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newlenoxpatriot.com Football Preview Guide<br />
The New Lenox Patriot | August 24, 2017 | 47<br />
fastbreak<br />
James Sanchez/22nd Century<br />
Media<br />
1st-and-3<br />
New faces, same<br />
attitude<br />
1. Anthony Senerchia<br />
(above)<br />
The senior will be<br />
the new man under<br />
center this year. He<br />
made the most of<br />
his one start last<br />
season, throwing<br />
a game-winning<br />
touchdown to defeat<br />
Stagg.<br />
2. Donte Barber<br />
The junior will spearhead<br />
the backfield,<br />
along with Anthony<br />
Izzarelli and Caleb<br />
Marconi. Head coach<br />
Dave Ernst said<br />
their backs are the<br />
deepest in recent<br />
memory.<br />
3. Flipping sides<br />
Kevin Davis and<br />
Ryan Robbins are<br />
moving over to the<br />
defensive side to fill<br />
holes. Both were key<br />
contributors to last<br />
year’s offense. Davis<br />
was a tight end, and<br />
Robbins was a running<br />
back.<br />
Providence eager to take on tough schedule<br />
Chris Walker, Freelance Reporter<br />
Providence Catholic is to open the season by<br />
making the long drive down Interstate 55 to face<br />
defending Class 7A champion East St. Louis.<br />
The following week, the Celtics are to host St.<br />
John Vianney from Missouri, which also won a<br />
state title a season ago.<br />
Then, they jump right into the Chicago Catholic<br />
Conference Blue Division, including a game<br />
against Class 8A runner-up Loyola Academy in<br />
Week 8.<br />
It is never easy for the Celtics, but as 10-time<br />
state champions themselves, they would have it no<br />
other way — although they are as antsy as ever to<br />
get back to the playoffs after falling short the past<br />
two seasons.<br />
“Those first two teams being state champs are<br />
only going to make us better, but they put us in<br />
almost a situation that they’re must-win games,”<br />
Celtics coach Mark Coglianese said. “Heading to<br />
St. Louis will be a tough challenge, but if we can<br />
get a big win, that could catapult us to big things<br />
down the road.”<br />
Tough losses to St. Rita and Fenwick ended up<br />
crushing Providence’s hopes of making the playoffs<br />
in 2016, but one of its biggest positives was<br />
how it finished. The Celtics beat Mt. Carmel in<br />
Week 9 to keep the Caravan out of the playoffs for<br />
the first time since 1985.<br />
“That was a huge momentum swing, and we<br />
want to keep the intensity from that game all season,”<br />
senior De’Shon Gavin said. “We’re not taking<br />
anything for granted, especially us seniors. The<br />
seniors are looking really good and poised after a<br />
great summer and we’re ready to finish it, and our<br />
juniors and some sophomores have been impressive.”<br />
Providence’s roster is smaller than it has been the<br />
past, which is one of the team’s biggest concerns.<br />
“They key is staying healthy, because we’re not<br />
real deep,” Coglianese said. “We have a lot of quality<br />
players, but the numbers are low so we can’t<br />
afford to lose many guys. Lots of guys are going<br />
to see both sides of the ball. ... It’s something we<br />
have to do.”<br />
An experienced offensive line will look to provide<br />
sufficient time and blocking for an offense that<br />
likely will rotate three or four guys in the backfield.<br />
Incoming quarterback Caden Kalinowski only saw<br />
Adam Jomant/22nd Century Media<br />
The road ahead<br />
• Week 1 — at East St. Louis, 5 p.m. Aug. 26<br />
• Week 2 — hosts St. John Vianney, 7 p.m. Sept. 1<br />
• Week 3 — hosts St. Rita, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 8<br />
• Week 4 — hosts St. Ignatius, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 15<br />
• Week 5 — at Brother Rice, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 22<br />
• Week 6 — at Hope Academy, 7 p.m. Sept. 29<br />
• Week 7 — hosts Fenwick, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6<br />
• Week 8 — hosts Loyola Academy, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 13<br />
• Week 9 — at Mt. Carmel, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 20<br />
a little bit of time last season playing wide receiver.<br />
“He’ll be out there, and we’re going to need him<br />
to stay healthy — and, if he does, he should be able<br />
to do some big things,” Coglianese said. “Losing<br />
Richie Warfield is a big loss, but we think we have<br />
a few guys in the back that can carry the ball and<br />
bring something else to the table.”<br />
Gavin added, “Expectations are through the roof<br />
Please see Providence, 37<br />
Mark Coglianese<br />
Team: Providence Catholic High School<br />
Years coaching the team: 29 total, 10 as<br />
head coach<br />
2016 regular season record: 4-5<br />
Who is your coaching hero?<br />
I would say Tom Landry. He was always<br />
in control, but also in charge.<br />
What is your favorite play to run?<br />
I guess being a defensive coach — I was a<br />
defensive coordinator for many years — so<br />
I would say multiple blitzes. Trying to catch<br />
the offense in something that maybe they<br />
haven’t seen or prepared for.<br />
What is a favorite moment during your<br />
coaching career?<br />
I guess there are a couple. When I first<br />
took over as coordinator, we had a 50-game<br />
winning streak. That included four state<br />
championships. That was kind of big. The<br />
second one would be winning a state championship<br />
as a head coach back in 2014.<br />
For more, visit NewLenoxPatriot.com.<br />
Providence Catholic’s Brenden Martus runs<br />
with the ball Aug. 16 during a practice. Adam<br />
Jomant/22nd Century Media<br />
LISTEN UP<br />
“We didn’t have one issue the whole time. They all work<br />
hard, they all do whatever’s asked of them, they’re all<br />
great kids. We got better every day. It was a lot of fun.”<br />
Dave Ernst – Lincoln-Way West football head coach, on this summer’s two-a-day<br />
practices<br />
TUNE IN<br />
Football<br />
7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1<br />
• Lincoln-Way West and Lincoln-Way Central<br />
will meet for a crosstown matchup.<br />
INDEX<br />
37 – Athlete of the Week<br />
37 – This Week In<br />
FASTBREAK is compiled by Editor James<br />
Sanchez, james@newlenoxpatriot.com.
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