Making good on the everybody’s anticipations including his own, junior Cade Vercellotti is turning out to be one of the Greenwave’s varsity football’s great hopefuls by earning KOLO-TV’s “Stud of the Week” award for his outstanding performance in the Wave’s 55-7 victory over Wooster Friday.
Vercellotti was interviewed on his performance by sports reporter Ben Ross and was presented with a University of Nevada, Reno Wolf Pack hoodie.
Vercellotti was an essential component of the Wave’s win against Wooster on Friday, notably for a return of the first kickoff from Wooster for the first of his four touchdowns.
“There was a player saying, ‘I hope we kickoff from the start of the game,’” said Vercellotti recalling his opening play with a smile, “and I was like ‘How about we just get the ball return it, and then kick it off?’” And then that was exactly what happened.”
Vercellotti was a varsity player in California as a freshman before moving to Nevada in his sophomore year and joining the junior varsity. This year is Vercellotti’s first with the varsity, and coach Brooke Hill has already commended Vercellotti for his performance.
“Cade played really well,” Hill said before he was interviewed by KOLO-TV as well. “He started the game off returning the opening kick for an 80-yard touchdown and did a great job seeing the blocks. He ran run really well, and ever since we plugged him in against Truckee he’s been a real bright-spot for us.”
In light of the Vercellotti’s part in the Wave’s victory against Wooster, Hill said the upcoming home game against South Tahoe is going to be a tremendous challenge for them that they are taking no less seriously.
“South Tahoe’s a very improved football team,” he said. “They’ve got about three losses, but they were really close losses. Everybody they’ve played, I believe, is undefeated, so to look at their record and say they’re 0-3 and not good. Well they are.”
The 17-year-old Vercellotti has two older brothers, Alex and Zach. Alex is an accountant for the city of Reno, and Zach is a firefighter for the Fallon Churchill Volunteer Fire Department, according to Vercellotti’s mother, Teri Peck.
“(Cade) is amazing,” Peck said. “He’s an amazing kid who gives 100 percent to everything he does.”
When asked if and where her son would consider playing college football, Peck cheerfully expressed that she wants him to play for Nevada, but that Vercellotti is also looking at Boise State University and the University of Oregon.
“I imagine almost every high school football player would want to go to the next level,” Vercellotti said. “It doesn’t really matter to me where. All I know is I want to play. I’d love to play for Nevada, of course, but it doesn’t matter where as long as I’m playing.”