Dimond’s Cayden Pili named Gatorade Alaska Football Player of the Year

After leading the Dimond High football team to its first Alaska state championship in 23 years, junior Cayden Pili on Friday became just the second player in program history to be named Gatorade Alaska Football Player of the Year.

“I’m very grateful and honored to receive this award,” Pili said in a statement. “It’s pretty cool being able to bring a GPOY award to our program, and being only the second for football is pretty cool.”

The dynamic dual-threat quarterback and tenacious defensive back joins an elite contingent of student-athletes to receive this prestigious honor — including his older sister, Alissa Pili, who was a three-time recipient during her illustrious prep career at Dimond. She went on to have a decorated collegiate basketball career, was selected in the first round of the 2024 WNBA by the Minnesota Lynx and flew home to present her younger brother with the state championship trophy after the Lynx topped West for the Division I title.

“I’m glad I could join the elite club of athletes before me, especially my sister who was three-time GPOY,” Pili stated. “She texted me, ‘Congrats and welcome to the club lol,’ but I just want to thank God, my family, teammates and coaches for supporting me along the way.”

The award not only recognizes a student-athlete for their incredible feats of athleticism on the gridiron, it also acknowledges exceptional academic achievement and exemplary character displayed on and off the field.

Pili maintained a 3.29 GPA and volunteered locally building and donating beds for needy children in Alaska.

On the field, Pili was a dominant force on both sides of the ball for the Lynx this past fall but especially on offense, where he compiled 2,694 yards of total offense last season in 11 games with 1,744 coming as passer and the other 950 coming as a runner. He scored a combined 40 touchdowns: 18 through the air with his arm and a whopping 22 coming on the ground with his legs. In the state title game, he was responsible for both of Dimond’s touchdowns, which came in the first half of a low-scoring affair.

“We are all hugely excited at Cayden being named Gatorade Player of the Year,” Dimond head coach Brian Yim said in a statement. “It is a huge honor and well deserved. Cayden had an excellent statistical season while, most impressively, leading us to an undefeated, state championship winning season.”

[Dimond football caps off undefeated season with DI state championship win against West]

Pili’s list of junior accomplishments also includes being named Alaska MaxPreps Player of the Year in late October, receiving First-Team All-Conference honors and being named Offensive Player Of The Year. Pili is the first Dimond recipient of the Gatorade award since Brian Haas in 1987.