July 7, 2006

Del Mar and Westmont football players to represent their schools
in 32nd Annual Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star Football Game

Class of 2006 Del Mar High School Alumni, Emmanuel Sellu, Emilio Hernandez, and Brian Josefowicz, as well as Class of 2006 Westmont High School Alumnus Chantz Staden have been selected to represent their high schools in the 32nd Annual Silicon Valley Youth Classic, Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star Football Game on Wednesday, July 19 at 7:30 p.m. at San Jose City College.

They will join the North team as they try to add a 13th overall win against the South Squad, which currently hold 17 wins total. The teams are composed of the best graduating high school football players in the Silicon Valley.

Emmanuel Sellu, a 5-11, 195 pound running back, received Honorable Mention All Mercury News the past two years, First Team All League (RB) Blossom Valley Athletic League the past two consecutive years, League Most Valuable Player, and National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete Award. The Del Mar Dons awarded him Most Valuable Player. Sellu is an Honor Roll student (3 years) and was awarded the Certificate of Appreciation from US Senator Boxer. He is currently undecided in his plans for the fall.

“Sellu knows how to use the blockers and explodes out of the hole,” said North head coach Carlos Boles. “ He creates problems for the opposing team because he’s very hard for defenses to take down.”

Emilio Hernandez, a 6-0, 180 pound wide receiver/ free safety, was named First Team All League BVAL, League Utility Player of the Year, and National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete Award. He has also been an Honor Roll student for three years. He is currently undecided in his plans for the fall.

“Emilio is a hard worker,” said Boles. “He gets in there and gives all he has. He knows how to get open for the pass, and takes off once he has the ball in his hands.”

Brian Josefowicz, a 6-1, 200 pound defensive/ tight end, was named First Team All League (DL) BVAL. He will be attending Foothill College in the fall.

“Brian defensively puts pressure on the quarterback, and offensively catches passes from the quarterback. He is so good it’s difficult to decide which one we want him to play at,” said Boles.

Chantz Staden, a 5-11, 190 pound wide receiver/ free safety, was named First Team All Mercury News (DB) for the past two consecutive years, First Team All League (DB) in the Blossom Valley Athletic League for the past two years, League Most Valuable Offensive Player, and First Team All NorCal. He also received Defensive Player of the Year by Sports Focus, Offensive Player of the Week by Cal-Hi Sports, Cal-Hi Sports Rivals Medium School All State Multi-Purpose Player, and State Defensive Player of the Week by Cal-Sports.com. The Westmont Warriors recognized him as their Most Valuable Player. Staden last year was named Junior of the Year. Staden intercepted seven passes, including four in one game for the Warriors. He rushed for 704 yards in 85 carries, caught 52 passes for 785 yards, had 636 return yards, scored 20 touchdowns and totaled 2,224 all-purpose yards in 10 games. He is currently undecided in his plans for the fall.

“Chantz is one of those stand out, make a big difference type of players when he steps on to the field. These past couples of years he has really shined. He’s a threat both on offense and defense. His determination and drive make him untouchable,” said Boles.

Charlie Wedemeyer is a former college football player and the 1960’s “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 (ALS) and was give three years to live. 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 include former Arizona Cardinal Pat Tillman; former San Francisco 49er Jeff Garcia, Brent Jones, and Carl Monroe; former Dallas Cowboy Doug Cosbie; and current 49er Jeff Ulbrich.

Tickets for the 32nd Annual Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star Football Game are $15 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.

Larry and Fran Cooper cheer on grandson Scott Yeager as his
team takes first place in an exciting season ending game

The Blossom Valley Pony Baseball Bronco division wrapped up their season on June 17 with an exciting game between the Yankees and the Cardinals. Pitcher Scott Yeager of the Yankees was in top form and held the opposing hitters to only two runs (one of them unearned) through four innings to the exciting finish. The Yankees emerged the victors. In addition to his dynamic players, Manager Steve Yeager (Scott’s dad) attributes the team’s success to his dedicated coaching staff and the supportive parents, especially his very patient wife, Nancy.

