was a star quarterback at Punahou School. He was named Hawaii Prep Athlete of the 1960s and advanced to play football at Michigan State under coach Duffy Daugherty. After receiving a master’s from Central Michigan, Wedemeyer became a teacher and football coach at Los Gatos High.
In 1977, Wedemeyer was diagnosed with ALS. He continued to coach and led the Wildcats to a CCS title in 1985. As the disease took its toll, he would sit in his wheelchair at the Los Gatos games, with wife Lucy Wedemeyer reading his lips for play calls and relaying them on to the team. Wedemeyer died in June 2010.
The all-star game put the finishing touches on superb seasons across the board. For Gilroy, Babb’s Mustangs became competitive in league play with close games against Silver Creek and Leland and a landmark victory over Westmont.
The 28-21 win over the Warriors, recently a “B” league team and still solid, was the first home victory for Babb and the Mustangs during his three-year tenure.
Graduations hit Christopher after several of the best seasons in school history. The rebuilt squad, under first-year coach Michael Pirnik, improved during the year and tied for third place in the Blossom Valley Athletic League, Mt. Hamilton Division, advancing to the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.
Highlights included big wins over Gilroy, Palo Alto, Overfelt, Leigh and eventual CCS Division IV champ and NorCal Division 6-AA titlist Lincoln.
The 2025 Sobrato football team made history. In the school’s 20th year of football, the Bulldogs reached the program’s first CCS final. In the Bulldogs’ first playoffs since 2017, Sobrato beat Santa Cruz and Terra Nova before falling 31-30 in overtime to Piedmont Hills in the Division V title match.
In 2025, Live Oak football took a giant step, returning to the elite level of local football, where they usually reside. After a rare stumble last year when the Acorns were just 3-8, this year’s squad went 9-3 and reached the CCS Division III playoff semifinals.
In the decade of 2014 through 2023, Live Oak fashioned a record of 74-28 overall, with an amazing 54-11 mark in league play. Gage Jones, injured late in the season, rushed 300 times for 2,207 yards and 24 touchdowns. His numbers ranked second in the CCS and seventh in California.
Live Oak finished second in the competitive Blossom Valley Athletic League, Mt. Hamilton Division. Season highlights included a 56-21 romp over Sobrato in the El Toro Bowl, a 17-13 defeat of previously-unbeaten Lincoln, a 52-46 shootout victory at Branham and a 35-17 triumph against rival Christopher.
In the playoffs, Live Oak whipped King City 40-16 and then lost a nailbiter to San Mateo 40-36.
