Who belongs in my football hall of fame?

All of which got me to thinking: who would I put in the Sports Lounge High School Football Hall of Fame? I’ve seen a lot of players come through San Mateo County over the past the 21 years, many memorable ones. But how difficult would it come up with, say, top 10 players and coaches I’ve personally witnessed? My main criterion is real simple: who pops into my head right away? You know what they say about hall of fame players — you know them when you see them.

Many of these were no-brainers. I rattled off about six or seven real quick, and then had to put my thinking cap on — and fire up the Google machine. To prevent any kind of argument over who was better than whom, they will be listed in alphabetical order. And like the CHSFHOF, I’ll also include a coach.

And one last caveat: if I left off your favorite player, sorry. I’m sure I’ll forget a lot of guys, but these are the ones who have truly stood out to me over the last two decades.

So here we go:

Luke Bottari (2019 Serra graduate). A three-year starting quarterback for the Padres, Bottari helped lead Serra to its first-ever state football title during his junior year in 2017 — a 38-14 win over Cajon. Along the way, the Padres won their first-ever outright West Catholic Athletic League undefeated championship before topping rival St. Francis in the CCS title game. In 40 games, Bottari completed 72% of his passes, completing 434 of 643 attempts for 5,789 yards, with 57 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. Bottari would go on to lead College of San Mateo to the 2019 state title game and the 2021 Nor Cal championship game. He is currently a preferred walk-on at University of Utah.

Ben Burr-Kirven (2015 Sacred Heart Prep). A three-year starter for the Gators, he was part of three CCS championships. A true force on both sides of the ball, he starred at both running back and linebacker.

The 2014 Daily Journal Football Player of the Year his senior year, Burr-Kirven put himself on the map during his junior season when he helped lead SHP to a stunning 42-7 upset of El Cerrito in the 2013 Nor Cal championship game. The Gauchos featured four Division I college recruits, but when it was all said and done, Burr-Kirven and the Gators had made a statement. He rushed for 161 yards and four touchdowns on 15 carries and on defense helped hold El Cerrito to a little more than 200 yards of offense.

“I knew their names. I hope they know mine now,” Burr-Kirven told me after the game, maybe the most cold-blooded quote I’ve ever written. He was an absolute force in that game.

Burr-Kirven went on to earn a scholarship to University of Washington and has spent the last couple years with Seattle in the NFL.

Julian Edelman (2005 Woodside). One of the best turnaround stories since I’ve covered on the Peninsula. He split time at quarterback his junior year, a season that was cut short the final two games because of a team mutiny against the coaching staff.

With a new coach for his senior season, Edelman flourished, helping lead the Wildcats to a perfect 13-0 record and the CCS Medium School Division title. In his one season at CSM, he helped lead the Bulldogs to a win in the Bulldog Bowl. He transferred to Kent State and before being drafted by the New England Patriots. Now a wide receiver, Edelman spent a dozen years with the Patriots and was a three-time Super Bowl winner.

Anthony Gordon (2015 Terra Nova). Before the emergence of Menlo’s Sergio Beltran last fall, there was Terra Nova’s Gordon flinging the ball all over the field. Gordon capped his career with a school record 4,899 yards and 49 touchdowns. In two seasons as a varsity starter, encompassing 24 games, Gordon completed 566 passes on 810 attempts for 8,305 yards, with 81 touchdowns and 19 interceptions.

Tristan Hofmann (2021 Half Moon Bay). Following in the footsteps of Burr-Kirven, “Chinny” became a dominant two-way player. A four-year varsity player, as a freshman, he was a member of the 2017 state finalist team, as well as a 2017 CCS champion. His junior season was one for ages, earning him Daily Journal Football Player of the Year honors. He starred at running back, rushing for roughly 1,300 yards and 22 touchdowns. From his linebacker spot, he had 99 tackles, with 12 tackles for loss and five sacks. He averaged 36 yards per punt, while also blocking three punts defensively.

Toke Kefu (2004 San Mateo). In my opinion, the best running back I’ve ever seen. A combination of power, speed and balance, he was named the Daily Journal Football Player of the Year, as well as overall Athlete of the Year. A three-year varsity player, Kefu rushed for a CCS-record 5,439 yards. His senior year, he rushed for more than 2,700 yards, averaging more than 200 yards per game and scoring 38 touchdowns. He helped lead the Bearcats to their last CCS title, in 2003, and led them to the first of two wins over Burlingame over the last 21 seasons.

His most memorable performance came in a 31-27, last-second loss to Aragon, a game that saw Kefu carry the Bearcats. He rushed for 252 yards and three touchdowns against the Dons. He followed that with 294 yards against Burlingame and 350 against North Monterey County in the CCS opener.

In a 41-20 win over Palo Alto in the CCS Division III championship game, he capped his high school career with 254 yards and four scores.

Drew Shiller (2005 Burlingame). A three-year varsity player, Shiller was arguably the best athlete to come out of the county in the last 20 years. A true dual-threat quarterback, Shiller was a little ahead of his time. He had an ability to keep plays alive and make the right decision and made the play at the right time. The 2005 Daily Journal Athlete of the Year, Shiller threw for 6,147 yards and 57 touchdowns during his career. He helped lead the Panthers to the 2004 CCS title and the school would later retire his No. 16.

Eddie Williams (2003 Aragon). His nickname said it all: “Big Play” Eddie Williams. Another two-way force, at running back and defensive end, Williams cemented his legacy with two plays during his senior season. In a regular-season game against San Mateo, Williams hauled in the game-winning score, one in which the pass slipped through a defender’s hands and off Williams’ head. Then in the first round of the CCS playoffs, a 43-38 double-overtime win over Mitty, Williams came up with the game-winning strip fumble and recovery to seal the win.

I mean, how can you not have a guy in the hall of fame with a nickname of “Big Play”? Williams would earn a scholarship to University of Idaho and was drafted into the NFL by Washington. He appeared in three games with both Cleveland and Seattle in 2011.

Coach Bill Gray, Oceana and Terra Nova. There was no more respected name in Peninsula football than Bill Gray, who spent 47 coaching. He led Oceana to a CCS title in 1987 and Terra Nova the 2010 CCS championship.

He served as a mentor to a number of Peninsula Athletic League coaches, particularly Burlingame’s John Philipopoulos, who played one season under Gray during his high school career. An intimidating, large man, Gray, who retired in 2014, has a dry sense of humor. And he wasn’t just a football guy. He was a longtime respected wrestling coach and a physical education teacher.

Nathan Mollat can be reached by email: nathan@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: 344-5200 ext. 117. To report scores or tips, email sports@smdailyjournal.com.