CCS Senior of the Year
CADE REES, SERRA
For two years, Cade Rees was something of a mythical figure, always talked about in high regard but never seen. As a sophomore, he dominated the WCAL on the junior varsity circuit, billed as the next big thing at Serra, and as a junior, he missed the entire year with a knee injury, leaving fans wondering just how much better the Padres would have been with him on the floor.
There would be no wondering in his senior year, a season in which he was undoubtedly one of the best players in the entire Bay Area. He announced his presence with 21 points against Regis Jesuit and dominated nonleague foes through all of December, establishing himself as an all-around threat with the ability to play through contact and attack the glass while scoring at will.
Even with the defenses of the WCAL and coaching staffs devising gameplans to stop Rees, he was nearly unstoppable throughout 14 league games. He was only held to single digits twice, scoring eight in the first meeting with Mitty as he battled the flu. Though he only scored nine in the Jungle Game, it was a low-scoring affair and he had a team-high 10 rebounds, playing an instrumental part in a 21-point comeback as the Padres beat St. Ignatius 48-44. He averaged 18.1 per game within WCAL play and picked up three double-doubles, coming a point shy of a fourth in the aforementioned win over SI. Perhaps his best performance was in a February 5 win at Bellarmine in which he scored eight in the fourth quarter and all seven of the Padres’ points in overtime, driving baseline for the winning layup in the dying seconds.
In what was a solid but unspectacular season for Serra, Rees was excellent in both victories and defeats. On Senior Night, a 56-55 loss to Mitty in which the Monarchs sealed the WCAL championship, Rees staked the Padres out to an early lead and kept them in the game the entire way, with eight points and 10 rebounds in the first quarter alone en route to a 21-point, 17-board performance. Whether it was in the lane, on the perimeter or at the charity stripe, Rees found his way into double figures almost every night, and his free throw abilities made him a constant thorn in opponents’ sides. At one point in January, he went three straight games without missing from the line, hitting 24 attempts in a row.
It seemed like Rees never had to adapt as he was not only an especially well-rounded player, but one who seemed groomed for Serra’s system. A tight defender with the ability to run the court and a selfless passer who was always looking for the open man, as he did when he scored just eight points in a blowout playoff win over Rocklin, Rees was a team player who made the Padres better whether or not the ball was in his hands, something that wasn’t lost on his teammates or coaches. He was able to effectively serve as a point forward, making for a monster duo with three-year starter Parker McDonald.
“I’d coach him every day of the week and twice on Sunday,” head coach Chuck Rapp said of the 6-foot-7 forward.
After a lackluster run in the CCS Open Division, losing to Menlo-Atherton and getting stomped by Mitty in a consolation game, Rees was huge in Serra’s surprising run all the way to a Northern California Division II Championship appearance. He scored 19 at St. Patrick-St. Vincent and 16 in an upset of top-seeded St. Mary’s-Stockton. Even in a season-ending loss at Campolindo in which his team scored 38 points, Rees still put up 16 despite a rare off night on free throws.
The one brief year Rees had on the floor may be the end of his time playing competitive basketball, as he will attend Cal Poly, where he plans to major in mechanical engineering but not play basketball. If he does ever get back on the floor, though, he showed during his one season of varsity basketball that he can break out with a moment’s notice.
Other players considered for this award include Nueva’s Kyle McGraw and Eastside’s Isaiah Saams-Hoy.
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