TRIO OF RAMS PICKED TO SOUTH ALL-STAR TEAM

There wasn't much time left to play — just a little over a minute. Rich Scudellari knew he had to do something or the North squad would lose a 3-0 decision to the South in the 32nd Silicon Valley Youth Classic Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star Football Game.

Well, he did something. The St. Francis quarterback avoided a blitz and hit Chantz Staden of Westmont with a cross-field pass for a touchdown, and the North had a come-from-behind 7-3 all-star victory.

The North win snapped a string of four straight South victories, but the South still holds a 17-13-2 edge in the series that will be rekindled on July 18, 7:30 p.m., at San Jose State University's Spartan Stadium when the all-stars continue their rivalry.

The Scudellari to Staden touchdown pass ranks as just one of the many moments in time to remember from the Silicon Valley Youth Classic as high school seniors step forward to take starring roles each year in the summer all-star game, sponsored annually by the Almaden Rotary Club. And as the classic returns for a 33rd time this summer, the question is who will be next stars of the "Best Game in Town?"

The rosters for the 2007 all-star game have just been released, and a talented crop of graduating high school seniors are set to play in this summer's game.

Among the local players set to play for the South team in the summer game are Uriel Basilio, Marcos Garces and Mike Roseland of Willow Glen and Chris Brookmeyer, Steven Lopes and Jason Wetzel of Pioneer.

The local players join an impressive cast of former all-stars, many of whom went on to greatness following their participation in the summer all-star game. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jeff Garcia (Gilroy/San Jose State University) is a former all-star who went on to turn pro, along with Doug Cosbie (St. Francis/Dallas Cowboys), Don Schwartz (Mitty/St. Louis Cardinals), Jeff Toews (Del Mar/Miami Dolphins), Rich Campbell (Santa Teresa/Green Bay Packers), Greg Woodard (Silver Creek/Oakland Raiders), Ben Bennett (Peterson/Chicago Bears), John Faylor (Mitty/49ers), Erik Howard (Bellarmine/Giants), Randy Kirk (Bellarmine/49ers). Also included on that last are the late Pat Tillman (Leland/Arizona Cardinals), Carl Monroe (Overfelt/49ers) and John Tuggle (Independence/New York Giants).

Ken Caminiti (Leigh) and Bill Haselman (Saratoga) each played in the summer game, then went on to play baseball in the major leagues, and Millard Hampton (Silver Creek) was an all-star who went on to win an Olympic gold medal.

Rotary sponsorship The Almaden Valley Rotary Club sponsors the football game each summer, with proceeds going to the Rotary charity and scholarship programs. It all started because members of the Almaden Valley Rotary Club had an idea.

"Three Rotarians came to the police department and met with me at the PAL office," said game chairman Jim Guido, now a Rotarian himself but at that time the head of the San Jose Police Activities League. "They said, 'We have an idea for an all-star football game.'"

So Guido, his PAL staff and the Rotarians went to work to make the idea a reality.

"We had a marriage of sorts," said Guido of the relationship between the Rotary and the PAL. "They came up with the idea which was a good one, and we had the expertise to put the game together.

The first game was played in the summer of 1974. With the exception of 1976, the game has been played every summer since, and Guido has been involved in every one of the 27 games.

"The great thing about this game is that there are no politics involved," said Guido. "This game is for the kids."