NEW CASTLE, Va. – As you’ve seen Friday night’s on 1st and 10, Craig County football is having a historic season. While it’s taken a team effort, one student-athlete has provided a special spark for the Rockets.
As a group, the team plays confidently but individually that wasn’t always the case for sophomore Clayton Cassell.
“To see other people, I doubt myself that I can do things but as I see that I can, I start to adapt and see that I’m not just somebody who can’t do something,” said Clayton. “I’m like others.”
Clayton has learned to embrace more challenges than the ones posed on the field after being born with a limb deficiency.
“I was 20 weeks pregnant when I found out,” said Clayton’s mom Emily Dudding. “It was a shocker because I was 18 when I found out and I was still a child myself. But I wasn’t going to let it change anything.”
Staying true to his mom’s words, despite limitations, Clayton has never let it define him--especially when it came to sports. He wore his first jersey at the age of 4 on the soccer pitch, eventually playing alongside his brothers before adding t-ball to the mix. Clayton even took to the courts for junior varsity basketball. Then the ultimate team sport came to mind.
“When I was in 8th grade, the middle school football coach was my math teacher at the time and all the students and classmates encouraged me to play. I wanted to and just got scared but the coach told me it wouldn’t be as bad,” Clayton said.
As a linebacker and kicker, Clayton has made his mark on both the JV and Varsity gridiron.
“I love the ability that I can do things. As I was younger I remember coming to football games and that I always wanted to be out there but wasn’t 100 percent sure and as I get older I realize that I can.”
While Clayton’s mom Emily wasn’t thrilled when he first picked up the playbook, she can’t help but love how he’s answered that age old question of ‘How’ not ‘If’.
“He’s part of the team like he works just as hard, sometimes more, mentally than half of the kids out there,” Dudding said.
“It’s never been, like, let’s work around this. It’s what are you going to do,” said Justin Dudding, Clayton’s dad.
While Cassell has learned to put up points on the football field as a kicker and even make tackles as a linebacker, he’s always scored in the classroom. He’s known as an honor roll student with a keen interest in the arts.
“I had him in class and I didn’t know what to expect and he’s just amazing,” said Jimmy Fisher. He serves as a teacher and the head football coach for the Rockets varsity program. “He has the best hand writing, he’s an artist. He doesn’t let it get him down he’s an inspiration to myself. When I had surgery on my arm my wife was like I thought you’d whine more and I said how could I when Clayton inspires me. He’s helped me be a better person.”
“I write with my feet and my desks are still lowered, they get higher every year,” Clayton explained. “My computer work I use my arm to type and sometimes my feet. I get the work done. I love to draw too it was one of my favorite things when I was younger. I love the way I do things too. It’s just a wonderful ability to be different than others and love the things that I do.”
Clayton’s positive outlook has become a refreshing boost to the Rockets confidence--now soaring at an all-time high, much like his faith to keep tackling life’s challenges.
“An all-around good, loving, God-fearing kid,” said Clayton’s mom Emily.
When asked what he wants his ultimate message to be to the community, Clayton said, “God’s always with you and that he’ll always be directing your paths and that no matter how hard you try that you’re always going to come to a spot where you can do it. You can do all things.”
The Rockets junior varsity program completed its first ever undefeated season. The varsity team has just one loss entering the final week of the regular season.