Tottenville Football​​ Alumni Association

Cassel Smith

 

Cassel Smith had one of the most prolific high school careers, not only at Tottenville, but in New York City football as well! From the first time he touched the ball on the playing field with the Pirates Varsity as a Sophomore, in which he ran for a 73 yard touchdown, one could see that Cassel was special. Cassel was named that year to his first of two Staten Island Advance All Star teams, as he rushed for over 1,000 yards in his Sophomore year. After injuries slowed Cassel in his junior year, he returned to the field with tenacity, a passion to play and the will to win in his Senior year. Cassel Smith made a promise to his teammates on the last night at camp in 1997 that he would "take the team on his back and lead them to a championship." Cassel Smith was true to his word.

 

In his Senior year, Cassel set the Staten Island record for scoring with 178 points, includng 25 rushing touchdowns! He became the first running back in the City of New York to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season, running for 2,038. In a key game against Port Richmond, in which starting quarterback Marc Goldberg was unable to play due to a shoulder injury, Cassel rushed for 235 yards and ended the game with a victory sealing interception to preseve the Pirates 2 point win. In the PSAL playoffs Semi-Final game against South Shore High School, again playing both ways, Cassel made an interception and returned it 103 yards for a touchdown. In 1997, when the Tottenville Pirates reached the PSAL Championship game against Island rival Curtis, Cassel once again led the way with 3 touchdowns and 181 yards rushing to avenge the Pirates' only loss that season and win the first City Championship in Tottenville football history. Cassel was named Most Valuable Player in the 1997 PSAL Championship Game and was named for the second time as a Staten Island Advance All Star.

 

Cassel is the winner of the Fugazzi Award, the Al Fabbri Award, the Iron Horse Award, given to the best player in New York City, and was named to the Staten Island Advance "All Century" team.

 

Cassel earned and accepted a scholarship to attend and play football at West Virginia University, where he played his college football as a Mountaineer.