Celtic Running Backs Put on a Track Meet: Providence Defeats Brother Rice Sophomores 38-0

The Providence Catholic Celtics sophomore football team (5-1) won 38-0 over the Brother Rice Mustangs with help from a strong rushing attack.

Setting the Tone Early - "I want a defensive score today," Coach Keith Healy told the defense at the pre-game meeting.  "I'm putting the pressure on you guys.  I'm not usually greedy, but I'm getting greedy today."

Only three plays into the game cornerback Noah Cralle delivered on Coach Healy's order and ran back a 26-yard interception for a touchdown.

Running Away with the Game – Providence running backs Dominic Lagone and Ben Kraslen rushed for a total of 273 rushing yards on a combined 13 carries.  Lagone ran the ball seven times for 172 yards (24.6 yards per carry) including touchdown carries of 88 and 52-yards.  Kraslen ran the ball six times for 101 yards (16.8 yards per carry) including a touchdown run of 81 yards late in the fourth quarter.

Giving Opposing Quarterbacks Nightmares - Providence's defense gave Crusader quarterback Sal Perez a tough time all game as he completed eight of his 20 passes for a mere 74 yards and threw three interceptions.

Impact Player: Defensive back Noah Cralle took a second interception 27 yards back to the Brother Rice end zone for a touchdown in the first quarter as well.

"When the quarterback was getting ready to call the play, the corner and I were saying get ready for the switch call," Cralle said about what happened during his second interception.  "As the play continued, the wide receivers ran crossing routes so the [other] corner, Zach Hoffman, yelled 'switch' so I would pick up his receiver. Once the ball was thrown, the receiver and I both had the ball, but luckily I was able to strip the ball. When I started running, the defense gave me enough blocks for me to make it into the endzone."

Keeping the Scoreless Streak Alive: The Celtics defense has not allowed a single point in the last ten quarters, dating back to their only loss versus Loyola.

Still Room for Improvement - Quarterback Jake Godfrey came out of the game after completing two of his 10 throws for 38 yards in the first half of the contest.  Yet, all of the incompletions were not of his fault as there were several drops and miscues by wide receivers during the game as well.

Outside the Box - There were two personal foul penalty calls against the Crusaders and three for the Celtics during the game.

What's Next - Providence travels to Lake Forest Academy to face off against the Scouts at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7.