SOQUEL — Anyone who has seen, played against, or coached Cade Petersen on the football field can tell you he can play at the next level. His speed, power, talent and motor are undeniable. And, he’s solid academically.
Really solid. Petersen represented Santa Cruz County at the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame awards, where he received a $1,000 scholarship, and graduated with a 4.30 weighted grade-point average.
But when the 6-foot-1, 230-pound star lineman on Soquel High’s CIF 4-AA State Championship football team graduated from high school in June, he did so without a scholarship offer. He applied to 15 universities, including Stanford University, where his mom played soccer, and several Ivy League schools, and didn’t get accepted to any of his top picks. “That’s what I was so shocked about,” said Petersen, a first-team selection on the All-Gabilan Division football team, who also shined on the school’s basketball and lacrosse teams.
“I got good grades and participated in a lot of extracurricular activities. I was really active. It’s just super competitive now.
“I want people to know how hard it is (to get into college) now.” Petersen planned to attend University of Colorado Boulder and walk on to the school’s football team. Not because the Buffaloes are coached by NFL legend Deion Sanders, because he liked the beauty surrounding the campus and had a chance to walk on to the football program.
But a few months back, former NFL de.