Providence’s football team seems to have found itself just in time.
Staring at an early knockout after a 1-4 start, the Celtics have won five in a row, the latest a dominating 41-19 victory over host Addison Trail on Friday night in their Class 7A playoff opener.
No. 12 seed Providence (6-4) will be back home in New Lenox next week to face No. 13 seed Benet (6-4) in Round 2.
“It was nice not having to play a Catholic Blue team,” said quarterback Brian Stroud, who had three touchdown passes and scored on a 1-yard run. “I mean, these guys from Addison Trail came out and hit us pretty hard. But the Catholic League [Blue] is the toughest conference in the state.”
No. 5 seed Addison Trail (8-2) won the West Suburban Gold title; Providence finished sixth in the seven-team Catholic Blue.
“A lot of people thought we were the underdog tonight because we had four losses,” Stroud said. “But we knew better. Our schedule (facing seven playoff teams) helped prepare us, and now we’re ready for anything.”
The Celtics certainly were ready for Addison Trail’s main man, running back Carmen Messina. The starting defense held Messina to 15 yards on 13 carries and limited the Blazers to 11 yards rushing overall in helping secure a 41-6 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
That’s when Providence coach Mark Coglianese emptied his bench.
“We knew [Messina] was their go-to guy,” Coglianese said. “Our linebackers, Mike Barry and Neal Dahlman, didn’t let him get to the edge.”
With Providence up 7-0, the Blazers’ Anthony D’Astice scored on a 79-yard screen pass. The Celtics answered with five straight touchdowns. First, Stroud found tight end Chad Kozar all alone with a 7-yard TD pass and then hit Mike Maher with a 2-yard TD pass right after a 51-yard pass play to Maher.
Stroud’s third TD pass was an 18-yarder to Carson Cleveland, and Brandon Phillips scored on runs of 3 and 25 yards.
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bsakamoto@tribune.com
