ABINGTON — When opportunity comes a knockin’, you are often presented with a choice to make.
For Iury Cassemiro, the chance came this year when he was selected as a captain for Abington’s boys soccer program.
“This past summer, I kind of woke up,” said Cassemiro. “I knew I had the potential to (stand out). My Dad talked to me about it, and it’s all about him. He always believed in me. I think he tried, so I kept working harder and harder this summer… and it led me to this.”
Cassemiro’s journey began in Recife, Brazil. When he was in middle school, he and his family emigrated to Abington.
Could it have been a leap of faith? Maybe. Despite the change in scenery, however, soccer remained a constant.
Now, Cassemiro has thrived, emerging as one of the South Shore League’s premier scoring threats.
“It’s not surprising,” said Abington coach Brian Claus. “He’s shown the potential to be a very great player for years now. He actually was selected to the varsity team as a freshman. He got some time in, got used to the level. Over the years, he has certainly grown his game.”
Cassemiro has buried 14 goals to his credit on the young season to go with a pair of assists, helping Abington to a 6-5-1 record. He remains in hot pursuit of the program scoring record (25 goals), looking to leave a lasting imprint on the program that he has suddenly taken over.
The Green Wave continue to show promise despite a daunting South Shore League schedule, which features multiple state championship contenders scattered across the Div. 3 and 4 fields.
“It is a tough league for sure,” said Claus. “But that’s what you want. You want the tough league. I’ve always said that when we take a look at where we want to be as a program, we look at the likes of Norwell. The likes of Cohasset, and Rockland as to the level that we want to compete at.”
A diehard sports town at heart, athletics are woven into the fabric of Abington. The high school’s decal is painted on nearby streets, emphatically announcing that you have entered Green Wave nation.
Most, if not all of the school’s teams have had some semblance of success within the past decade. Greatness is almost expected.
However, the soccer program had struggled to contend with its fellow South Shore League elite. With so many contenders in the field, it’s not surprising that some schools might take time to find their footing.
“This year, we had the most kids that we’ve had in the program since I can remember,” Claus said. “I started nine, almost 10 years ago I think as the JV coach. Did two separate stints before coming up to the varsity team, and I don’t think we’ve ever had so many kids. I think we had 46 try out this year.”
Leading the charge? Cassemiro. During a game with South Shore League rival Randolph on Sept. 27, the senior netted a hat trick, his third goal coming off a redirection in the 72nd minute to help seal a 5-0 win.
On Oct. 2, he sniped two more goals to key a massive 3-2 victory over archrival Rockland, putting the rest of the conference on notice.
Cassemiro isn’t settling.
“I want to go farther than we did last year in the playoffs,” Cassemiro said. “I know we can. It’s going to be hard, but I know we can. There are a lot of good teams out there, and we know. But I also know that we can (compete), because we are a good team.”
The senior has some additional motivation.
“Of course, there is the 25-goal record.”
