Carey cruises past Wantagh

Carey couldn’t have scripted a better start to the 2013 football season.

Junior linebacker Erick Vilchez’s 17-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the second quarter staked the Seahawks to a 21-point halftime lead, and they cruised to a convincing 42-7 victory over Nassau Conference II rival Wantagh last Saturday before a large home crowd.

“That was a big play because it put us up three scores at the half,” head coach Mike Stanley said of the pick-six. “Wantagh’s always been a team that can score in a hurry, so you never really feel too comfortable. I think that score took something out of them.”

Senior Andrew Ris, who was injured in Week 2 last season and never returned, had a pair of short touchdown runs in the opening quarter, and senior quarterback Ray Catapano (13 of 20, 189 yards) threw for a pair of scores in the third when Carey pulled away. Junior tailback Mike DeLeo added 134 yards rushing and one touchdown.

“We played very well,” Stanley said. “We moved the ball on the ground and with some dinks and dunks. It was a pretty windy day, so we couldn’t really throw the ball deep.”

The Seahawks, who kicked off the season with a 41-0 win at South Side, dominated both sides of the ball for a second straight week. They scored on each of their first two possessions against Wantagh and set the tone after taking the opening kickoff by driving 70 yards on five plays. DeLeo had a 45-yard scamper down to the Warriors’ 5, and Ris followed the block of junior center Rob Kelly on the next play to make it 6-0 with just 1:49 gone.