Outside of the football season, Mark Krail’s busiest time of the year comes in December and January—the two months leading up to the Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star Football Game.
The veteran Los Gatos High School football coach—along with the rest of the staff that organizes the game—dedicates countless hours behind the scenes to put on an event that honors the Wedemeyer legacy. It gives graduating football players one last opportunity to compete, while fundraising for the ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) Network and Coaches Against Cancer.
The 51st annual Wedemeyer Game—arguably the most well known and prestigious of the many prep football all star games in the Bay Area—takes place on Jan. 31 at LGHS with a 5pm kickoff time. In an added twist, it serves as the second game of a doubleheader.
That’s because the inaugural girls flag football game—set for a 2pm start—has been added to this year’s event. Given the popularity of flag football—it’s the fastest growing sport in the U.S. and makes its debut as an Olympic sport in the 2028 Los Angeles Games—this addition is a natural fit.
“It’s great for the girls, because they’re fierce competitors,” Krail said. “It’s not the old days of Powder Puff. They’re flying around and intensely competitive.”
All of the proceeds from the game will go to Coaches Against Cancer and the ALS Network. Krail formed Coaches Against Cancer—a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization—after his father died of cancer in 2006.
The nonprofit has raised over $900,000 since its inception, with every dollar being donated to The American Cancer Society, The National Brain Tumor Society and the CAC Dream Come True Program. While Krail was quick to point out the positives of other high school football all star games in the Bay Area, he said the Wedemeyer Game stands out for a variety of reasons.
“Noboby makes any money, and we’re not charging the kids (to play),” Krail said. “It’s kind of something that separates our game from others. We’ve kind of stood firm that kids can play for free. I think we’ve done it the right way for a long time and there’s a refusal to lower the standards in how we do things.”
To ensure those high standards are met—both on and off the field—Krail and his staff meet with the players and parents two weeks before the game.
“We lay out our expectations for (proper) behavior at practice and in the games,” Krail said. “That this game is bigger than them, and if they show up with an individual attitude, they’re going to be removed. We emphasize sportsmanship. They’re going to fly around and be physical, but they’re going to pick up their opponents as well. We’ve had years where it’s gotten away just because of individual selfishness, and that won’t be tolerated.”
Because the game has been around for half-a-century—it started out as the Santa Clara County All-Star Bowl before being renamed in honor of Wedemeyer—it’s developed a storied tradition. Krail played in the game, and so did his son, Kevin. Krail has also served as a coach on three different occasions.
Stories like that are ubiquitous.
Of course, the game has come to honor the life of Charlie Wedemeyer, the former LGHS coach who was 64 years old when he died in June 2010 after a long battle with ALS. He was survived by his wife, Lucy, their two children, Carri and Kale, and seven grandchildren (which has since expanded to 11 grandchildren since Charlie’s passing).
Lucy, a longtime Los Gatos resident and local real estate agent, continues to play a prominent role in the All-Star Game festivities. At a spry 76 years old, Lucy is more determined than ever to keep her late husband’s legacy alive. Known for her quick-witted and biting humor, Lucy can exchange verbal jabs with the best of them.
“Knowing my husband is still with me, he’s the one that comes out verbally when I say things where I’m thinking, ‘Oh, that was not me saying that!’” Lucy said. “Charlie was sarcastic but he was serious about using football as a classroom to teach his players life lessons. So, for me to have this opportunity to make a difference and help kids—and the same is true now for these girls—is such a blast. The whole thing is to encourage this younger generation to understand what sacrifice, determination and commitment is. And Charlie was all of those things.”
And then some. When Charlie was diagnosed with ALS at age 29, he was given one to three years to live. Instead, he lived 34 years with the disease and in that time led the Wildcats to a 78-18-1 record and seven league championships.
Charlie and Lucy were high school sweethearts at Punahou School in Hawaii and got married while they were in college at Michigan State. They were the subjects of a made-for-TV movie in the 1980s, and Charlie’s memory and impact continues to resonate today because of what transpired after his ALS diagnosis.
Despite losing the ability to walk or speak and being confined to a wheelchair within several years of his diagnosis, Charlie talked to his players through Lucy, using a language of blinks, eyebrow raises and cheek-twitches. Lucy used all these motions and gestures to relay the play from Charlie to his players.
They later traveled the world doing speaking engagements, with Lucy reading Charlie’s lips to share their heartwarming and inspirational story.
This year’s Wedemeyer Game features players from 46 high schools in Santa Clara County that are split up into two teams, North and South. Los Gatos High has four of its players in the game: Bryce Novinsky, Garrett Bertsch, Rowan Merrick and Nathan Vorobeichik. Brennan Pak is Saratoga’s lone representative.
Wildcats coach Jaye Reinman is the North coach in the girls flag football game, where he’ll be joined by LGHS seniors Locklyn Hodges and Heather Hansen. In the two years girls flag football has been contested in the Central Coast Section, the Wildcats have been a top-tier program, winning a league title and advancing to the Open Division championship game last season.
Lucy has been inspired by Los Gatos’ girls flag football squad and watching one of her granddaughters, Makena, play on the team this past season. Lucy continues to be a pillar in the community and attends every LGHS football contest, including away games.
Above all, Lucy appreciates Krail and all of the dedicated volunteers who have come to define what made Charlie Wedemeyer so beloved: a joyful commitment to shepherding teenagers’ lives.
“All of the volunteers—and especially coach Krail—they’re so dedicated and committed to be there for the boys,” Lucy said. “I remember when Charlie first met Mark. He was so impressed with his humbleness, his knowledge of the game; but most of all, that he was always there for the boys. He was definitely wanting to make a difference in these boys’ lives. Charlie was the same way.”
For additional game information and to buy tickets: santaclaraallstar.com.
