Adding to the family legacy, Escalon’s Christensen is named Bee’s Player of the Year
Escalon High’s Kaden Christensen comes from a football “rich” family.
His uncle, Robbie Orlando, was an all-district running back in 1993 and on the Ripon 1996 Sac-Joaquin Section championship team.
Kaden’s dad, Danny, played on that 1996 team and his cousin, Logan Orlando, won section and CIF State titles with Central Catholic in 2015.
The one thing that separated Christensen from his family members is he hadn’t won a championship.
That changed this year as the Cougars won a CIF State title and Sac-Joaquin Section championship.
Playing running back and defensive back, Christensen, who had nearly 2,900 total yards and 32 touchdowns, was a key in the Cougars’ successful season.
And, he now has one accolade nobody in his family has — The Bee’s Player of the Year honor.
“If you look at our record, there was one blemish on the right side of it (loss to Ripon) but we went out on our own terms as seniors,” Christensen said.
Even with the rivalry between Escalon and Ripon, Christensen said his uncle supported him throughout his career and even wore Escalon gear.
“Getting the support system from my family was huge,” Christensen said.
The importance of family
On his right bicep, Christensen has a tattoo of a clock with tribal signs and the words “Papa” on a ribbon.
When Kaden was 5, his father died. In March, his grandfather, Robert “Bobby” Orlando, passed away.
“To play this season without him here ... that was tough,” Christensen said about his grandfather. “It gave me an edge that I had to get it done for him and my dad and to represent the family.”
The tattoo, which Christensen said he got in June, honors both men.
“My grandfather wrote me a letter on my first birthday and I was able to find his signature and have it transferred and tattooed on my bicep,” Kaden said. “The tribal that wraps around the clock was tribal on my dad’s arm.”
The clock also points to 12:19 for Dec. 19, his dad’s birthday.
During the national anthem before games, Christensen prayed and said he played in honor of both and also wrote his dad’s initials and his grandfather’s name on his wristband tape.
He also wrote a “J” for Joana Vazquez, the Escalon cheerleader who passed away in October.
Raised between Escalon, Ripon
Kaden was born in Modesto and spent his early years living between Escalon and Ripon.
His parents both went to Ripon High but he also had family who attended Escalon High.
When he was 5, the family moved to Escalon and he eventually became a Cougar.
Christensen was a statistical machine throughout his three years on varsity. He had 4,800 total yards and 43 touchdowns, and was a captain all three years.
One thing was missing entering this year: a section title.
Escalon was eliminated in the playoffs the last two years by Hilmar. Christensen said the moment he will always remember from this season is the Division VI section championship win over the Yellowjackets.
“It was one of the greatest wins in our class,” he said. “Being knocked out by them two years in a row ... to be able to beat them in the section title game at Lincoln (High School) was amazing.”
Escalon had a lot of key returners coming back this year and was the Bee’s No. 1 ranked small-school team for much of the season. But Christensen said the team dealt with its share of challenges.
“We played a lot of big games and our preseason schedule was the hardest we’ve played in my three years,” he said.
The biggest thing Christensen said he learned throughout his career is not letting the big game moments affect him.
“At the end of the day, we were playing a football game no matter how many people were in the crowd,” he said. “It’s still the same guys ... 16- to 17-year-old kids with shoulder pads and helmets under the lights.”
Love of the outdoors
In his spare time, Christensen said he likes being in the outdoors hunting and fishing.
He also loves any and all sports.
Christensen, along with seniors Clay Evans, Jack Fitzgerald, and Kaidence Trejo, attended as many Escalon High sporting events as possible, including the Cougars’ volleyball team section championship.
Around campus, Kaden said he is laid back and spends a lot of time in coach Andrew Beam’s room, where he is a teacher’s assistant for a few periods.
“I got to get my school work done and at the end of the day, I am here to get an education,” he said.
Christensen is going on a recruiting trip in January to see a couple of colleges, where he hopes to play football.
Would he like to follow Beam’s route and play college football and return to his alma mater to coach?
Said Christensen, “Definitely. We have the same offense from Pop Warner to high school and you fit right in. Nothing ever changes.”
A career that featured plenty of success, it’s only fitting Christensen’s final offensive play as a Cougar was a 42-yard touchdown reception from junior quarterback Ty Harris in the state title game.
The family legacy continues to grow.
This story was originally published December 22, 2019 at 6:00 AM.
