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Central wants Fiderlein's 'instinctive' defense
by Gregory R. Norfleet · Sports · March 17, 2021
Not until the past two years, when he saw his strength and size build up enough to stand on the varsity football team, did senior Cael Fiderlein think he could continue playing into college.
Then his stats, especially on defense, started attracting the attention of area colleges and universities and offers began appearing.
Last month, the son of Chad and Deb Fiderlein announced he would accept a scholarship from Central College to play for The Dutch, joining other West Branch High School Bears who made the same pick.
“It’s a great honor,” Fiderlein said.
West Branch Head Football Coach Butch Pedersen called “Feddy” an “excellent player” who likely gravitated toward football because of his father.
“He will be a tremendous addition to the Central football team,” the Bears coach said.
Central College’s Defensive Coordinator and Linebacker Coach Nick Mulder called Fiderlein “a good person” who will “fit in well with our culture.”
“He is a very instinctive and physical player that always seemed to be around the ball on defense,” he said in an email to the Times. “We are excited about Cael joining the team!”
This past season, Fiderlein led the team with 55.5 tackles and 32 solo tackles. He recorded a sack and six tackles for lost yardage and had three interceptions.
During his junior year, he led the team again with another 55.5 tackles and 34 solo tackles with two sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and three interceptions.
St. Ambrose University and Simpson College both made scholarship offers and Wartburg College showed interest, too.
Central stood out because of its “community and sense of family,” he said.
“I had a great relationship with the coaches right away,” as well as the team, the senior said. “It seemed like a big ol’ family.”
Football runs in the Fiderlein family. His father played both offensive and defensive lines for West Branch and made up part of the 1991 state championship team.
Cael said his father played a “huge part” in his football development, from third-grade flag football on up.
“Since I was a little kid, I’ve been working on my lineman stance,” he said.
Pedersen said he could see the influence Chad had on Cael.
“It definitely got into his bloodstream,” the Bears coach said. “He was born and raised as a football player and his parents were so actively involved.”
Cael said he and his father watched old Bears’ game tapes “and it looked like so much fun.”
That encouraged him to play and play hard, he said.
Cael called himself one of the “smaller kids” who played cornerback until his sophomore year. Then, when he hit his junior year and got bigger — both by growing and in the weight room — he moved to middle linebacker.
“It’s been quite the journey,” he said.
Pedersen said Cael rarely — if ever — missed a day in the weight room.
“Cael is one of the most religious weight room lifters we’ve had,” he said. “He knows that’s key — being consistent in the weight room.”
Central College’s Defensive Coordinator and Linebacker Coach Nick Mulder sent him a lifting program which he began right away. He also received a chart of drills and a list of terminology to learn before appearing for camp in the fall.
Fiderlein said WBHS Strength and Conditioning Coach Bryan Rohrbach will help him meet Central’s demands even with the high school’s weightlifting equipment trimmed down while the weight room is undergoing renovation.
Fiderlein said that from talking with Central coaches, he appears headed toward a linebacker position, just like in high school, but that “depends on my development.”
He earned All-District First Team honors from the River Valley Conference.
It also depends on his ability to compete for a kicking position. The senior grabbed the spotlight with his kicking statistics, too, and Pedersen remembers Cael attending kicking camps to benefit the West Branch team.
“He’s just a hard-hitting kid who gets after things,” the coach said. “He loves the game of football and hasn’t reached his potential yet.”
During his junior year, Cael kicked off 52 times for 2,387 yards and went seven for seven with field goal attempts. He also made 44 of 45 extra points. In his senior season, he kicked off 39 times for 1,765 yards and a touchback, and went four-for-eight on field goal attempts. He also drove in 21 of 23 extra-point attempts.
As a kicker, he earned All-District MVP honors from the RVC.
Fiderlein said he will try out for a kicking role and thinks he could “be in the mix.”
Central College plays in the American Rivers Conference with Buena Vista University, Coe College, University of Dubuque, Loras College, Luther College, Simpson College, Wartburg College, and Nebraska Wesleyan University.
Fiderlein said he likes that Central established a strong football tradition like West Branch, putting it regularly at the top of the ARC standings with Wartburg. The Dutch finished in the top three for the past decade.
“Central and Wartburg have a great history like West Branch,” he said. “It’s a good fit.”
His father went with him on college visits and pointed out the comparisons to West Branch’s football program’s “rich tradition and history,” Cael said.
Cael said he also likes the range of intramural sports, clubs, and even the informal “fishing club” made up of Dutch football players.
Pedersen said he expects Fiderlein to get involved in other extracurriculars and possibly play a second sport. He said playing a second sport is difficult for most college students to pull off and still keep up their grades.
“But I think Feddy has the opportunity to do that,” he said. “He’s very coachable and will do whatever you ask.”
Cael also played or plays baseball, soccer, and basketball in high school.
Cael credited Rohrbach for building him up in the off-season.
“I was small and scrawny as a freshman and he got me to where I am,” Fiderlein said.
He also said he appreciates all of his football coaches for pushing him to be better.
“I want to give a huge thanks to them,” he said.
Cael said his parents did the same.
“I wouldn’t be here without them,” he said.
Fiderlein said he plans to major in environmental science. He does not yet know what kind of career he will gravitate toward but knows he wants to work outdoors.
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