Athlete Of The Week: Kaiel Smith

HARWICH – In a game that Cape Cod Tech commanded on all levels, senior running back/linebacker Kaiel Smith notably impacted both sides of the ball.

During the Crusaders’ 41-0 win Friday against crosstown rival Monomoy-St. John Paul II, Smith first grabbed a red zone interception in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Smith, on offense, took a handoff and started left, hid behind the offensive line, then cut back all the way right and ran in for a touchdown. 

Smith read the play on the pick, an interception he doesn’t think he would have gotten were it not for preparation from coaches, he said.

“I studied these guys all week, I mean, to the point where I was calling out the plays before they were doing them, so I take pride in making sure I watch the film, making sure I'm prepared for the game,” Smith said.

On the rushing touchdown, Smith used the trust he had in his teammates to wait patiently behind the line, see everyone heading left and change directions to the right side of the field to find the gap and go all the way for the score.

“I just hit that opening and I was gone,” he said. “I mean, it's another score in the books.”

Smith, a Mashpee resident, is one of a handful of seniors on Cape Tech this year — the “fantastic five,” head coach Calvin Castillias calls them. That class previously numbered 17 players, but football is not for the faint of heart, Castillias said, and Smith is one of the few seniors left standing. 

“He's come a long way,” Castillias said. “He's battled through adversity and self-doubt, and for him to come out and have a game like this, especially against Monomoy, is a true confidence booster for him, and I couldn't be more happy of the game he had today.”

The captains for the Crusaders may be all juniors, but Smith is still using his role as a senior to lead. Smith is a “special story,” Castillias said, and he traversed some rough roads starting out in high school. He’s learned and grown and become a better athlete from it, Castillias said.

“I feel as if I'm one of the role models, no matter what,” Smith said. “I don't have to be loud. I don't have to be aggressive. I don't have to be any type of extra to get my point across. I feel like whenever the time comes down to it, and I need to get a clear message across, everybody's listening to me. 

“Definitely one of the leaders on this team, but I'm never above anybody. We're all teammates at the end of the day, and I'm never gonna put myself over anybody else. At the same time, as everybody else can be wrong, I can be wrong. Everybody makes mistakes, and at the end of the day, we're all here to make each other better.”