Football: Providence Catholic Defense Shuts Down St. Rita

Breaking It Down: If intensity was not high enough for a Providence Catholic and St. Rita contest, adding to the equation that both teams had lost its first game in the Chicago Catholic Blue made emotion for this rivalry at an all-time high. Providence Catholic showed how much they wanted this win by starting off the game with an impressive 55-yard touchdown drive that included a 39-yard reception by Miles Boykin from Dominic Lagone.

After that drive, neither offense could muster much of anything, as the score would stay the same until midway through the fourth quarter. The Celtics' defense was only able to record one sack on the night, yet gave the Mustangs offense headaches by allowing a total of 70 yards of offense during the entire evening.

Although the Providence Catholic offense had problems of its own, the team's playmakers were able to step up when they needed to in its 14-0 victory.

Patch’s MVP: Chad Weaver, Providence Catholic. This Celtic playmaker seemed to find the ball in his hands whenever the team needed a crucial first down on third and short. The senior's seven carries for 67 yards and three catches for 25 yards performance sparked the rest of the offense and made the defense draw extra attention on him.

"When he's got the ball anything can happen," said Providence Catholic coach Mark Coglianese of Weaver.

Providence Stat Pack: Brandon Price rushed for 111 yards on 31 carries including two touchdown runs. Dominic Lagone completed 9-of-14 passes for 88 yards to go along with 5 carries for 44 yards. Jeff Cesario made over five tackles including a sack. Noah Cralle intercepted St. Rita's last offensive play of the game.

St. Rita Stat Pack: Tom McCormick completed 3-of-8 passes in the first half for 21 yards. Two of those passes were for a loss of yards. He finished the night completing 6-of-17 passes for 24 yards and 18 rushing yards on five carries. Ben Threloff and Chuck Haas both recorded a sack. Julian Crum rushed for 40 yards on 4 carries.

Quotable I: “With that loss last week [to Loyola], it left a bad taste," Providence Catholic running back Brandon Price said. "We came out fired up, because it's St. Rita, and personally, because my cousin is on [the Mustangs].

Quotable II: “Our defense was phenomenal,” Coglianese said. "They shut down the run, which you have to do against St. Rita. But St. Rita really struggled throwing the ball, and it was a great defensive effort."

Team Records: Providence is 4-1 and 1-1 in the Chicago Catholic Blue. St. Rita is 2-3 and 0-2 in the Chicago Catholic Blue.

What’s Next: Providence plays at Brother Rice on Sept. 28. St. Rita moves on to host Hales Franciscan on Sept. 28 with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

Scores of Interest: Mount Carmel 56, Brother Rice 7. Marist 27, Joliet Catholic 24. Lincoln-Way West 16, Lincoln-Way North 13. For more scores, go to IHSA ScoreZone.

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