Celtics and Sacred Heart-Griffin to do battle
Kickoff: 1 p.m. Saturday
Up next: Providence Catholic would face Lemont or Antioch in the 6A state championship game at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29 at the University of Illinois in Champaign.
How they got here: Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin won the Central State Eight with a 7-0 record and has beaten Chatham Glenwood 35-21, Peoria Richwoods 48-21 and Bloomington 32-12 in the playoffs. Providence Catholic won five games in the regular season, with an abundance of playoff points (opponent victories), thus qualifying for the playoffs. In the postseason, the Celtics have beaten Oak Forest 30-0, JCA 24-21 in overtime and Rock Island 38-0.
Playoff history: Sacred Heart-Griffin is in the playoffs for the 29th time and is 52-26 in playoff games. The Cyclones were 5A state champions in 2005 and 2006. They dropped 5A championship games to Providence 22-17 in 1995 and to JCA 24-21 in 2003. They also lost to JCA 34-14 in the 1975 title game and lost twice to area schools in quarterfinals -- 31-17 to Minooka in 1996 and 52-35 to JCA in 2000. And last season in Round 1, Sacred Heart-Griffin fell to Providence 28-20 in Springfield. So for all their playoff success overall, the Cyclones have not fared well against Joliet area competition. Providence also is making its 29th playoff appearance, including 18th in succession, and boasts a 72-19 overall record. The Celtics have won nine state titles, all since 1987. Their last trip to a title game was 2004, when they beat Bloomington 40-0.
The rundown: Sacred Heart-Griffin has been nothing short of an offensive machine, averaging 44.4 points and never scoring fewer than 24, so the quick and physical Providence defense that blanked previously unbeaten Rock Island last week will need to bring its "A" game again. After opening the season with a 34-31 loss to Montini, the Cyclones beat playoff qualifier Jacksonville 62-16, then went on a six-week stretch when their defense allowed a total of 21 points, with a high 6. Overall, they allow 12.4 points per game. Sacred Heart-Griffin finished the regular season with a 53-24 victory over Cahokia, which is 11-1 and will meet Metamora on Saturday in a Class 5A semifinal. Cyclones quarterback Tim Dondanville has completed 130-of-181 passes, 71.8 percent, for 2,378 yards and 26 touchdowns. He has thrown only 5 interceptions. John Lantz has caught 61 passes for 1,153 yards, a 19.0 average, and Dominic Walton has grabbed 45 for 615, a 13.7 mark. Gary Wilson has rushed for 1,416 yards and averages 9.6 per carry to help lead an offense that has operated with a 50-50 ratio running and passing. Impressive all around, for sure. Of course, Providence, which has faced a schedule that included Lincoln-Way East, the mighty Chicago Catholic Blue and JCA in Round 2 of the playoffs, brings a physicality defensively that Sacred Heart-Griffin does not see often. Rock Island had been averaging more than 35 points before last week and was shut out as Providence, which has blanked three of its last four opponents and is the first team ever to finish last in its conference and reach the state semifinals, limited the Rocks' potent ground game to 70 yards in 35 carries. On the other side of the ball last week, Celtics tailback Tim Hanrahan rushed for 269 yards in 26 carries and quarterback Mike Hoffmeister hit 5-of-9 passes for 109 yards. Hanrahan leads the Joliet area in rushing with 1,865 yards and a 7.1 average.
