Providence ready to pass one last test
Watch out for Cary-Grove.
That's what we have been hearing since Providence Catholic qualified for Saturday's Class 6A state championship football game.
The Celtics will meet the Trojans at 1 p.m. at the University of Illinois in Champaign, following the 10 a.m. 5A battle between Joliet Catholic Academy and Montini.
Those who have had a chance to see Cary-Grove (13-0) will tell you that team is really good. The Trojans, champions of the Fox Valley (Valley), are outscoring their opponents 44.9 to 9.1 on the average, and that's impressive regardless of the quality of the opposition.
The Trojans allow 166.3 total yards per game, with only 61.1 of that rushing. Again, those numbers will stack up against anyone.
And for those who wish to point out how much more difficult Providence's schedule has been, yes, that is true.
However, the only common opponent was De La Salle. The Celtics (12-1) beat the Meteors 26-20 in Week 8, and Cary-Grove blanked the Meteors 42-0 in the quarterfinals.
Hmmm. This one could be interesting.
Providence, of course, has won nine state titles, and in the last three (2001, 2002 and 2004), the Celtics outscored their opponents by a combined 123-0. You certainly can't expect anything like 40-0 against Cary-Grove.
But the idea is to win, not to build style points. This Providence team has taken on some of the best in the state, and guess what -- the Celtics have won 12 straight.
You review the results after Week 1, when Providence fell to Lincoln-Way East 28-7, and you see victories of 21-7 over JCA, 10-3 over Loyola, 23-21 over Brother Rice, 25-16 over St. Laurence, 10-0 over St. Rita, 26-20 over De La Salle, 17-14 over Mount Carmel, 16-10 in overtime over Oswego, 30-21 over Danville.
Week after week, Providence has found ways to win against a seemingly endless string of quality, physical opponents. Would any team in the state have fared better against that grind?
We always love to see our teams play for state titles, of course, but this one is a little more special.
The legendary Matt Senffner was the head coach for all of Providence's nine state titles. One of the many things Senffner did very well was surround himself with good assistants whom he allowed to do their thing.
One of those, for many years, was Mark Coglianese, a defensive guru who has been the Celtics' head coach since Senffner retired after the 2005 season.
Coglianese's first three Providence teams battled their way into the playoffs with four losses and then reached the semifinals, quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.
This year, the Celtics posted that 8-1 regular-season record, and now they are in the championship game.
Cary-Grove is standing in the way, but here's hoping the winning formula continues one more time for the Celtics. "Cogs" is an outstanding coach, but also a great person, the kind you wish nothing but the best for.
Providence is one of those programs where you are expected to win, which only adds to the pressure on the coach. It would be great to see "Cogs" get No. 1 -- not that there will not be others to follow.
The Celtics have a productive tailback in senior Tim Hanrahan, a quarterback in junior Joe Houlihan who has enjoyed a good season throwing the ball, an offensive line that has come into its own and a placekicker in Alec Pickett who has nailed 11-of-15 field goals.
But there is that other huge aspect to these Celtics that has made them what they are. That's defense.
The defensive line of ends John Huguelet and Tommy Comise and nose tackle Steve Laski has been outstanding. It has switched to a four-man front at times, with junior Zac Plantz adding another dimension, when he is not at a linebacker slot.
Either way, up front is where is all starts for the Celtics. I look for the defensive linemen to deliver and for the Celtics to claim their 10th and Coglianese's first state championship.
Speaking of state championships, Dan Sharp will be shooting for his seventh in the last 11 years as JCA goes for its 14th against Montini.
This game should be wild from the standpoint both teams are offensive powerhouses, but with different strengths. Montini spread you out and throws early and often. JCA loves running the ball from the double-wing and wing-T formations.
As explosive as Montini's offense can be, I don't see the Broncos stopping the Hilltoppers often enough to beat them.
The Hilltoppers have erased the turnover bugaboo that plagued them early on. Since the playoffs began, they are averaging 46 points per game. Since a stunning 24-17 loss in Week 6 to Class 8A finalist Marist, they are averaging 44.3 points.
If you plan to travel to Champaign for the game -- or if you watch it on television -- just wait until you see this offense. It has been rolling up huge yardage the second half of the season.
JCA last won a state title in 2007 with a 49-7 victory over Lemont. Gee, two years already.
As much success as Sharp and coaches before him have had at the school, there is always pressure to win at JCA. And win means nothing short of a state championship.
It says here the Hilltoppers will get it done, as will the Celtics. The beat goes on.
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