Stay alive, then go for five.
Words to live by for Providence’s football team, which begins its quest Friday night for an unprecedented fifth-straight state championship.
That’s because the fifth-ranked Celtics must first survive the toughest schedule in school history to qualify for that five-step approach to the ultimate prize.
Elevated into the Catholic Metro Blue–arguably the state’s toughest conference–Providence will go up against No. 1-ranked Mt. Carmel, No. 14 Loyola and Marian Catholic.
Factoring in non-conference games against Leo Friday night and Green Division favorite Carmel means Providence will face five 1997 playoff teams.
“Playing in the Blue Division will have us better prepared for the playoffs–provided we stay healthy,” said Providence coach Matt Senffner. “Then again, we could fizzle out by the end of the regular season and not have anything left.”
No one in football, baseball or boys basketball has ever won five state championships in a row. Mt. Carmel and Joliet Catholic have been four-peat state champs in football, and Peoria Manual did it in basketball.
In boys team sports, only Granite City’s soccer team has won five straight.
Judging by the Celtics’ recent history, they have a legitimate shot. Providence has been the team of the ’90s, compiling a 55-1 record during its four-peat reign.
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“There’s pressure on you because the guys before you have won four in a row,” said linebacker Brendan Kavanaugh. “Everyone on the team realizes we don’t want to be the ones that didn’t do it.”
Kavanaugh spearheads a defense that also returns linebacker Anthony Olszta and nose tackle Nick Passolano from last year’s Class 4A champion. Kavanaugh said the key will be the development of the defensive line.
The Celtics’ offense centers on running back Justin Ruggio, who rushed for 2,020 yards and 19 touchdowns last fall. The traditionally powerful offensive line features Tom Lenahan (6 feet 1 inch, 255 pounds), Cameron Richler (6-1, 260), Pat Riley (6-2, 280), George Deaton (6-1, 245) and Nick Cory (6-1, 240).
When defenses begin stacking their alignments to stop Ruggio and fullback Kevin Rigsby, quarterback Jim Kirby will air it out to receivers Brandon Johnson and Lance Lokanc.
“Everybody thinks Providence is down because we don’t have the big-name players like (All-Staters) Eric Steinbach or David Popp,” the 6-4, 195-pound Johnson said. “We’ve got the pressure of trying to prove early in the season that we belong in the Blue Division.”
Ruggio expects a rude welcome from Mt. Carmel, which has won every conference title in the ’90s.
“We beat Mt. Carmel for the state wresting title, and I imagine there will be a vendetta set for that,” Ruggio said. “My 160-pound match was the deciding points, and I beat Andrew Curran, younger brother of linebacker Brendan Curran.
“Mt. Carmel is a very sound team that doesn’t make mistakes. They play football the way it should be played. A lot of people say we’re below them, and we’ve been hearing that for a good number of years.”
They’ve also been hearing encouraging words over the summer from ex-Celtics such as Popp, Colin Johnson and Chris Walker about bringing the Celtics into their own personal fifth dimension. Here’s how that opportunity was set up.
In the beginning
Little did anyone realize that overcoming a two-touchdown deficit to defeat St. Rita 27-14 in the 1994 season-opener would be the start of a wild 50-game winning streak. All-Stater Joey Schley returned a punt for a score and then made an interception that set up the winning touchdown.
“There was something special about that team, and that game made believers out of them,” Senffner said.
This junior-laden team went on to upset Brother Rice of Birmingham, Mich., 59-30, an opponent that was ranked seventh in the nation.
Schley’s breakaway antics, the passing of Bob Christopherson and a defense led by Chris Janik opened the postseason with a 29-27 decision over Wheaton North and a 32-14 pasting of Woodstock. After dropping Richards in the 5A quarterfinals, the Celtics overcame a two-touchdown deficit to beat Rockford Boylan 27-20.
“Probably our easiest game during the playoffs was beating Palatine 16-6 in the championship game,” Senffner said. Quinn Walsh saw to that, setting a 5A title game record with three interceptions.
Twice as nice
Expectations were sky-high, but the Celtics stumbled in the opener and needed a safety near the end of the game to get past St. Rita 15-14.
“The good Lord was looking down on us that day,” Senffner said.
A defense featuring Janik, Billy Grogan, Shane Flynn and Brian Parker dominated for the rest of the season. Until the championship game, opponents averaged only five points a game.
After top-seeded Providence knocked off second-seeded Richards 17-0 in the semifinals, most people assumed the title game against Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin to be a mere formality.
Instead, the riled-up Springfield underdogs led until the Celtics scored twice in the final 4 minutes. Igniting the late comeback was a fumble forced by Grogan and recovered by Flynn. Louis Medina scored the game-winner on a 4-yard run with a great block from fullback Kyle Stalter.
Triple threat
Between the 23-13 season-opening victory over St. Rita and the 28-21 squeaker over Metamora for the 4A title, the Celtics averaged 45 points a game. The high-octane offense was ignited by Tribune second-team All-State quarterback Robert Cruz, All-State running back Medina and Popp.
After running away from Fenwick 58-35 and Bishop McNamara 47-14 in the regular season, Providence blasted through the playoffs by beating Leo 48-14, Bishop Mac 42-7, Batavia 49-6 and Minooka 47-0.
Again, the Downstate team was considered an afterthought. And once again, the Downstaters led during much of the game. This time it was Cruz scoring on two runs, including the game-winner, that saved an apparently overconfident Providence.
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Streaking
One streak was broken while another continued. The 50-game string came to an end in the regular-season finale when Bishop McNamara upended the Celtics 30-8. Steinbach had provided a promising beginning with four touchdowns in a 25-16 victory over St. Rita. Providence came from behind late in the fourth quarter to slip past Fenwick 23-15.
This team led by Steinbach, Popp, Ruggio, Kavanaugh, Jason Kalina and Colin Johnson used the loss as a wake-up call heading into the postseason. The Celtics won their first three playoff games by a combined score of 139-18 and then rolled past a talented Morris ballclub 34-17 in the 4A semifinals.
Again, Providence beat Metamora for the title. This time, it was Popp’s dazzling triple-bobble, 62-yard touchdown catch from Adam O’Reel that sparked the 26-12 triumph.