Pictured L-R: Ryder, Trevor, Dara, Cade & Chad Cadam

Football:

By Brian Reed-Baiotto

It would be difficult to find a San Gabriel Valley area family that has produced a trio of receivers the quality of the Cadam brothers.

And that includes on and off the football field.

In order of age, Cade, Trevor and Ryder all made massive contributions at Bonita High School, and each of the three is currently playing college football.

Cade and Trevor are at Cal Lutheran in Thousand Oaks, and their little brother, Ryder, is a defensive back for Brandon Hayashi at Citrus College.

When Ryder suggested a story on his eldest brother at last Saturday’s Citrus-Cerritos game, I said, “what about a piece on the Cadam brothers?”

And Ryder retorted, “Cade really deserves this, because he’s been through so much and worked so hard.”

I told him, “OK, Cade it is.”

Cade Cadam’s journey and perseverance is nothing short of remarkable.

In high school alone, he was at Glendora for two years, La Salle for one, and he finished off his prep career in La Verne at Bonita.

Cadam has probably never heard of Vanessa Williams, but he’s lived out her hit song by “saving the best for last.”

In 2018, his final high school season, Cadam’s stats at Bonita were insane.

He caught 86 passes for 1,468 yards.

That included 12 TD passes from JP Andrade, who threw for 4,366 yards and 38 TDs that year.

Cadam was actually third in rushing with 132 yards on 15 carries.

And then came another myriad of plot twists.

Cadam took a gap year after high school before walking on at Arizona State University.

He described it this way: “Being a walk-on at ASU was probably one of the most mentally challenging things I have ever been through. No one there really had my back, and I was on my own trying to make a name for myself. I would show up everyday and work as hard as I could and it seemed like nobody ever seemed to notice.”

Then COVID shut the world down and it was off to Mt. SAC.

“Then, transferring to Mt. Sac and grinding it out at a junior college was another mentally challenging experience, because I never really got a chance to show what I could really do there. Plenty of times I wanted to quit, but I strongly believed that God put this dream in my heart for a reason, so I kept trusting in his plan.”

At Mt. SAC, Cadam caught 25 passes for 256 yards and three TDs.

“The only offer I received to play (after Mt. SAC) was to California Lutheran. I realized that this was my last chance to show what I could truly do, so I put in more work than I ever have in the offseason and my film and stats speak for themselves.”

And there isn’t a scintilla of hyperbole in his last quote.

Cade Cadam has busted his ass to become the SCIAC’s top receiver.

Cal Lu (1-6, 1-4) is struggling, but Cadam is thriving.

To be fair, four of their six losses have come by 10 points or less.

Through the first seven games, Cadam has 48 catches for 709 yards and three TDs.

He leads the SCIAC in catches and receiving yards, and it’s not even close.

Cadam has 18 more receptions than La Verne’s Jimmy Rumsey, who is second with 30.

And Cade has 207 more receiving yards than Rumsey’s 502.

When it comes to Cade’s fellow Cal Lu receivers, Cadam has twice as many catches as Desmond Thompson’s 24, and he leads Thompson by 491 receiving yards.

Last year, Cadam’s 712 receiving yards led the SCIAC, and he was second in receptions (58) and receiving TDs (5).

Cadam hopes to continue his football career at the professional level, either in America or Europe.

This young man is a testament that hard work, believing in oneself even when it seems like no one else does, and never giving up can lead to incredible accomplishments.

His parents, Chad and Dara deserve a lot of credit for the three quality young men that they raised and by the code in which they live their lives.

Lastly, I asked Cadam to answer the following: Is it difficult not winning a bunch of games, but dominating on the field or what is your take on that? I know your little brothers are going to tell me they look up to you, but how proud of them are you as players and people? What is something you admire most about your mom and something you admire most about your dad? And lastly, what is your goal for life after football?

Said Cade Cadam: “It is very difficult, because I give everything I have for this team and university on Saturday’s, and to come up short time and time again is very frustrating. But quitting is not in my DNA. It doesn’t matter what our record is or what the score is, I am going to give everything I have because these coaches and this university gave me a chance when no one else would. Despite not winning, I owe all my success on the field to my lord and savior, Jesus Christ, and it has been such a blessing to be able to contribute to the team the way I have at Cal Lutheran. I have set myself up stat wise to be one of the best receivers to ever play at Cal Lutheran, and also to accomplish my dream of playing professional football.

I am so proud of my two younger brothers, and not only the players that they are, but the people they are today. I have always tried to lead by example and let them know I will have their backs no matter what. From the countless front yard football games we played to all wearing the same No. 4 at Bonita, and to now all three of us playing in college is something that we are all very proud of. And playing and living with my younger brother Trevor has been one of the coolest experiences ever.

The thing I admire the most about my mom and dad is that they have done everything in their power to help me live my dream of playing college and professional football. My dad always made sure I had all the right equipment, was training with the right coaches, and always working my hardest. My mom’s constant encouragement and prayer has helped me so much through my career and I owe all of my success on the field to the both of them. I wouldn’t have been able to get this far if it wasn’t for the both of them, because there have been plenty of times where they had more confidence in me than I had in myself. Every time I’ve been knocked down, they have always been there to pick me up.

