Touchdown with 1:19 left costs South victory in mistake-laden
game
San Jose – It was an all-star game by name, even if it wasn’t evident by the quality of play.
With penalties, shoving matches and offensive struggles leading the way, the North finally scored the game’s only touchdown with 1:19 left to earn a 7-3 victory in the 32nd annual Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star Football game Wednesday at San Jose City College.
Until the late score by the North – a 15-yard pass from St. Francis’ Rich Scudellari to Westmont’s Chantz Staden on an apparent broken play – the game had been marred by struggles from the outset, with the South failing to pick up the opening kick off and the North recovering.
“Just a lot of mental mistakes put us behind a bit,” said South offensive lineman Jason Romero, who represented Live Oak in the annual game featuring the top graduated seniors in Silicon Valley.
The North’s opening possession ended on a fourth-and-2 play from the South 22-yard line when Scudellari fumbled the snap and the South’s A.J. Alvarez of Valley Christian recovered.
But the South couldn’t muster any offense on its first possession, losing 10 yards on three plays before punting. The next time the South received the ball it committed its first turnover of the day when Staden grabbed an interception for the North squad.
Valley Christian’s Ben Hansen finally put points on the board for the South when he booted a 22-yard field goal in the second quarter.
The North committed two more turnovers in the first half and the South held on to its slim 3-0 lead.
The South tried to add to its lead on its first possession of the third quarter, but Hansen’s 38-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right.
Live Oak’s Dustin Muhn was a big part of the South team’s best scoring chance in the second. He broke off a 25-yard run to reach the 5-yard line late in the third quarter to give his team a first-and-goal situation.
“It was pretty relieving after trying to be real patient,” Muhn said. “With everybody being all-stars, it’s tough to get everybody the reps.”
But four straight running plays, including another carry by Muhn, were stuffed by the North defense and the score remained 3-0.
After both team’s exchanged possessions, the North began its only scoring drive, an 11-play, 65-yard possession that chewed 5:14 off the clock.
On the ensuing kickoff after the touchdown, a pitch attempt put the ball on the ground and the North recovered to seemingly seal the game. But with 45 seconds left, the North elected to try to run the ball rather than take a knee and fumbled, with the South’s Melis Barota of Leland making the recovery.
A pair of scrambling runs by quarterback Duce Ferrante of Branham moved the ball to the 20-yard line, but a long pass was intercepted by the North’s Carlos Alonso of Los Gatos to finally secure the victory.
Gilroy’s Bobby Best, who had minor surgery to remove a cyst on the back of his neck last week, was healed up enough to play in the game and enjoyed the experience despite the loss.
“The back of my neck wasn’t hurting me too much,” Best said. “It’s just fun going out for one last game of high school football.”
The atmosphere was definitely intense from the beginning, with players from both sides exchanging words and blows early and often.
“It was just because we’re different teams from different areas and different schools,” said Valley Christian fullback and Morgan Hill native Travis Nilmeyer. “The thing that makes it tough is that they got ahead of us with one minute left and that’s the only time they got ahead of us.”
Live Oak’s Nathan Goldie saw plenty of time both at linebacker and at fullback in a three-back set and had fun mixing it up with some quality players.
“It’s always going to be fun playing in an all-star game, playing with the best of the best, competing with the best of the best,” Goldie said. “I’m kind of bummed we lost, but what can you do. They played better in the fourth quarter.”
