Lincoln-Way East involved in a classic

It's an old cliche, but it was a shame one team was saddled with a loss between Mount Carmel and Lincoln-Way East on Friday.

If the two Class 8A powerhouses played each other 10 times, they'd probably each win five games.

The skill on the field and the atmosphere surrounding it suggested a semifinal battle, not a second-round tilt.

The 10-time state champion Caravan prevailed 34-31.

"It's a shame the offense put up 31 points and we didn't win," East coach Rob Zvonar said. "But their offensive line was getting off the ball so well. That was a problem for us. That was the difference."

Quarterbacks Jordan Lynch of Mount Carmel and Spencer Stanek of East put on quite a show, whether it was through the air or with their legs.

"(Lynch) is as good a quarterback as we've seen," Zvonar said. "We tried to make some adjustments to stop him. He was something else."

But so was Stanek, who threw for 235 yards and rushed for 70.

Lynch finished with 189 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Providence on a roll

Two teams down, three to go.

And anyone thinking Providence doesn't possess the means to knock off undefeated No. 1 seed Rock Island in a Class 6A quarterfinal Saturday is sadly mistaken.

The Celtics hung on to derail Joliet Catholic 24-21 in overtime Saturday, with Peter Houlihan, Pat Wright and Tim Hanrahan leading the way.

Houlihan blocked a potential game-winning field goal, Wright booted the game-winning field goal and Hanrahan rushed for 192 yards, including 145 in the first half.

"Everybody stepped up at some point," Houlihan said. "You have to take advantage of opportunities, especially at this point of the season, and we did that."

The Celtics were considerably more disciplined against JCA than they were against Oak Forest in the opening round. After getting flagged for 95 yards against the Bengals, Providence was whistled for just two 10-yard infractions against the Hilltoppers.

Similar discipline will be required against the Rocks.

"Yeah, we were definitely more disciplined," coach Mark Coglianese said. "It's something we talked about after the Oak Forest game. We can't afford to give our opponents any help."

Marist continues to shine

The Cinderella story continues at Marist, where the RedHawks stunned the high school football world with a come-from-behind 28-25 victory against previously undefeated Naperville North on Friday.

Marist trailed 25-13 with under three minutes to go but rallied for an impressive road win.

"I know a lot of luck went our way, but I believe in our guys and, most important, they believe in each other," coach Pat Dunne said. "The kids never gave up."

The stunner catapulted the RedHawks into a Class 8A quarterfinal showdown with powerhouse Mount Carmel, which edged Lincoln-Way East 34-31.

"I have the highest respect for Mount Carmel, coach (Frank) Lenti, his staff and their program," Dunne said. "They have a great tradition and they're a great team year in and year out. We're just going to do what we've been doing."

Which includes getting stellar offensive line play.

Quarterback Mike Perrish, a Frankfort resident, threw 28 passes without suffering a sack against Naperville North.

The line of Bob Bullington, Steve Zajack, Tom Mitchell, Matt Bataglia and Justin Schilling will need a similar effort against a hard-charging Mount Carmel defense.

"The O-line played great," Dunne said.

Pat Disabato can be reached at pdisabato@southtownstar.com or (708) 802-8837.