August 1, 2006

Sports

Late-game scoring drive sees North top South 7-3 at
32nd Annual Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star Game

Westmont’s Chantz Staden catches 15-yard touchdown
pass with 1:19 left to seal the win for the North

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

Chantz Staden’s 15-yard touchdown reception with 1:19 left in the fourth quarter gave the North team something it hadn’t accomplished since 2001—a win over the South by the final score of 7-3—at the 32nd Annual Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star Football Game on July 19.

Jerid Ferrante, left, of Oak Grove, Alex Gomez, center, of Santa Teresa, and Bryan North, of Valley Christian walk to the sidelines before the start of the 32nd annual Charlie Wedemeyer High School All-star Football Classic on July 19 at San Jose City College. Photo by Dan Miranda

The win for the North, coached by Prospect head coach Carlos Boles, set the all-time series record at 17-13-2 in favor of the South.

“I knew, going along, that these guys were going to make plays,” said Boles. “…We got a broken play and he (North quarterback Rich Scudellari) finds Chantz on the backside. Who would’ve expected it? But that’s just them. That’s why they’re all-stars.”

The North put together the winning drive by getting the ball back on offense with 6:43 left at its’ own 35 after a failed fake punt attempt by the South. The North then proceeded to put together its most promising drive of the game, going from its own 35 to the South 15 on 10 plays. Finally, on second-and-10 at the South 15, Scudellari (St. Francis) dropped back in the pocket to pass, before rolling right to elude the oncoming rush of South defender Michael Dally (Leland), who left his feet to leap in an attempt to sack the quarterback. Scudellari then threw across his body to Staden near the left sideline, who then eluded a South defender and scampered into the end zone for the game-winning score.

The South’s Joshua Taufalele (left) and A.J. Alvarez (right) get each other motivated during pre-game introductions at the 32nd Annual Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star Football Game on July 19. Photo by Jeff Frazee

“I left my feet a little too early and I didn’t wrap up quite right and he got outside on me,” said Dally of the near sack on Scudellari.

“I knew coming in that the defenses would dominate. That was to be expected,” added South head coach Jason Tenner, who also serves as the head coach for Leland. “…It came down to one missed tackle and a big play on their part.”

Offenses for both sides were stagnant for most of the game, as numerous penalties, swarming defenses and physical mistakes plagued progress for both teams.

In the first quarter, the North started out on the South 29 and progressed slowly to the South 21 before Scudellari fumbled the snap on fourth-and-two, with South defender A.J.

Alvarez recovering the ball on the play to end the drive. Another fumble with 5:53 left in the first by the North on the South 37 also ended another drive when Dally recovered the ball for the South.

Likewise, the South offense struggled early on, taking a drive from its own 38 with 2:12 left in the first quarter and taking it all the way to the North 25 before a holding call on the South set the team back to the North 37. After an incomplete pass from South quarterback Duce Ferrante (Branham) on second-and-22 and a 9-yard loss on a lateral from Ferrante to running back Jerid Ferranti on third-and-22, the South was forced to punt the ball away, stalling an otherwise promising drive.

Charlie Wedemeyer gives a friendly wink to a player on the South team. Photo by Jeff Frazee

“Some of them were a little overzealous,” said Tenner, explaining the numerous penalties on both sides. “The kids were intense and there was some physical play on both sides of the ball. Some kids got a little too aggressive, but you’re going to get that in an all-star game, because these kids really want it and sometimes they cross the line.”

With two minutes left in the third, the South was rebuffed again, this time on a goal line stand by North defense, as the South offense drove the ball from the North 32 to the North 5 before four straight running plays resulted in the South offense stalling out at the North 1.

“It’s tough to have a group of 60 kids come together in two weeks,” said Ferrante, explaining the South’s missed opportunities on offense. “Getting used to your centers, getting used to the speed of your running backs, and the speed of your receivers, it’s just a lot different to how it was at (Branham).”

The South managed to get on the scoreboard first however, taking a drive with 8:26 left in the second quarter and moving the ball to the North 4 before kicker Ben Hansen (Valley Christian) booted through a 22-yard field goal with 5:19 left for a 3-0 lead. The scoring drive was set up in part by a 39-yard pass play from Ferrante to tight end David Carranza (Silver Creek) on third-and-six from the 50, as well as a personal foul penalty on the North on third-and-nine at the North 11.

