The football coaches of Sebastian River High School have named seniors Dantay Diorio and Phin Weatherly as their Spotlight Players of the Week.

Both young men have bright futures ahead of them on and off the field.

Dantay Diorio # 1

SRHS senior Dantay Diorio, a versatile athlete with a 4.29 GPA, has been a standout on the football field for nine years.He primarily plays running back and safety for the Sharks but has demonstrated proficiency in multiple positions.

Diorio’s dedication to academics and athletics has already earned him a college football offer from the Navy to attend their Rochester campus.

One of his most cherished high school memories is playing alongside his brother during their freshman and sophomore years.

Diorio is grateful for the many individuals who have supported him throughout his journey and inspired him to reach his goals.

“First and foremost, I’d like to thank God for everything he’s done for me. Then I’d like to thank my older brother Xavyer for pushing and propelling me to be who I am today. Then I’d like to thank Coach Holly (Coral Shores), Coach Perry, and Coach Rob just for being leaders and role models in my life. Those coaches have really helped me more than anyone knows behind the scenes,” Diorio told Sebastian Daily.

“The coaches have meant absolutely everything to me. They take their time to teach me how to be a better person and player and honestly help me make the best memories,” Diorio added.

Coach Perry couldn’t say enough about Diorio’s abilities on the field.

“We are glad to have him back home. It’s a blessing to have such a humble athlete back in our house. He is going to have an impact on how well we do as a team. He’s a Swiss army knife for us. His versatility will allow us to be more creative with him in what we feel are mismatches for our offense. At 6-1 215 pounds with strength, power, and football IQ, he brings, Dantay can line up anywhere on the field, and we feel he can win those matchups, which can cause nightmares for defense or offense,” Perry told Sebastian Daily.

“With him finally getting back to being the Dantay of old, off of an injury, almost back to 100% mentally, he will be the deal breaker; physically, he is back. Before the season, we spoke of his mental aspect of being the football player we know he can be and how he will have an impact on how well our season will go both offensively and defensively. I’m glad he’s on our side,” he added.

Phin Weatherly #48

Phin Weatherly is a 6’3 “tight end and defensive end. He is a remarkable student with a 3.75 GPA who plans to major in biotechnology at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

His favorite football memory is the mom’s camp that the team had at the end of the summer.

Weatherly told us that his coaches have been great mentors and leaders to him since he joined the team.

“I have been able to learn lessons, not only in football but life lessons,” he stated.

Head Coach Perry on Weatherly’s dedication, team-first attitude, and work ethic.

“Phin is dedicated to work every day in practice. He is the symbol of trusting the grind. He has a team-first persona with a work ethic instilled in him from home,” Perry told Sebastian Daily.

Weatherly was a wrestler for the Sharks before turning to football.

“Coming in last year, we didn’t know what type of player we would get, but we saw his work ethic and knew it would be hard to keep him off the field. Coming to us as a wrestler, Phin has turned that gift into a weapon as he uses his leverage and hands well; he understands what leverage can do in football,” Perry stated.

“Playing in the trenches at his size, he understands that he wouldn’t be able to overpower his opponents all the time, so he took the coaching and prepared himself in the weight room, developed what he considers his advantage, his wrestling skills, and has had an impactful season so far in his starting role as a defensive end,” Perry added.

Coach Perry is looking forward to seeing more impactful plays from Phin in upcoming games.

“I look forward to seeing more impactful plays from Phin as the season goes along. Knowing Phin, he will continue to out work everyone to push himself to be great. I’m glad he decided to play football for our program,” Perry told us.

Outside of football, Weatherly’s interests include wrestling, lacrosse, the beach, and hanging out with his friends.

Weatherly dedicates this spotlight to his position coaches, mom, and dad.