My goal after I graduate this year is to either grad transfer and use my redshirt year from ASU or play professionally whether it be in the NFL or ELF (European League of Football). After football, I want to get into coaching. I would love to be a wide receiver coach for a college program. I have learned so much about the position from my coach, TJ Houshmanzadeh, and several different coaches throughout my career.”

Up next: Cal Lutheran travels to Pomona-Pitzer on Saturday at 7.

Quotable:

Three-time state champion, Mt. SAC coach, Bob Jastrab: “Cade was a very hard worker and he is a great technician. He played the game with passion and was the ultimate competitor.  I’m not surprised of the success he is having at Cal Lu.”

Four-time CIF champion & Bonita coach, Steve Bogan: “First of all, I am extremely thankful for having the opportunity to coach all of the Cadam brothers. They are all great young men, and in terms of athletics, great teammates. Cade is a special talented mix of athleticism, speed, instinct and toughness. He plays without fear, never drops anything, and understands how to get open. He has a skill set that makes coaching very, very easy. All of the Cadam brothers are simply “good people” … all very talented, and all a pleasure to coach. Cade, Trevor and Ryder always greet you with a smile, always work hard, are all students of the game, and all good teammates. They make coaching fun.”

Former Bonita, current Cal Lu receiver & Cade’s middle brother, Trevor Cadam: “Cade has always been an amazing big brother. The older brothers always have to go through everything first and Cade was always there to give me and Ryder advice on every step in life and athletics. He’s been a real big motivator and supportive brother throughout my football career. He’s always helped me grow as a football player and made me a better receiver. It was tough to see him go through hard times in high school, but watching him have the senior year he had was something special for our whole family. Then seeing him get an opportunity at ASU was awesome. Seeing the practice clips he sent me I saw him making plays on the starters at ASU, so it was frustrating not seeing him ever get the chance to play there. His season also didn’t go the way we all thought it would at Mt Sac. He’s someone who’s always been able to persevere through hard times. Even though the past two seasons have not been great for me, it’s been amazing to be his teammate at Cal Lu and watch him shine. He’s been our best player and has led the conference in receiving stats for the past two seasons. He’s someone who has worked so hard for this and endured challenging seasons to get to this point in his career. It’s been amazing seeing all that pay off in the end for him with his past two seasons at Cal Lu.”

Former Bonita WR/DB, current Citrus DB, & Cade’s little brother, Ryder Cadam: “Cade has been a great big brother to me my whole life. He has always been a great role model, and he has taught me many valuable skills that I will use in my football career forever. It’s very cool to see him persevere through the ups and downs of his football career. He has worked very hard for everything he has accomplished and it’s a great feeling as a brother to see him succeed. Seeing him ball out at Cal Lu has been awesome. He is a very fun player to watch, and you can see all his hard work paying off on the field.”

Bonita principal, Kenny Ritchie: “Cade is a tremendous athlete who lets his play do the talking. He has no fear when playing football and always went 100-percent. Trevor was the vocal leader on the team, who made big plays at the most important. Ryder was extremely tough and did not let anything keep him from playing. He played his senior year with a bad shoulder, but he refused to come out and still was a major contributor on the team. I enjoyed watching all three of the Cadam boys play football as they each brought a different approach to the game they love. All three were hard workers and seemed to have a knack for being the guy in the most pressured and important moments of games. I knew that all of these talented boys would be successful at the next level.”

Cade Cadam’s Career Stats:
2024: Cal Lutheran: 48 receptions for 709 yards & three TDs
2023: Cal Lutheran: 58 catches for 712 & five TDs
2022: Mt. SAC: 25-for-256 & 3 TDs
2018: Bonita: 86-for-1,468 yards & 12 TDs; 15 carries for 132 yards

SCIAC Sun Standings:
Pomona-Pitzer (5-2, 4-1)
Redlands (2-5, 2-3)
La Verne (0-7, 0-5)

SCIAC Surf Standings:
Claremont-Mudd Scripps (6-1, 4-1)
Chapman (5-2, 4-1)
Cal Lutheran (1-6, 1-4)

2024 SCIAC Receiving Leaders:
Cade Cadam (Cal Lutheran): 48 catches for 709 yards & 3 TDs
Jimmy Rumsey (La Verne): 30-for-502 & 5 TDs
Matthias Olson (Pomona-Pitzer): 21-for-450 & 5 TDs
Isaiah McNaught-Thornton (La Verne): 11-for-316 & 2 TDs
Cynkar Anderson (Claremont-Mudd Scripps): 22-for-362 & 2 TDs

2023 SCIAC Receiving Leaders:
Jimmy Rumsey (La Verne): 59-for-640 & 3 TDs
Cade Cadam (Cal Lu): 58-for-712 & 5 TDs
Quinten Wimmer (Pomona-Pitzer): 43-for-578 & 3 TDs
Amir Adams (Chapman): 38-for-630 & 5 TDs
Matthias Olson (Pomona-Pitzer): 30-for-689 & 8 TDs