Leigh’s Blake McFarland will head to West Valley College in the fall to play football and baseball. At Leigh, McFarland was a three-sport athlete, playing basketball for the Longhorns on top of football and baseball. Photo by Dwayne Woods

With a chance to add to the lead in the third quarter, the South failed on another promising drive that started at its own 34 with 9:32 left. The South drove the ball to the North 26 on six plays before Hansen booted through a 43-yard field goal on fourth-and-five. But on the play, the North was whistled for an illegal substitution, resulting in a 5-yard penalty and a fresh set of downs for the South.

Despite the opportunity, the South failed to advance beyond the North 21, settling instead for a 39-yard field goal attempt by Hansen on fourth-and-10, whose kick sailed wide right, negating the drive for the South.

“In an all-star game, you’re going to get a lack of execution,” said Tenner. “That’s what you saw. The kids barely knew each other and they had 10 practices … that kind of stuff hurts you, and then you don’t execute come game night.”

Finally, with seven seconds left in the game, the South tried in vain to put one final score on the board, moving the ball from its own 4 to the South 20 before Ferrante threw an interception right into the arms of North defender Carlos Alonso (Los Gatos), sealing the win for the North.

“It’s frustrating, but that’s the game of football. Anything can happen at any time,” said South linebacker C.J. Miller (Pioneer). “One play can change a whole game …that’s just football.”

Boxing-specific gym unique to Cambrian

Dreamland Boxing offers alternative conditioning and sense of pride for winter workouts

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

Baseball may be the country’s popular pastime, but Dreamland Boxing trainer ‘Sarge Neeleman will tell you that boxing is still America’s sport.

Dreamland Boxing is unique to the Cambrian area. A block off of Camden and Union Avenues, the boxing-specific gym prides itself on technique and discipline in the ring and life. Pictured: Athletes work on punching technique in timed rounds.

Last summer he and wife Maria bet their house and life savings on it. They opened Dreamland Boxing in July right in the heart of Cambrian, a block from Union and Camden avenues at 2047 Woodard Road.

It’s a different place. Competitive boxers are just as likely to hit the heavy bag as awkward kids looking for an alternative to school-mandated team sports.

“It’s been a dream of ours for a long time,” said Maria Neeleman, of the nonprofit establishment she and husband ‘Sarge co-founded with fellow board members Kelly and Tom Wallick and Arthur Eppley. Mr. Neeleman, however, does not reside on the board, despite operating as the driving force behind the gymnasium and techniques passed down. He says his time is better spent working with athletes.

“Boxing is a great sport because it teaches you discipline; it gives anybody the opportunity to participate and they don’t have to be scouted out or picked for the team,” said Maria. Boxing is unique, she said, because you can walk in and become whoever you want to become. “Kids with challenges in life don’t always want to play on the team. We teach them moral conduct, technique, discipline, skills and how to control emotions.”

Fighters welcome
Maria said Dreamland is pleased to offer a boxing-specific gym to the community, while martial arts studios have become shopping center staples. “There is a conflict of how training is,” she said. “Martial arts and Muai Tai teach kids to distribute their weight to the front for kicking, while boxing requires you to sit back and punch.”

The Neelemans say fighters, fight enthusiasts and workout fanatics ages 8 to 80 are learning the power of a punch. Something about a fistfight still connects with Americans, whether it’s observing in awe or learning to defend yourself in life. “Boxing is a wonderful thing for kids who don’t know how to control themselves and need to learn discipline,” agreed ‘Sarge.

Maria said that some of the nicest kids in the world are in fact boxers, especially Dreamland products. “I can’t say there are any best competitors [at the club currently],” she said. “They are all great competitors—all champions. It’s not about boxing, but teaching them to be champions in life as well. We teach them how to be successful individually. No matter who they are, they can achieve what they want to.”

The Dreamland ring hosts serious fighters, including 2004 Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward, who occasioned through the gym on a visit to San Jose for a professional bout last spring, as well as those hoping to compete in Amateur circuit tournaments such as the Golden Gloves and other USA Boxing events, and hobbyists just hoping to sweat.

