Providence ready for match-up with L-W East
By Tina Akouris takouris@suntimes.com October 28, 2012 4:12PM
Providence running back Brandon Price (22) breaks the tackle of Bradley defensive lineman Seth McDorman. | Michael DiNovo~For Sun-Times Media
(Dates and times, TBA)
Class 8A
Upper Bracket
No. 1 Maine South (10-0) vs. No. 8 Conant (7-3)
No. 5 Stevenson (8-2) vs. No. 4 Glenbard North (9-1)
No. 2 Loyola (9-1) vs. No. 10 Bartlett (7-3)
No. 3 Palatine (9-1) vs. No. 6 Schaumburg (8-2)
Lower Bracket
No. 1 Neuqua Valley (10-0) vs. No. 9 Bolingbrook (8-2)
No. 4 Waubonsie Valley (9-1) vs. No. 12 Oak Park (7-3)
No. 15 Lyons (6-4) vs. No. 10 O’Fallon (8-2)
No. 3 Mount Carmel (9-1) vs. No. 6 Simeon (8-1)
Class 7A
Upper Bracket
No. 1 Glenbard West (10-0) vs. No. 9 Libertyville (8-2)
No. 13 Prospect (7-3) vs. No. 5 Wheaton North (9-1)
No. 2 Boylan (10-0) vs. No. 7 Fenwick (8-2)
No. 3 Hononegah (9-1) vs. No. 6 Lake Zurich (8-2)
Lower Bracket
No. 8 Downers Grove North (6-4) vs. No. 5 Thornton (8-2)
No. 2 Benet (9-1) vs. No. 3 Oswego (9-1)
No. 1 L-W East (10-0) vs. No. 4 Providence (8-2)
No. 2 Edwardsville (9-1) vs. No. 3 East St. Louis (8-2)
Class 6A
Upper Bracket
No. 1 Cary-Grove (10-0) vs. No. 8 St. Patrick (7-3)
No. 4 Crystal Lake Central (8-2) vs. No. 5 Grant (8-2)
No. 2 Lakes (9-1) vs. No. 10 Lake Forest (7-3)
No. 14 Notre Dame (6-4) vs. No. 11 Steinmetz (7-2)
Lower Bracket
No. 1 Oak Forest (9-1) vs. No. 5 Shepard (7-3)
No. 2 Richards (9-1) vs. No. 3 Lemont (9-1)
No. 1 Crete-Monee (10-0) vs. No. 4 Richwoods (8-2)
No. 2 Ottawa (10-0) vs. No. 3 Rock Island (8-2)
Class 5A
Upper Bracket
No. 9 Lincoln-Way West (7-3) vs. No. 1 Kaneland (10-0)
No. 12 Joliet Catholic (6-4) vs. No. 13 Tinley Park (6-4)
No. 2 Woodstock Marian (10-0) vs. No. 7 Woodstock N. (7-3)
No. 3 Montini (8-2) vs. No. 6 Sycamore (7-3)
Lower Bracket
No. 1 Normal University (10-0) vs. No. 5 Washington (8-2)
No. 2 Morris (9-1) vs. No. 3 Urbana (9-1)
No. 1 Jersey (10-0) vs. No. 4 Chatham Glenwood (8-2)
No. 3 Sacred Heart Griffin (9-1) vs. No. 7 Jacksonville (6-4)
Class 4A
Upper Bracket
No. 1 VOISE Academy (9-0) vs. No. 4 Payton (8-1)
No. 7 Evergreen Park (7-3) vs. No. 6 Richmond-Burton (7-3)
No. 4 Stillman Valley (7-3) vs. No. 1 Alleman (9-1)
No. 2 Coal City (9-1) vs. No. 6 Geneseo (6-4)
Lower Bracket
No. 1 Macomb (9-1) vs. No. 5 Peoria Notre Dame (7-3)
No. 3 Charleston (9-1) vs. No. 2 Rochester (9-1)
No. 1 Harrisburg (9-1) vs. No. 4 Columbia (9-1)
No. 3 East Richland (9-1) vs. No. 2 Alton Marquette (9-1)
Class 3A
Upper Bracket
No. 1 Elmwood-B’field (10-0) vs. No. 9 Winnebago (8-2)
No. 4 Aurora Christian (9-1)
vs. No. 12 Immaculate Conception (7-3)
No. 2 Newman (10-0) vs. No. 7 Monmouth-Roseville (8-2)
No. 3 Wilmington (8-2) vs. No. 3 St. Joseph-Ogden (9-1)
Lower Bracket
No. 1 Williamsville (10-0) vs. No. 5 Monticello (8-2)
No. 2 Tolono Unity (9-1) vs. No. 3 Pleasant Plains (9-1)
No. 1 Greenville (9-1) vs. No. 4 Vienna-Goreville (7-3)
No. 2 Benton (9-1) vs. No. 6 Carterville (7-3)
Updated: November 30, 2012 6:17AM
You had to figure Providence’s offense was moving with the efficiency of a high-speed train Friday night when the Celtics didn’t have to punt until early in the fourth quarter.
