Positive signs rule for JCA, Providence

The Joliet Catholic Academy football team in on a roll on both sides of the ball.

The way Providence Catholic played in the second half of last week's 44-14 victory over Crete-Monee, the Celtics look as good as anyone, regardless of class.

If you are part of the Peoria Richwoods or Danville brain trust, what do you attempt to do to derail the two Joliet area heavyweights in Saturday's semifinals?

And what happens if your plan goes haywire early on?

JCA (10-2) will travel to Richwoods (11-1) at 1 p.m. Saturday in a Class 5A semifinal.

Everyone in the Hilltoppers camp understandably was expecting to be traveling to Springfield to meet No. 1-ranked Sacred Heart-Griffin. Instead, Richwoods pulled a 29-20 stunner on the same field at Richwoods where Saturday's game will be played.

When Providence's game concluded last Saturday, Lemont's 14-0 lead over Danville early in the second quarter already had been announced to the New Lenox crowd. The Celtics naturally were thinking they could be home for the semifinals, hosting Lemont.

But Danville (12-0) had other ideas. The Vikings scored the final 18 points in rallying for an 18-14 victory, and Providence thus will journey to Danville for Saturday's 3 p.m. kickoff.

Therein lies the one advantage the opposing teams will have in the semifinals. We will assume it is better to play at home than on the road, although exactly how much that is worth changes game to game.

But other than that, I like the way our teams measure up.

To Richwoods' credit, the Knights reached into their bag of tricks and found a formula that usually in their win over Sacred Heart-Griffin. They kept the ball away from the Cyclones, and got just enough defensive stops, to secure the upset.

Sacred Heart-Griffin featured a high-powered attack all season, with the pass a major component. Quarterback Eric Williamson completed 6-of-6 passes for 109 yards in the first half, which was pretty much a normal day at the office.

But late in the third quarter, with Richwoods applying more pressure, Williamson injured his ankle on a sack. He stayed in but finished 5-of-12 for 60 yards and an interception in the second half.

Meanwhile, Richwoods also moved the ball on long drives against the SH-Griffin defense. The Knights ran an impressive 78 plays and gained 450 yards.

But keeping the ball from JCA is much easier said than done. The Hilltoppers possess quick-strike ability on offense, but they also are fully capable of grinding it out and running the clock against virtually any defense. Richwoods has been decent defensively all season, but not dominant by any means. The Knights will be lining up across from an offensive line -- center Matt Dollinger, guards Nick Schillaci and Kyle Rouse and tackles Dan Foreman and Greg Deatrick, plus tight ends Andrew Elliott and Alex Kolodziej -- that arguably is better and more physical than any they have faced.

And once the hole is there, JCA's skill players have the speed to break a big play, any time.

Richwoods does not pass often, preferring to move the ball on the ground. That plays into another aspect of game where JCA has prospered. The Hilltoppers' defense against the run, and defense in general, has been very good. If that continues, Richwoods will have a difficult time move the chains consistently.

Now, we head across the state to Danville.

The Vikings have talented players on both sides of the ball. And their confidence likely is sky high after they rallied in the second half to beat Richards and Lemont the last two weeks.

But as much as those two comebacks are a positive on the resume, they also should a warning signal. Danville will be facing an opponent in Providence that also has gotten stronger as each of the last couple of playoff games has gone on.

Two weeks ago at Oswego, the Panthers were not stopping the Celtics at all in the fourth quarter. Last week against Crete-Monee, the Providence onslaught began early in the third quarter and continued for the rest of the game.

"We have four quarters in every game, and we think we're in better shape for the second half," Providence coach Mark Coglianese after the Crete-Monee game, when asked about the effect of the Celtics being two-platoon and facing teams that have players going both ways.

That's the deal here as well. A defensive front with big Steve Laski in the middle, flanked by Tommy Comise and John Huguelet, is a bear to handle for four quarters. Likewise, the Celtics' offensive line -- center Jake Sheffer, guards Mike Kronberg and Frank Markasovic, tackles Dan Lembke and Joe Antoniolli, and tight end Steve Arthurs -- seems to get stronger as game progresses.

That, or senior tailback Tim Hanrahan is getting stronger and stronger carrying the ball.

Either way, Danville would be wise not to rely on a second-half comeback this time. The Vikings need to hit some big plays in the first half and take a lead into the break. Otherwise, our weekend in Champaign with Providence playing for the 6A title -- and JCA playing for the 5A crown -- will be a strong possibility.

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