The gym is open to competitive fighters five nights each week, beginning at 4:30 p.m. and Saturday morning from 10 a.m. to noon. Sparring rounds are available Tuesday and Thursday. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, novice boxers may enlist in classes run by coaches who spend time working with each individual during the hour-long session, which begins at 4:30 p.m.

“I think boxing is probably one of the toughest things that anybody can do physically, ever in their life,” said ‘Sarge. “I’ve trained kick boxers, martial artists, UFC competitors. Boxing requires the top physical conditioning as far as I can tell.”

According to Vietnam veteran Neeleman, the public’s infatuation with hand-to-hand combat grew from boxing roots, which were the first recorded in fight history.

Punching 101
While prize fighting is enjoying a resurgence in mainstream America’s interest, and television, via Pride Fighting Championships and ‘no-holds barred’ Ultimate Fighting, some would say that boxing has dwindled in popularity.

‘Sarge, however, maintains that boxing holds an especially dear place in the heart of America, and that the ‘sweet science’ separates so-so mixed martial arts hobbyists from champions.

“Boxing is a sport,” ‘Sarge said. “It’s not really a martial art, but it’s the first line of defense taught.” He said that kickboxing athletes with strong leg skills become champions when they learn to box better. While the martial arts have evolved into approximately 25 different mediums, hands are typically the first line of defense in competition and perhaps the most important form of self-defense on the streets, according to Neeleman.

In terms of techniques taught, he holds that different skills work for different bodies. ‘Sarge said that boxers are as God creates people—differently. “I try to emphasize that a boxer is going to be more competitive and win more fights if he learns actually to knock the people out. In USA boxing, we hardly ever see a knockout, but I try to teach these kids to be so aggressive that they end up having the referees stop the fight.”

According to Dreamland-speak, the best-case scenario is teaching athletes to become aggressive counter-punchers. “When you become an aggressive counter puncher, you pursue your adversary, and after you throw a combination of punches, you step back and counter punch everything he throws at you,” said ‘Sarge. “You take away everything he has—his ability to fight by being aggressive. Then you wait. You can become aggressive or otherwise, but wait for him to make the mistake.”

The boxer
‘Sarge’s personal love for the sport grew from early exposure. When his father—Marine Mustang Leo Neeleman, who climbed grueling military ranks to reach lieutenant commander without the comforts of officer training school—returned from the South Pacific during World II, he brought two sets of boxing gloves. “Dad was the Marine’s lightweight champion in 1937,” said ‘Sarge.

Within weeks, the youthful Neeleman, who was approximately 6 years old at the time, squared off regularly against 10 kids who would compete in the neighborhood. His older brother ruled, and ‘Sarge decided boxing wasn’t fun after suffering an early bloody nose. But he stuck with it and thrived, despite secretly wishing for baseball.

He eventually embraced the sport and also competed in the Marines. “We incorporated boxing, kickboxing and wrestling,” said ‘Sarge. “That’s what they are taught today in Marine Corps. Back then, we would go in the ring as entertainment. We would tough it out with the toughest platoon in the company all night.” They called the tough man competition ‘Smokers.’

“It goes back to Greek and Roman times, where the name boxing actually came from,” he said. ‘Sarge explained that when early civilizations would gather to observe fights, they would hold matches and their hands were wrapped in a box shape, similar to the way boxers today use hand wraps under gloves to avoid injury. The term boxing grew from the practice.

Home cookin’ a boon for Formula BMW driver

Former Willow Glen resident Reed Stevens takes podium twice at 2006 San Jose
Grand Prix with first place finish July 28 and third place finish July 29

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

For Formula BMW driver Reed Stevens, nothing beats doing your best in front of the hometown crowd.

That’s exactly what happened when Stevens, a Palo Alto native and former resident of Willow Glen, posted back-to-back podium finishes at the 2006 San Jose Grand Prix.

Stevens, 21, kicked off his successful weekend with a first-place finish in the first of two Formula BMW races on July 28 after starting out on the starting grid in third place.

Stevens quickly introduced himself to the crowd in San Jose by jumping out to the lead position on lap 3 of the 23-lap race, never relinquishing his spot, despite a small gap of just 0.668 seconds ahead of second place finisher Tom Sutherland, an incoming senior at Los Gatos High School.

