by By Dan Ninham
One of the elite high school multi-athletes in the state of Colorado lives in Fort Collins. His bigger, faster, and stronger demeanor isn’t a billboard promotion of a company. He thinks and lives the life of always striving to show progress.
Cade Whish, 17, is a junior in the class of 2022 at Fort Collins HS, CO. He is Navajo and Many Hogan’s born for the Bilagáana. His maternal grandfather is Towering House and he’s also a Wichita descendant.
“I started playing because I wanted to be active and thought that sports were fun,” said Cade. “I continue to play and to pursue them at a higher level because I love to compete and to push myself towards excellence.”
Cade is a 6-4, 270 lb. multi-sport athlete. He is a defensive tackle/defensive end/offensive tackle, heavyweight wrestler, and shot put and discus thrower in track and field.
“I have been a three-sport letter winner since my freshman year at a 5A school,” said Cade. “I was named a ‘Rising Star’ my freshman year in track & field. Last year, I was named one of the top 20 football players in my class in Colorado, as well as the 16th most recruited player in 2022 by Colorado Prep Report. This past season, I placed third in the Colorado State Wrestling Tournament in the 5A Heavyweight division. Due to COVID-19, we are playing our football season this spring. We are currently 4-0 and sitting at the top of our conference.”
“Family is a huge part of my tribal value system,” said Cade. “For me, this translates into my athletics with my teammates. They become like a family to me, which makes me want to be the best that I can be for them and the greater team just like it would be for my family and tribes.”
“Another core value is perseverance. Native people have had to persevere through extremely difficult circumstances. As an athlete, I take this same perseverance to all the sports I play. I know there is always going to be someone bigger, faster, and stronger than me. So, I make sure that I work harder than others are, whether it is in season or during off season. This perseverance has propelled me to being the best athlete that I can be,” added Cade.
“Jim Thorpe has been a great influence on me,” said Cade. “Not only is he native like me, but he was also a very skilled athlete in numerous sports. What he was able to do inspires me to continue competing in multiple sports.”
“One of my mentors is Coach Corey Sample,” said Cade. “I train with him during the off-season. He pushes me to limits that I didn’t think I could achieve. Under his positive, yet difficult, training regimens, I have become bigger and stronger than I thought I could be at this age. He is quick to say that he isn’t the trainer for just anyone and I have seen it to be true. Many have come to him and many have left. He has shown me that hard work and preparation will take me far on the field and off.”
“Coach Tom Cooper is also a mentor,” said Cade. “He is my offensive line coach. Coach Coop was not a coach on the team during my freshman year. That year, I played tight end. In preseason camp before my sophomore year, I was asked to move to right tackle. Cooper took me under his wing and showed me how to play the position.”
“Like Coach Sample, Cooper has high expectations, which are often hard to live up to. Though he expects me to be the best, he also shows great support and guidance as I continue to learn this position,” added Cade.
“Cade has always been a very hard worker at everything he sets his mind on,” said Coach Tom Cooper. “With his commitment to improving himself as a football player, he was tireless all last summer working out on his own both on the field and in the weight room. Cade wasn’t about to let a pandemic keep him from improving himself. All his work paid off as he went from a 220 lb. football player in the fall of 2019 to a 270 lb. heavyweight wrestler in January of 2021.”
“Since football practice started and before the wrestling state championships had finished, one would think that Cade would miss out on the first few weeks of football,” said Tom. “That would be a bad assumption as Cade came to football practices in addition to preparing for wrestling state championships.”
“Cade is a great teammate who pushes and praises his teammates,” said Tom. “He loves to compete in practice to make himself and his teammates better. He is the same way in the classroom, always striving to be better and learn.”
“Coach Corey Sample uses strict COVID protocols in his training,” said Cade. “I feel fortunate to have been able to continue working with him throughout the pandemic. This work helped me gain 50 pounds between my sophomore and junior football seasons, while increasing my speed, strength and quickness.”
“Cade has a drive to be great on and off the field like no one I have ever met before,” said Coach Corey Sample. “Cade’s athleticism allows him to be dominant in multiple sports but his mind and work allows him to be great in the classroom. Since I have known him he has always talked about going to school and being an engineer! At 6’4 and 270 his frame and playmaking ability will get him a D1 scholarship and he definitely will be able to get into any school.”
“I rely on my family and friends to keep my spirits high,” said Cade. “It hasn’t been easy in the pandemic, but technology has helped tremendously. I am able to connect with my family in New Mexico and Oklahoma using video chats. Though I haven’t been able to see them physically in over a year, my grandparents and extended family members have supported me the whole time. It is also emotionally comforting to know they have been able to watch me wrestle and play football through broadcasts from the NFHS Network and through Facebook Live.”
“My physical and emotional areas have really helped me with my mental state during this time,” said Cade. “Staying physically active and being able to connect with friends and family, even though it has been virtual, have really helped me stay focused mentally.”
“Daily prayer has been an even bigger focus for me through this past year,” said Cade. “The spiritual aspect of my life is what connects the physical, emotional and mental aspects together. Through prayer, I am able to feel a connection to something much greater than athletics and much greater than me as an individual. Prayer humbles me and allows me to focus on others more than I do myself.”
“I have always been a decent athlete, but I haven’t always excelled in some of the sports that I play,” said Cade. “A great example of this is when I first started wrestling in the seventh grade. I won exactly zero matches in my first year. This probably would have discouraged many people. However, it lit a fire under me. The next year, I placed third in district and fourth in regionals which qualified me for the Middle School State Wrestling Tournament where I lost the two matches I was in.”
“In ninth grade, I made the varsity team,” said Cade. “As a sophomore, I missed going to state by one place in the regional tournament. This year, I finished the season with a record of 21-3 and placed third in the 5A Heavyweight class. I also was named Honorable Mention All-State and Second Team All-Conference.”
“This is a true testament to my hard work, determination and perseverance,” said Cade.
Photo Credit: Blink Photography
