Senior Spotlight: ‘If he wants it, he’ll get it done’

Editor’s note: This article is part of a recurring series on local high school athletes who had their seasons cut short or canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

PRIEST RIVER — In mid-March, Caden Brennan sent Priest River boys basketball coach Kevin Wylie a text message asking him if he still believed he could play college basketball. Wylie’s response: “absolutely.”

That text exchange kick-started a two-month effort by Brennan and Wylie to find the Priest River senior a shot at playing at the next level.

That pursuit ended just over a month ago when Brennan committed to play basketball at Arizona Christian University in Glendale, Arizona, this fall.

Brennan was a three-sport athlete throughout his time at Priest River and has been playing football, baseball and basketball his whole life. Brennan loves all three sports but basketball edges out the other two as his favorite.

Brennan’s dad, Shad, was an avid baseball and football fan and growing up Brennan took a liking to both. Him and his dad played catch and t-ball in the backyard and Shad was his coach early on.

Shad passed away several years ago.

“He was there for everything when I needed him,” Brennan said about his dad.

Brennan discovered his own passion in basketball and it became the sport he was willing to dedicate every moment of every day to. Brennan has always dreamed of playing college basketball, so he was ecstatic when he received the offer from ACU.

“I try showing it but I can’t show it enough because it’s just been a lifelong dream and without so many people’s help, I wouldn’t be here,” he said.

Wylie started coaching Brennan in AAU basketball in sixth grade and in seventh grade he knew if Brennan kept it up he could be something special. Wylie has always told Brennan he could play college basketball and this past season he took on a major leadership role for the Spartans and proved he was worthy of an opportunity to play at the next level with his performance on the court.

“We thought he was by far our best athlete and player on our team as a junior,” Wylie said.

Brennan led Priest River in nearly every major statistical category during the 2019-20 season and he did so while battling injuries. In October, Brennan broke his wrist in the Spartans second to last football game of the season. He had surgery and rushed himself back early to play in the basketball team’s season opener.

After playing in a cast for a handful of games, Brennan rolled his ankle in the Spartans fourth game at Newport. Both injuries bothered him the rest of the season, but he never made excuses and they didn’t hold him back from reaching his goals.

“That’s just Caden,” Wylie said. “Caden’s the type of kid through injuries, he’s going to give you everything he has. He’s not going to let too many people know that he has a weakness or an injury.”

Wylie said Brennan is one of the most competitive people he’s ever met. He never wanted to come off the court in games and in practice he was always the first in the gym putting up shots. Going half speed wasn’t in his vocabulary.

“He wants to be the best every time he’s out there,” Wylie said.

Mark Schultz, the Priest River baseball coach and an assistant on the basketball team, said he always challenged Brennan to friendly competitions on the court and the diamond and it frustrated him when he lost.

But Brennan never gave into the trash talk spewed on the field of competition and instead let his actions speak louder than his words.

“He doesn’t like to fail at anything,” Schultz said. “When he turned the switch, he was pretty tough.”

Sports have always been an outlet for Brennan to just enjoy life and let go of stress.

“It’s just so hard to explain,” he said. “I’ve just had such a competitive nature my whole life, I don’t know if it’s genetics or what. There’s just something about going out there and trying to beat the person next to you.”

Wylie said Brennan has always been humble about the talent he possesses and did whatever he could to help his team. Brennan didn’t want to let down his teammates, coaches or family, and it showed, Wylie said.

On the baseball field, Brennan made his presence known as a pitcher and shortstop. Brennan was called up to varsity about midway through his freshman season and became the Spartans starting shortstop from there on out.

Though he missed his junior season of baseball due to injury, Brennan still showed up to practice every day to support his teammates.

“He was just one of those level-headed guys that would go about his business and never caused issues,” Schultz said.

This year, Schultz was hoping to see Brennan take a major step forward and make an impact at multiple positions, but he never got that chance.

Brennan was really looking forward to his final season of sports at Priest River with his friends, so he was heartbroken when baseball was taken away from him.

“Its gotten me through a lot,” Brennan said about baseball. “Whenever you’re not feeling the best, you can always just play baseball and it will get your head off things.”

Brennan isn’t used to having a break playing three sports year round, but work has kept him busy.

For a while, Brennan wasn’t sure he wanted to go to college, so it was a last minute decision when he began the process of trying to find one.

Brennan did some research on Arizona Christian, an NAIA school, and found the assistant coaches email. He reached out and provided the coach with a recruiting video and his high school stats.

Wylie said it was apparent ACU wanted Brennan and he was proud of the Priest River star for taking the initiative to reach out to the school on his own.

“He took the reins,” Wylie said. “That right there spoke highly of his seriousness.”

Wylie expects Brennan to make a splash right away for the Firestorm due to his size, length, speed and versatility.

“You could put him at any position and he would play it,” Wylie said. “He’s going to excel early because he’s such a hard worker and he’s going to soak in every little bit of information.”

Brennan is planning on studying business at ACU, but he isn’t sure what career he wants to go into yet. Luckily, he has four years to figure it out.

Brennan is excited for the next chapter of his life, but he won’t forget his time as a Spartan.

“I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” he said. “I wouldn’t go to any other school if I had the choice. I loved every minute of it.”

Schultz said Brennan is mature beyond his years, he just wishes he had more time with him on the baseball field.

“He won’t settle,” Schultz said. “He’s going to dig deep and do what he has to do. If he wants it, he’ll get it done.”

In his own words: Caden Brennan

“I’m Caden Brennan and I’m playing basketball at Arizona Christian University. I’m so grateful for this opportunity and wouldn’t have been able to do it without my friends, family, and coaches. I would like to thank my parents for making every game and supporting me throughout my life, my coaches for pushing me to become the best player and person I could be, my girlfriend Hailee for keeping my head up and keeping a positive attitude, and most of all my dad who shared his love for sports to me. I’m so blessed to have such an amazing opportunity and to have so many amazing people be a part of it also.”