Colin Caver set to return, lead Crescenta Valley defense

One often overlooked aspect to the unforgettable season that was Crescenta Valley High football’s 2014 campaign was the team’s fortune of remaining relatively injury-free.

Perhaps middle linebacker Colin Caver was much the same, as his extraordinary numbers of 113 tackles and 11 sacks were somewhat overshadowed by the exploits of a parade of standout teammates, many of them seniors.

“He had a really good season last year, especially toward the end of the year and in playoffs,” Falcons junior running back/outside linebacker Brandon Beardt says. “He was overlooked a bit.”

As the 2015 season is set to kick off, both of those overlooked aspects of the Falcons’ flight to a CIF Southern Section Southeast Division championship have come to a head.

Crescenta Valley has already suffered more injuries in the preseason than it did all of last year and one is to Caver, who will not be suiting up for the Falcons’ season opener Thursday at Verdugo Hills as he heals a shoulder injury.

“This year we’re more of a defensive-minded team,” says senior defensive back/receiver Bostin Lakin says. “At middle backer, he’s definitely the heart of the defense.”

While there’s no telling if injuries will plague Crescenta Valley or not, Caver has assured his return, likely in the second week for the Falcons’ home opener against Golden Valley.

With him comes a cerebral approach, efficient excellence and one of the keys to the Falcons’ defense last season and even more so this year. Perhaps above all else, though, Caver’s not quite done enjoying the victories that have become so prevalent for Crescenta Valley football.

“The best I’ve ever felt is walking off a field after a win,” the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Caver says. “That’s what I live for.”

Therefore, perhaps it’s surprising that Caver is on the doorstep of just his fourth season of football.

Throughout his childhood, he played basketball.

However, it was Falcons Coach Paul Schilling who was his coach on the hardwood, too, coaching Caver from fourth to eighth grade in basketball. But the football coach always saw a football player out on the court.

“You knew it, he was made for [football],” Schilling says.

It’s an assessment Caver readily agrees with.

“I played basketball like a football player,” Caver says.

Following his first year of football as a freshman at Crescenta Valley, Caver was called up to the varsity squad and from the get-go was a welcomed surprise.

“As a sophomore, we thought he was going to be a reserve, but he ended up starting,” Schilling says.

And then came 2014 and a season Crescenta Valley fans and much of the community will never forget.

“One of the best parts was we hadn’t won our league in 10 years and it felt like everybody was really down on us,” Caver says, “and then all of a sudden, it was like, ‘CV is really good this year.’ It was special.”

Crescenta Valley won its first Pacific League title since 2004 with a 7-0 run through league. One of the Falcons’ biggest and most important conquests was a 38-26 win at Muir on Oct. 24, 2014. Caver, perhaps very quietly, turned in a season-high 15 tackles.

Then came the playoffs, with wins against Harvard-Westlake, Paramount, La Serna and finally a 21-14 triumph over Downey on Dec. 5 earning the Falcons a Southeast Division championship — just the second CIF title in program history and the first since 1973.

“It was awesome,” Caver says of the run to the title. “It was so great seeing all the CV graduates genuinely happy for us. It was unbelievable.

“I saw everybody from my childhood after the [championship] game. It was just unbelievable.”

Over the four-game postseason run, Caver had 34 tackles, three sacks and a fumble recovery.

On a defense in which he shared the field with the likes of Davo Hakobyan, Matt Erickson, Sean Bloks, Tyler Hill and Jordan Lobianco, Caver was often overlooked, though.

“He was right up there with all those other guys,” Schilling says. “Colin is the guy you notice more on the film the next day.

“He’s very efficient; he just makes a lot of plays. He’s not flashy, just really efficient.”

Perhaps that’s just Caver, who just seems to go about his day getting things done, whether it’s on the field or off.

In the classroom, he owns a 4.3 grade-point average with advanced-placement classes aplenty.

Manning the middle of the defense, his acumen in the classroom has transferred over to the field.

“He’s one of the smartest ballplayers I know,” Lakin says. “He’s definitely a very technical player. He’s very technically sound and he’s very smart. He always makes the right play.”

When Caver returns for his senior season, Schilling believes that it will not just make the defense better, but also more flexible, as Caver has shown the ability to rush the passer, drop back in coverage and stop the run.

“He’s gotta be tough and play with the big guys, but at the same time, he’s athletic enough to move and cover guys,” Schilling says. “He’s that versatile.

“That’s kind of the beauty of Colin. It depends on where we think he’s gonna be best against the opponent.”

So, when the Falcons take the field for the first time since a 14-0 CIF championship season, Caver unfortunately will not be playing. It’s only temporary, though.

Because the kid who played basketball for so many years and is every bit a standout in the classroom knows where he wants to be.

“You can tell there’s guys that are football players and there’s guys who aren’t,” Caver says.

And Colin Caver’s most assuredly a football player.