The ‘sirious’ business of baseball

Former Westmont assistant baseball coach Anthony Siri looks to make
baseball his life’s work with Sirious Baseball Academy in Campbell

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

For Anthony Siri, baseball is not only a passion, it’s a business.

And when it comes to the game he loves, Siri knows what he’s talking about. That’s because relies on a wealth of knowledge he obtained after playing baseball at West Valley College and San Jose City College as well as two seasons pitching for the University of Arkansas-Little Rock in the NCAA Division I ranks.

These days, Siri, 31, is not only taking over the Leland baseball program as its head coach next season, he’s also established his own baseball academy, named Sirious Baseball, in the Bay Area.

For Siri, starting his baseball academy was done with one simple goal—applying what he learned during his playing days and instilling that knowledge in younger players.

“I think what was most important to me was to be around the game,” said Siri, who spent the 2006 season serving as co-head coach of the Leland varsity baseball team with longtime coach Scot Gillis. “… It was something I felt I could offer as a service to players of all ages.”

To that end, Siri has gone to great lengths to ensure that his baseball academy is more than simply running the average baseball drills. Siri offers a wide array of services for players of all ages and abilities in not just pitching, but hitting and fielding as well. Siri spent the first two years of his college playing career as an infielder before being converted to a pitcher at the urging of San Jose State University assistant baseball coach Doug Thurman.

While Siri’s academy offers instruction in hitting, pitching, fielding, and base running, it also offers other services, such as film sessions to break down swings, fielding and pitching motions, flexibility and conditioning, speed and agility drills, and throwing regimens to develop arm strength through the use of arm bands and proper throwing techniques. Siri offers these services with the help of Ross Headley, the academy’s director of fitness and skills instructor.

In addition, Siri also offers glove repair services and holds several baseball camps throughout the year. Siri currently as instructional partnerships with Saratoga Little League and Union Little League.

Siri said the greatest satisfaction in his job is seeing the young players he instructs thrive.

“It’s about teaching kids and giving them the tools to get better … seeing kids adapt to your philosophies and seeing them succeed,” said Siri, who started his academy in February of 2005.

And making baseball his full-time job is something Siri is certainly reaching for, having recently secured a building in Campbell to use as a year-round facility for his academy. Siri, who plans to open the training facility in August, said the building will be equipped with batting cages, drill stations, film study areas and bullpens for his clients.

The advancements in baseball instruction Siri will be offering in his new academy are far better than anything he has as a budding baseball star, he said.

“We really didn’t have this in high school,” said Siri, who starred at Leland as a player. “We didn’t have the facilities and the ability to do things like break down your swing on film.”

Although his baseball academy has kept Siri plenty busy, he’s also squarely focused on another task—taking over the Leland baseball program. Siri will be taking over for Gillis, who as been at the helm of the program for better than 10 years. Siri, who previously spent time as the assistant baseball coach for the Westmont varsity team before joining the Leland coaching ranks in 2006, said taking over the program for Gillis is both exciting and humbling at the same time.

“It’s a tremendous honor,” he said. “With Gillis, I really have some big shoes to fill. For him to ask me to be the next head coach was quite an honor … It just worked out great.”

Above all else, Siri credited his wife, Valerie, with being constantly supportive in allowing him to follow his goal of making baseball his everyday business.

“I have a wonderful wife in Valerie who supports me with all of my decisions and believes in me,” he said.
And in regard to family, Siri and his wife will soon see the addition to their clan with the birth of the couple’s first child later this month.

For more information about Anthony Siri’s baseball academy, Sirious Baseball, visit the academy’s Web site at www.siriousbaseball.com

Time to Tee off!

The 42nd annual Campbell Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament will be held on Thursday, August 3 at Cinnabar Hills Golf Club. The theme, once again, is “Go Hawaiian” so put on your brightest, most beautiful Hawaiian shirt and come on out and support a great organization.

Contact the Chamber to sponsor a hole, donate a prize or sign-up for a foursome. Call (408) 378-6252, e-mail ccoc@pacbell.net or visit the Web site at www.campbellchamber.com.