“Today was just awesome, to have so many friends and family out,” said Stevens, who picked up his third career Formula BMW win and 10th podium finish. “Starting third, we definitely wanted to win the race. We knew we could do it. In the first few opening laps we tried just not to crash, and we found the car was extremely fast. We overtook the lead and it was pretty much about controlling (the race) from there.”

Stevens then finished off the weekend in fine fashion again on July 29, finishing third in the second Formula BMW race of the 2006 San Jose Grand Prix.

It was a whirlwind weekend to say the least for Stevens, with several members of his family and friends in attendance throughout the three-day event. Stevens, who attended Palo Alto High School, where he also participated in track and field, said winning the race on July 28 was an emotional experience, given the familiar faces in the crowd.

“We were in a controlling position and I had a chance to kind of relax and look around, it was pretty emotional seeing so many people there, with a lot of them obviously knowing that I’m from this area,” said Stevens, who lived for a handful of years as a child in Willow Glen. “It was really great.”

Stevens, who came into the Formula BMW series as a rookie in 2005, finishing fourth overall in driver standings, said having family and friends around for the event didn’t add pressure for him to do well.

“I don’t think it’s added pressure, it’s added fun,” said Stevens. “For me, I always have pressure on myself to do well in every race. Here, we had so many people out, so it just made it where I could have a little more fun between sessions, I think.”

Stevens, who jokingly said that he was born racing, actually was attracted to the sport at the age of 13, when he took an interest in motorcycles. Concerned about his newfound passion, his parents instead steered him toward karting.
“I actually was really into dirt bikes when I was a kid,” Stevens said. “But my parents took me to karting school and as it turned out, I’m probably better at that anyway.”

Following a short but successful karting career, highlighted by a first place finish in the ICA ESPN Russell Karting Championship in 2003, Stevens was invited by Formula BMW to race in Spain as part of an American Idol-like competition, which he won, earning his spot as a Formula BMW driver in 2005.

And while Stevens has larger goals in mind, namely a chance to become a Formula One driver someday, he found the familiar surroundings of downtown San Jose to his liking, on and off the course.

“Being at home and eating at familiar restaurants where I have friends,” said Stevens, “it’s just been a really good weekend.”

Tom Sweeney of Willow Glen gets a natural high at San Jose Grand Prix

By Karl Laucher
Staff Writer

Tom Sweeney of Willow Glen was in the catbird seat for most of the weekend at the street-blistering San Jose Grand Prix presented by Taylor Woodrow.

Yeah, it was all about the presentation. As vice president of Land and Planning for Taylor Woodrow Homes Inc., Sweeney obviously had to be on top of his game in the luxury hospitality seats and observation decks known as the Paddock Club Suites overlooking Turn 2.

Tom Sweeney hovers about the racing scene in downtown San Jose. Photo by Karl Laucher

“Helping to sponsor a world-class race in my home town is a great honor, and the event itself is just a blast,” Sweeney said.

Sweeney, who was ensconced in a downtown hotel—two miles from home—for the three-day event, had his wife, Linda and three children on hand when he participated in the Taylor Woodrow employee go-kart competition on the CXO-sponsored course set up near the Tech Museum and just behind the grandstand alongside the main Grand Prix straightaway on Almaden Boulevard on Friday. Actor/racecar owner Paul Newman and other celebrities had a go-kart go themselves on Saturday.

While obviously enjoying the thunder, tumult and blur that is the province of motor sports, Sweeney also expressed admiration for the massive effort required to seal off a 1.5-mile downtown race course for the snarling machinery and thousands of spectators.

“It takes a tremendous amount of commitment between the teams, the volunteers and the city,” he said. “The word is that the drivers are thrilled with the work that has been done on the course (widening passing lands and eliminating the bumps experienced in the 2005 inaugural race). It’s a daunting task to set this up.”

Forgive Sweeney if he took a moment to promote Taylor Woodrow, a British-based company that he estimates spent about $1 million this year to establish recognition and goodwill in Northern California as “presenting sponsor,” a slightly reduced position from a year ago when it was “title sponsor.”

“Taylor Woodrow is ranked No 23 in the Global 100 for most sustainable home-building practices,” Sweeney noted.

“We used only renewable resources. So we’re the good guys.”