LUTZ, Fla. -  There’s something about Casey Contreras, that sets her apart.

The Steinbrenner High senior’s got the gaudy GPA, one of the highest on her flag football team, and the high SAT score to go with it. But what sets her apart isn’t what makes her great.

It’s how she makes others feel great.

“She takes care of the people in her life,” Steinbrenner head coach Gregg Puskas said. “She’s always looking out for others. The way she’s fit into the community is something you don’t see very often.”

That altruism, combined with her skill on the football field, earned Casey a prestigious honor. She won the 2020 Bill Minahan Award, an annual honor handed out to top football players who are just as successful off the field.

“Following the example that my parents have set, people that I just look up to and how they just love others with excitement and open and givingness,” Casey said. “It changes you. It really just makes you want to do that too.”

Voted captain two years in a row, Casey helps set a tone for the Warriors.

“Just what she brings to the table, her positivity, I think the team just absolutely flourishes off of that,” Puskas said.

And Casey’s watched her sport flourish. Flag football is one of the fastest growing sports in the nation. And in Hillsborough County, state championships are the norm.

“More and more people are hearing about flag football and getting as excited about the sport as I’ve been since I was young,” Casey said. “And it’s really cool to see it take off.”

Flag football’s taken Casey places she once could only dream about. It’s given her confidence and set her up for a future where she believes anything is possible.

“Being a leader for a team and for a common goal has definitely taught me a lot about taking initiative and being there for the people I care about, people on my team,” Casey said.

“I’m so excited to see where she goes from here,” Puskas said, “and the differences she makes in the community and the world.”