As Acalanes 2024 nose guard/defensive tackle Chase Caidedo joined the Don’s football program as a freshman, he was not fully in love with football yet. But as Ciacedo met the coaches, built bonds with the teammates, practiced with them, watched film and the teamwork aspect of the sport, needing all 11 players on each side of the ball to hone in on their jobs, he was invested.
Football was it.
“I’m kind of just obsessed with it now,” Caicedo said.
That next offseason, when Caicedo was preparing for junior varsity ball, Caicedo began to get that sense of confidence to become one of those upper echelon student-athletes.
One of Acalanes’ coaches, Greg Young, brought the inspiration to Caicedo. He brought the positive light towards Caicedo, brought him to a camp in Lake Tahoe and showed that Caicedo could take athletics as far as he wanted. “He believed I could do well,” Caicedo said. “I did amazing there and it really gave me this sense of confidence and trust in my own ability.”
The 6’4, 270-pound interior defensive lineman is coming off a junior slate where he registered 21 tackles and three tackles for loss in nine contests, part of an impressive Acalanes Dons season where they went 10-2 overall and reached the North Coast Section semifinals.
Caicedo has attended numerous camps and showcases this offseason to bolster his skillset and learn more tricks for the trade, to get better for this upcoming final year of high school football. The offseason included a strong showing at the West Coast preps Invitational Camp, attending tournaments with his team 2G Sports & Fitness for 1-on-1 competition and was invited to the Nicholls State camp.
“I thought they’ve gone really well,” Caicedo said. “It’s my first year of going to camps and tournaments like this. I’m having a lot of fun. I’ve earned a lot. I love being in that competitive environment.”
Caicedo said he plans to attend camps at Cal, Cal Poly, Redlands, Sacramento State (twice) and San Jose State (twice). He may also attend another Cal camp. Overall, Caicedo described the recruiting process as “wonderful” and has been in contact with a few schools.
“At these camps, I think it’s a great opportunity to learn a lot and see what these coaches have to teach me,” Caicedo said. “I can gain a new perspective, almost new new strategies and techniques as well. There’s a lot of learning points, as well as a competitive environment to be in and to really strive for greatness.”
Also a 3.2 GPA student, Caicedo is looking towards a major in computer science – the same career his father does for a living. All of the problem solving and creative thinking that goes into the industry really draws Caicedo towards it.
“That’s what I would say is one of my biggest strengths is problem solving,” Caicedo said. “I took an AP Computer Science class this year and really enjoyed it. I can really see myself doing something like that for the rest of my life.”
For the fall, Caicedo is striving to help bring Acalanes back to the top of the Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division. Each of the last three seasons, it has been some other program atop the standings – Campolindo twice outright and Campolindo sharing the crown with Benicia and Las Lomas in the fall of 2021.
This time around, as the team discussed just the other day together, they want to do what they did in 2019: take home a league banner.
“That’s really what we’re striving for this year,” Caicedo said. “I think we can do it.”
written by West Coast Prep