Long Island high school football games to watch and picks for Week 3

Coaching can be easier when you have a player like junior Justin DePietro on your team. DePietro is Nassau’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year and headlines a strong Carey defense as the team eases back into a Nassau Conference II schedule.

DePietro led Carey to the Long Island Class III championship last season and has the top-seeded Seahawks off to a 2-0 start. They’ll be tested in the season’s third week when they travel to unbeaten and No. 3 South Side for a Saturday encounter at 2 p.m.

Carey is on a 14-game win streak and South Side is looking to halt that roll.

“They have two very good running backs, and we have to slow them down,” Carey coach Mike Stanley said. “We have to limit the explosive runs.”

South Side is coming off a disappointing 3-7 season, which included some very tough one-score losses. But the Cyclones have opened the fall with two blowout wins. Junior halfback AJ Magaraci has rushed for 352 yards and four scores.

Carey suffered some devastating season-ending injuries to two starters but rallied in time to beat a feisty Floral Park last week, 27-13.

“We showed some resiliency,” Stanley said. “I’m happy with the way we rallied around each other.”

NASSAU I

Freeport (0-2) at Syosset (0-2) Friday, 6:30 p.m.

Both teams are in search of their first win. They are two of the higher preseason seeds, with Freeport at No. 4 and Syosset No. 5. Freeport has been outscored, 94-22. Syosset will do more of the same against the Freeport defense with one of Long Island’s top quarterbacks, Ethan Dizon. He’s thrown for 561 yards and five scores. But Syosset has been undone by poor defense and needs to tighten up.

SUFFOLK I

Floyd (2-0) at Sachem East (1-1), Friday, 6 p.m.

Two-time defending Division I champion Floyd relies on senior running back Ja’Quan Thomas, who leads Suffolk in rushing with 484 yards. He’s scored all six of Floyd’s touchdowns. Here’s a mind-blowing stat: Floyd is 24-0 all-time in this series.

Central Islip (2-0) at Patchogue-Medford (0-2), Friday, 6 p.m.

Central Islip is 2-0 for the first time since 2001. The Musketeers haven’t started a season 3-0 in 37 years. The defense stopped a two-point conversion attempt by winless Riverhead with 58 seconds left in the fourth quarter to preserve last week’s 13-12 victory. CI is on the road for the first time. First-year coach Greg Murphy is looking for his first win as Patchogue-Medford’s leader.

SUFFOLK III

West Islip (2-0) at Smithtown West (2-0), Friday, 6 p.m.

These two newcomers to Division III have made an immediate impact on the standings. Both are off to 2-0 starts. West Islip moves it on the ground with running back Jake Kramer. Smithtown West likes to run it with halfback Michael Cascione, who has five total TDs. It’s an early- season showdown for playoff positioning.

SUFFOLK IV

Miller Place (2-0) at Mt. Sinai (1-1), Friday, 6 p.m.

Quarterback Shane Kiernan leads Long Island in passing yardage with 688 and has thrown for eight touchdowns. Mount Sinai has beaten Miller Place once in eight meetings and that was a 9-6 squeaker in the spring of 2021. This is a North Shore battle of neighboring schools.

CHSFL

Monsignor Farrell (3-1) at St. Anthony’s (2-2),  Friday, 7 p.m.

St. Anthony’s has won 26 of the last 27 meetings and wins behind the running game and halfback Xavier Bala, who has 10 scores.

NASSAU II

East Meadow (2-0) at Garden City (2-0), Saturday, 2 p.m.

Garden City has a Long Island- record 56-game winning streak. East Meadow dropped into the conference this year and the Jets are much improved. The Trojans have beaten East Meadow in five straight games. East Meadow edged New Hyde Park, 28-27, last week when senior James Galiano ran for the winning two-point conversion.

Long Beach (1-1) at Mepham (2-0), Saturday, 2 p.m.

Senior linebackers James Quilty and Jack Weber lead a stingy Mepham defense against Marines quarterback Charlie Conway and halfback Brody Riedel. Mepham leads the all-time series, 16-15.

NASSAU III

Bethpage (2-0) at Valley Stream North (1-1), Saturday, 2 p.m.

The Golden Eagles have moved the ball well on the ground with senior Louis Schneider and junior Chase Solliday. The offensive line has cleared the way for 771 yards rushing. Valley Stream North also runs well with senior Izaiah Hill, who has 221 yards rushing and three scores through two games.

 Newsday’s Andy Slawson contributed to this story.

By Gregg Sarra

gregg.sarra@newsday.com@Gregg_Sarra

Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.