Live Oak's Matt Acosta, left, and Sobrato's Kyle Butcher will represent Morgan Hill and the South at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 34th Annual Charlie Wedemeyer High School All-Star Football Game at Spartan Stadium.
Matt Acosta and Kyle Butcher admitted it's comical standing next to each other at practice - on the same line of scrimmage no less.
Prior to last week, the Morgan Hill prep standouts hadn't seen each other in full pads since that inaugural El Toro Bowl last fall - the blockbuster rivalry matchup between Live Oak and Sobrato that drew more than 4,000 patrons.
Acosta played for Live Oak.
Butcher played for Sobrato.
In a twist of fate, both will play for the same team at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, representing the South in the 34th Annual Charlie Wedemeyer High School All-Star Football Game in Spartan Stadium.
Alongside Live Oak alumni Garrett Webb and Kyle Hennings, Acosta and Butcher will represent Morgan Hill in the Silicon Valley Youth Classic - an all-senior event sponsored by the Almaden Valley Rotary Club. Sobrato's Jojo Anaya also was selected but opted not to play.
Acosta and Butcher made the exclusive list of invites as offensive guard and tackle, respectively, following a decorated 2007 season. Both linemen were named to the all-Blossom Valley Athletic League list, with Butcher garnering honors as the West Valley Division's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman.
Together, they'll anchor the South's left flank.
"It was kind of funny when we first got out here," said Acosta, who led Live Oak to a 22-7 victory over Sobrato on November 16, 2007. "Kyle's a great guy and he's been fun to play next to.
"All that rivalry stuff went away after the first play at practice. It's not really a big deal. That's all high school stuff. We graduated."
Both sides back the armistice - which you could call the South's light-contact 10-day training period at Pioneer High School.
"There is a rivalry between schools, of course," Butcher began. "But now that it's over, it's a fun thing. We want to get out there and represent our city."
Adding to the experience is the bumper crop of talent on the field. True to its all-star billing, the Wedemeyer Game draws the best from Silicon Valley, continuing a list that includes Jeff Garcia of Gilroy, Jeff Ulbrich of Live Oak and the late Pat Tillman of Leland - just to name a few.
"It's the biggest honor to be playing in this game," Butcher said. "All the guys I've talked to - we all grew up watching this game. I always wanted to be in it."
Added Acosta: "When you see the guys you're playing with - it's just crazy. We have a good variety of players and everything's so crisp."
Pioneer's Kevin Krail, who's coaching the South for third time in his career, likened his job to being a kid in a candy store.
"It's a high school coach's dream," he said. "It's the best of the best out here. The kids have been well coached in the past, especially the Live Oak and Sobrato kids. You tell them what to do, and they do it. They have a grasp on what you want to do and they have a very positive attitude. They're team guys."
Krail said the first step in coaching an all-star team is "breaking down walls" built during the regular season. Krail led Pioneer to a 41-7 victory over Live Oak in early November. It was the Acorns' last defeat before falling in the CIF-CCS championship game to Archbishop Riordan.
"You get the kids on the same page by getting them to react," Krail added. "You get them to think as a team and you get them to start pulling for each other."
Butcher, Hennings and Acosta will be doing that soon anyway. Each plans to play for West Valley College this fall.
"It's sort of like an introduction," said Hennings, a first-team all-league defensive back who was named the Acorns' Most Valuable Player. "We're excited to be hitting again. When you're high school career is over, you think, 'that's it.' But when you get invited to play in this game that changes everything. It's a great feeling."
Hennings may sit Wednesday's game because of an ankle sprain suffered last week.
"It's rough, but I'm fine with it," he added with a smile. "I was injured a lot during the season, so I guess that figures."
Although Gavilan College bound, Webb also has relished the team-building aspect of being an all-star.
Live Oak's Most Outstanding Defensive Player, as named by the team, spoke with coaches after almost every snap during Friday's practice.
"You always have to be on top of your game," the linebacker said. "You have new people in every snap. It's a lot different than a regular high school practice. We're hitting each other and getting to know one another. It's a lot of fun."
Live Oak coach Jon Michael Porras called his all-stars an exemplary unit - one he was proud to have groomed.
"They're the type of players every coach wishes they had," Porras said. "All three are very talented. They maximized their potential - and they did a lot of extra work to get there."
Porras recalled summer mornings when he'd find the weight room deserted before practice, save for Acosta, Hennings and Webb.
"They were a couple of skinny kids that grew into their position," Porras said. "(Hennings) was the backbone of our team, our go-to guy. I can definitely see him playing (Division I) ball. Whoever invests him is going to get lucky.
"And without Matt, we would have been hurting this year. He was one of our strongest kids and he never missed a practice. After we beat Sobrato, I remember their coach at the time, Dan Brown, saying, 'we tried simulating Acosta in practice but we couldn't. No one is like that kid.'"
Porras remembers Webb as a student of the game, admiring his talent and intellect. Webb draws both from his father, Glen Webb, who coached the game for more than 30 years.
"I never coached a kid like Garrett," Porras said. "He made audibles and sniffed out plays. He'd even ask for copies of game film. He was the only player that did that."
Brown, who coached Sobrato the past two years, said his running backs were always in good hands behind Butcher.
"We always ran the ball behind him, especially on third-and-short and goal line plays," said Brown, now the head coach at Willow Glen. "He was a good kid - a positive kid that worked hard to get to where he is now."
Butcher helped lead Sobrato football to its first league title in 2007, the program's first winning season.
"Honestly, I'm surprised to be playing in this game," Butcher said. "I'm pleasantly surprised."
As for the outcome, each Morgan Hill all-star plans to play his final high school game with conscience effort. The North has won the Wedemeyer Game the past two years.
"It's still football," Webb said. "There's bragging rights at stake. We're lucky to play for our city and schools one more time - but we want to win."
NOTE: NFL Hall of Fame defensive back Ronnie Lott is bestowing the Bill Walsh Spirit Award to the player that best shows spirit and leadership. The award will be presented along with a $1,000 check at halftime Wednesday by Walsh's son, Craig Walsh.
Scott J. Adams Scott J. Adams covers Morgan Hill sports for South Valley Newspapers. Send him an email or call him at 779-4106.
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