Perfect ending for Carey

Carey capped off its second consecutive perfect season with a convincing 41-7 victory over Suffolk champion East Islip in the Long Island Conference II Championship Game last Sunday afternoon at LaValle Stadium on the campus of Stony Brook University.

Senior Nick Spillane scored three touchdowns, intercepted a pass, and hooked up with junior Jake Safuto for a long gain on an option pass to set up another score to lead the way. Senior Conor Colasurdo returned a punt for a touchdown to break open a tight game in the third quarter and also had the biggest play on defense in the second to set up Spillane’s first score.

Carey (12-0) has won 24 consecutive games, and possesses the longest current winning streak of Long Island.

Carey head coach Mike Stanley wasn’t surprised Spillane and Colosurdo played key roles. “The best way to put it is that they’re special players,” Stanley said. “It was nice to see Conor make it happen with the ball in his hands. It showed, once again, that he’s more than just a great linebacker. Nick always seems to come up with big plays in big spots.”

With the Seahawks holding a 13-7 lead, the Carey defense forced the Redmen to punt on their first drive of the second half. Colasurdo took the ball at his own 43, found daylight in the middle of the field, cut to the right, stiff-armed the punter, and raced to the end zone for the score. Junior quarterback Mike Catanese hooked up with Spillane for the two-point conversion and a 21-7 lead.

“It was great blocking,” Colosurdo said. “Spillane made a sick block to give me the first opening, and everyone else kept blocking. I had so many places I could’ve taken it.”

On Carey’s next possession, the versatile Spillane was asked to throw a pass for the first time this season. He lined up in the slot, stepped back to catch a backward toss from Catanese, and found Safuto, a player who seems to be in on at least one big play each week, wide open down the left sideline for a 48-yard reception.

Catanese, who carried the ball 18 times for 83 yards and a touchdown, rumbled 14 yards to set the stage for the second of Spillane’s three scores.

Spillane gave props to the linemen and the Carey coaching staff. “I can’t say enough about our offensive line,” Spillane said. “They control everything for us. We’re not here without them. We wanted to leave everything out on the field today. Our coaches always do a great job getting us prepared. It’s such a tremendous feeling.”

Spillane picked off a pass on the ensuing drive. While the Seahawks weren’t able to punch it in the end zone, the Redmen were pinned deep in their own territory, and forced to punt. Junior Anthony Millan blocked the punt, and senior Mike DeLeo pounced on the ball in the end zone to make it 34-7 with 9:18 to play. Spillane capped off the scoring with a short run. East Islip finished at 8-4.

Carey’s defense, which held East Islip to 99 total yards, was led by Colasurdo, Spillane, Tommy Gallant, Casey Kloepfer, and Luke Spano. Gallant had a pair of sacks, while Kloepfer and Spano had one apiece.