Steve Casali makes UMass debut

Steve Casali is No. 34 at UMass.
Steve Casali is No. 34 at UMass.

Sachem East alum and all-time great Steven Casali made his college football debut on Saturday for the University of Massachusetts.

Casali recorded three total tackles (2 solo, 1 assist) in a 45-0 loss at No. 23 Wisconsin’s Camp Randal Stadium.

UMass (0-1) will host FCS rival Maine next Saturday at Gillette Stadium for the Minutemen’s home opener.

Kick-off is set for 2:00 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN3.com.

Casali was one of 14 Minutemen to make their NCAA debuts on Saturday.

As you’ll notice from the photo on the right, Casali is sporting No. 34 in college; different from his now famed No. 5 in red and gold at Sachem.

Last year Casali piled up the honors and milestones, finishing his senior year in style with the Hansen Award as the top football player in Suffolk County.

-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro