Carey sophomore Justin DePietro wins Flatley and Piner Awards

The Glen Cove quarterback rolled left on this opening day play from around the Carey 8, but Justin DePietro got over there from his middle linebacker spot. Then the QB hung a U-turn and began running right.

Meanwhile, an unsuspecting DePietro had taken a huge hit, a block that sent him into the air and toward a landing on his back. But he got up, sprinted across the field and ran down the QB, knocking him out of bounds at the 2.

The Seahawks’ staff watched in awe.

“We looked at each other like this is one of the craziest things we’ve ever seen, like talk about you having a strong mind and getting up and being resilient,” defensive coordinator Tom Aiello said Saturday while recreating the play-by-play. “It was pretty amazing.”

DePietro delivered an amazing season on both sides of the ball, including as a running back. But his play on the defensive side is what attracted the most recognition following Carey’s 12-0 run that came with Nassau Conference II and Long Island Class II championships.

He received Newsday’s Flatley Award as the county’s most outstanding defensive player and the Piner Award as the county’s most outstanding linebacker from the Nassau County High School Football Coaches Association at its awards banquet Monday night at Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury.

And DePietro is just a 15-year-old sophomore. He’s the first sophomore Piner winner in 15 years.

“We see him close up each week, so it’s not really surprising that he would be in the mix for those awards,” head coach Mike Stanley said. “… I think that a lot of people, especially with us playing late into the season, got a chance to see him and realize what an impact player he [is] regardless of his age.

“His work ethic is what makes him a great football player.”

This 6-foot, 200-pound force also started at middle linebacker as a freshman and topped the team in tackles. This time, he led again with 95 and made six sacks.

“He just has that natural nose for the ball,” Aiello said. “His acceleration to the ball, it’s incredible.”

Aiello likes the nonstop motor of a player who also rushed for 1,109 yards and 14 touchdowns.

“I think the coaches agree we haven’t really coached a kid like this since we’ve been together,” Aiello said of this 18-year collaboration. “Everything he does, he does full speed.”

He could be bound for D-I.

“I think it’s a pretty high ceiling,” Stanley said. “… There are some high-level schools that are already communicating with us.

“I know a goal of his is potentially being an academy kid, whether that’s West Point or Navy or something like that. That speaks to his maturity.”