Schools

East Running Back Commits Early to UMass

Casali will join co-Hansen Trophy winner Stacey Bedell next year.

Sachem East's star running back and linebacker Steven Casali has committed to UMass according to his Twitter account.

Number 5 has one more year to give to Sachem East, as he enters his senior year this coming fall, but will head to Amherst for the fall 2013 semester.

"Committed to #UMASS where I'll be playing at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots!! #pumped #sohappy!!!! :)" Casali's Tweet stated.

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Known as a work horse for East, Casali will be heading to a university that has had one fine year of bragging rights: producing Super Bowl Champion and New York Celeb du jour Victor Cruz of the New York Giants, and Stanley Cup Champion goaltender Jonathan Quick, of the Los Angeles Kings.

“Casali is a beast, he really is,” East head coach Mark Wojciechowski said of the junior after rushing for “I said it from day one, how he goes is how we go. He is a great person - the kids love him, they love playing with him and he’s a great teammate to everybody. There are times when he can carry us and in that first half he did. He was a beast.”

Find out what's happening in Sachemwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Barring injury or transfer, Casali will be joining this year's co-Hansen Trophy Award winner Stacey Bedell of William Floyd, who committed to UMass in February. Bedell shared this year's prestigious


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