And leading rusher Brandon Price scored three touchdowns — but had just 78 yards.
As Bradley turned the ball over four times and the Celtics moved downfield like the well-oiled machine they are, Providence forged ahead in the postseason with a 44-7 victory in New Lenox.
Next up for the Celtics in the second round is the buzzsaw that is Lincoln-Way East, one of the best Class 7A teams in Illinois and perhaps the favorite to win the state title on Thanksgiving weekend. East beat up on Plainfield Central 47-22 in Round 1.
In the far southwest suburbs, Lincoln-Way East and Providence are the two 7A teams to watch.
“I know we respect them as a team, but we’re going to go out there and give them a run,” Price said. “If we beat East, that’s a lot of momentum going to play (downstate teams).”
Price, at 5-foot-7, is the Celtics’ leading rusher and has 19 touchdowns. He can skirt through even the smallest of holes the offensive line can give him.
He also was amazingly efficient. Though he rushed for just 78 yards on 18 carries vs. Bradley, he made most of those carries count with his short-yardage scores.
“I’m just here to do whatever my team needs me to do, that’s what it comes down to,” Price said. “If I get a lot of yards, I get a lot of touchdowns, but if I get no touchdowns and we get a win then I’m still happy.”
The Celtics are 77-22 in the playoffs. The last time Providence won a state title was in 2004 under Matt Senffner, when the Celtics beat Bloomington for the Class 6A crown. The last state trophy they won was in 2009, when the Celtics were runners-up to Cary-Grove in 6A.
In all, Providence has nine state titles, and its history includes 19 consecutive playoff appearances from 1991 to 2009.
The Celtics dropped their regular-season finale to Mount Carmel 17-0. Against the Caravan, Providence turned the ball over six times. Maybe it was fitting the Celtics forced four Bradley turnovers, two of which led to touchdowns in the first half. Those two turnovers the Celtics were able to capitalize on were the game’s turning points and momentum changers.
And what was more amazing was that punting stat.
“It says our offense controlled the line of scrimmage and did what they had to do,” Celtics coach Mark Coglianese said. “I didn’t really realize that, but to keep the punt team off the field means you’re doing good things. We weren’t perfect (against Bradley), but we have to be better to play against East.”
The turnovers were a lesson Price learned about in the week leading up to the Bradley game. He and the Celtics wanted to make sure they flushed the loss.
“Mount Carmel came in here and left a bad taste in our mouths, but that’s a game where, if we don’t turn the ball over, it goes a different way,” Price said. “Offensively, we had to clean it up. As running backs, we did a lot of ball security drills, and receivers did a lot of catching (drills) because they had a lot of missed catches (vs. Mount Carmel).”
The Providence coaching staff called off the dogs in the second half Friday, turning things over to the second string. But even late in the game, with the Celtics driving inside the Bradley 20-yard line, some Bradley fans seemed to beg Providence to take a knee.
The Celtics heard. With about 1:20 to play, they took a knee. But don’t expect the same thing to happen in Frankfort this week.
“I haven’t seen them (East), but they’re a No. 1 team and we’ll have a good week of practice and be ready for them,” Coglianese said. “We have so many rivalries within our conference, in the Catholic League, that I don’t consider them a rival but they are the top public school in the area. And we’re the top Catholic school, so it’ll be a good game.”
