It's football season. Sort of.
The 2014 CCS season won't begin until August 29 when Wilcox meets Manteca at Levi's Stadium.
But there's action Wednesday night as the 40th annual Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star Football Game -- the Silicon Valley Youth Classic -- kicks off a 7:30 p.m. at San Jose City College. The game is for 2014 graduated seniors.
Among the standouts in this year's game are quarterbacks Christopher "Lambie" Lanman (Los Altos -- North team) and Anthony McBride (Piedmont Hills -- South). Lanman will play at Yale in the fall.
Said Lanman by email: "I am extremely honored and humbled to be a part of such an amazing event. I am also very proud to represent Charlie Wedemeyer and his family. It has been great playing with so many talented players and coaches. The entire team has formed a close bond over the short week we have been playing together. We are all very excited for the game Wednesday night."
Christopher's Tim Pierleoni (South) and Los Altos' Trevor Pruitt (North) are the coaches.
All-Star Game alumni include: Dave Calderon (James Lick), Norm Brown (Oak Grove), Tom Sotelo (Del Mar) and Kevin Jurovich (Valley Christian).
So check it out, if you get the chance. Bellarmine Prep senior Jack Duffy will be all over it for Prep2Prep.
LIVING ON A PRAYER: When Riordan receiver/defensive back Jake Cochrane was rocking the long locks during the off-season, Crusaders coach John Lee took to calling him "JBJ" (for Jon Bon Jovi).
"Then he showed up for summer workouts and his hair was shorter than mine, and mine's short," Lee said. "He said 'Oh it's football season now, coach." I told him 'Good call.'"
Cochrane is diminutive like his dad -- San Francisco firefighter and former College of San Mateo star receiver Mike Cochrane. Jake is just 5-foot-7 or probably about the same height his father was when he attended St. Ignatius in the early 1980s. Mike did not play varsity football at S.I., but excelled at CSM where none other than John Lee was his quarterback.
Said Lee of the younger Cochrane: "He can flat-out play. I kid you not. He's fast, he runs good routes, he listens and he's not a troublemaker."
MEMORIES: I haven't met Riordan's Jake Cochrane yet, but he's already close to my heart. His dad Mike played basketball for me at John Muir Playground in San Bruno and was about the toughest kid I've ever seen.
Jake Cochrane's grandfather, "Wild" Bill Cochrane, was also an S.F. Firefighter who appeared very briefly in the 1970s disaster film "Towering Inferno." Bill would show up to our basketball practices on the John Muir blacktop when Mike was a kid and urge him on, referring to him often as "ya beaut."
Mike Cochrane was left-handed and shot his lay-ups off the wrong foot. But he could fill it up, scorching Crocker School of Hillsborough for 28 points one day. The "beaut" was on fire that game.
FAMILIAR FACE: Former Riordan coach and 1960s Crusader quarterback Frank Oross is on Lee's staff this season. He's coaching running backs and linebackers.
Oross was a two-way star for Riordan back in the days when back Carl Braboy was running wild. The Crusaders were unofficially known as the "Unholy 11" back then and were a power. Oross started on defense and was reminiscent of Joe Kapp as a QB, scrambling for yards, completing passes and even throwing the occasional spiral.
"He still works out and is still filled with p--- and vinegar," Lee said. "He's a good coach and a Riordan lifer."
Crusader to watch who Oross will be coaching: junior Jamarian Caston, Lee said. Other standouts: Tailback/defensive back Raymone Sanders and DB Stanton Thomas.
TOM LARA SERVICES: In case you missed it, here are the details for the services of longtime San Bruno baseball coach Tom Lara who died last week:
Visitation is Thursday from 6 to 7 p.m. at St. Robert’s Catholic Church in San Bruno (1380 Crystal Springs Ave.) A rosary will follow.
The funeral Mass is at noon Friday, also at St. Robert’s. The cemetery service follows the funeral at 3 p.m. at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Colma (1500 Mission Road).
Chapel of the Highlands in Millbrae is handling the services. Flowers will be accepted at St. Robert’s until 4 p.m. Thursday. Donations may be made to San Bruno Joe DiMaggio Baseball, Junior Giants and the San Bruno Lions Foundation.
Briefly: Leland rising senior catcher Brendt Citta was named MVP of a recent Bay Area World Series (BAWS) event ... Pitchers Justin Hooper (De La Salle) and Joe DeMers (College Park) have made the Perfect Game All-America West roster. The game is at noon August 10 at Petco Park in San Diego ... Pinewood rising senior basketball guard Marissa Hing has committed to UC San Diego, reports Chris Roemer.
