*** PRESS RELEASE 2004 ***

Top High School Football Players Compete in 30th Annual Wedemeyer All-Star Game

San Jose, CA-The 30th Annual Charlie Wedemeyer High School All-Star Football Game on Wednesday, July 21 at 7:30 p.m. at San Jose City College, sponsored by the Almaden Valley Rotary Club, will feature ninety of the Silicon Valley's best high school football players. This year's game is dedicated to the memory of local hero and former NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger Pat Tillman.

"We have some very talented players," stated North head coach Darren Spence. "But one thing that stands out is the size of this year's players."

Four players in this year's all-star game weigh over 300 pounds each. The North team has three of the four.

The largest player in this year's game is North offensive lineman Erik Schlief from Leigh High School. He is six feet six inches tall and weighs 360 pounds.

"In addition to those big bodies, we've got some great athletes," says Spence.

One of the most decorated athletes is the North team's Will Taufoou from St. Francis. Taufoou rushed for 1,108 yards and scored 12 touchdowns as a running back and recorded 85 tackles at linebacker for the Lancers. The two-way star was the West Catholic Athletic League MVP, Mid-Peninsula MVP, and has been named to the All State team for three consecutive years.

"Will is a tremendous athlete," said North running backs coach Eric Buran. "His combination of speed, strength, and smarts is what has made him so dominant on both sides of the ball. He pounds his way up the field on offense, dragging the defenders clinging on to him into the end zone. On defense, this kid hits like a truck. Look out if he's coming your way."

One player to watch on the South squad is wide receiver/kick returner Arvelle Thompson from Oak Grove. He caught 36 passes for 609 yards and five touchdowns and scored another three touchdowns on returns.

"Arvelle is one of the most exciting players to watch," stated South receivers coach Mike Kosmala. "He is so dangerous with the ball because of his explosiveness. He is such a great playmaker. Anytime he gets the ball, he is a threat to put six on the board."

The head coaches for the game are Spence for the North and Nick Alfano for the South. Spence played football and graduated from Cal State Hayward and has been coaching at Santa Clara High School for three years. Alfano is the head coach at Santa Teresa High School and will add defensive coordinator to his title of head coach for the South squad.

Tillman played in the all-star game in 1994 before attending Arizona State University. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in 1998 and played there for five seasons. He was deeply affected by the Sept. 11 attacks and left the team to become Army Ranger in May 2002. He was killed in Afghanistan in April 2004.

The players will be honored through a black patch with an American flag on one sleeve and the number 42 patch, the number Tillman wore in the 1994 game, on the other. He is also featured in commemorative pictures and programs for the game.

Charlie Wedemeyer is a former college football player and the 1960s "Prep Player of the Decade" in Hawaii. He attended Punahou Academy and Michigan State University on athletic scholarships.

In 1977, he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and was given three years to live then. He is still alive today and is the founder of the Charlie Wedemeyer Family Outreach. The program's mission is to fight ALS. He will be at the game to encourage players and show his support for this grand tradition.

Past stars of the Youth Classic include former San Francisco 49ers Jeff Garcia, Brent Jones, and Carl Monroe; former Dallas Cowboy Doug Cosbie; and current 49er Jeff Ulbrich.

Tickets for the 30th Annual Charlie Wedemeyer High School All-Star Football Game are $10 and can be purchased at the San Jose Box Office. All proceeds from the game will benefit the Charlie Wedemeyer Family Outreach and other local charities. For more information about this event, visit www.youthclassic.org.

The Almaden Valley Rotary Club, chartered in 1969, is composed of a wide cross section of men and women involved in local businesses and professions. The club has fellowship meetings every Friday regarding interesting and informative programs dealing with topics local and global importance. In addition, they sponsor a variety of youth programs and activities in the Santa Clara Valley. The Almaden Valley Rotary Club is a member of Rotary District 5170, comprised of 57 clubs with approximately 4000 members. For more information, call (408) 268-7196 or visit www.avrotary.org.