Small school stars look for big All-Star shot
“It’s definitely a learning experience both culturally and the physical part of it. You come out against faster and stronger players.”
Jesus Cachu, Calistoga High West All-Star
By Vince D’Adamo
SPORTS REPORTER
When former Napa and Vintage High head coach Les Franco led the East-West All-Star football team in 2004 and 2006, he indicated that sometimes “small school kids surprise us.”
Calistoga High’s B.J. Schlieder, Jesus Cachu, Bryant Rubio and Efrain Robledo hope to do just that as representatives of the Wildcats Saturday for the West squad at Memorial Stadium in Napa.
The 36th annual East-West Charity All-Star Football Classic will kick off at 7:30 p.m.
The West also has players from Napa, Vintage, Justin-Siena, St. Helena, Hogan-Vallejo, Benicia, St. Patrick/St.Vincent-Vallejo, Vallejo, Bethel, North Hills Christian-Vallejo and John Swett-Crockett.
Randy Tscharner’s MVP performance in the 2000 All-Star game catapulted him into a solid college career at Santa Rosa Junior College and later to the University of Wyoming.
Cachu is headed for San Diego State University, where he plans on majoring in business marketing.
The two-way standout posted 573 rushing yards and 238 receiving yards.
He also recorded a team-leading 90 tackles this fall. Cachu ran for seven TDs and caught four more for a team-best 11 total scores.
“It’s a really big honor coming from a small school,” Cachu said.
“It’s definitely a learning experience both culturally and the physical part of it. You come out against faster and stronger players.
“It’s a whole new game. We get to see what it’s like to play against big schools. It’s an opportunity we didn’t have coming from a small school.”
Schlieder is on his way to UC Davis but is undecided on whether he will continue with his football career. He was a top player on both sides of the ball last fall, posting eight catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns. He added 86 tackles in just seven games played, good for 12.3 stops per game.
“It’s fun to play against people that are better than you because you can learn from what they do,” Schlieder said.
“They have different coaching. It’s been a culture shock. We’re used to Calistoga. You learn that it’s different than other places.”
Robledo and Rubio are each headed for Santa Rosa Junior College.
Robledo is undecided on playing football while Rubio plans on playing.
Robledo played tackle at 170 pounds but still helped open up many holes for Rubio and Cachu.
“It’s a great opportunity because we never get the chance to compete against these guys,” Robledo said. “Coming from a small school, it’s a privilege to be here. We’re trying to prove that we can be on the same field as these guys.”
Rubio led the club in rushing with 632 yards, adding 136 more through the air.
Defensively, Rubio posted 46 tackles, along with four interceptions for 43 yards. He also recovered a fumble.
“It’s pretty big because there have been people that have come from a small school and kept up with the big guys,” Rubio said. “I’m looking forward to it. I’m a pretty small guy but I think I can stick with it.”