Providence sticking to business

The last time Providence Catholic and Oak Forest played each other, it wasn't pretty. Back in 2003, the Celtics clubbed a previously undefeated Bengals squad 49-7 in the second round of the Class 6A playoffs.

Thanks to the IHSA, a rematch will take place Friday night in Oak Forest. And while many football fans have made it a foregone conclusion the Celtics will advance to the second round, where rival Joliet Catholic might be waiting, coach Mark Coglianese has warned his team not to look ahead.

"We told the kids there won't be a second round if we don't take care of business this week," said Coglianese, whose Celtics enter the postseason riding a three-game winning streak. "Oak Forest is 8-1 and they're a quality team. We're going to have to play our best football to win. The kids know this."

The Providence offense, which has sputtered at times, has been on a roll as of late. Quarterback Mike Hoffmeister, RB Tim Hanrahan and WR Joey Sawicki have led the charge. Hanrahan scored three touchdowns during a 49-0 win against Guerin Prep on Saturday.

Defensively, DB Shane Paty, DB Pete Houlihan and LB Joey Michals have produced at a high level all season.

"Being 5-4, we kind of have to go where they (IHSA) tells us," Coglianese said. "We know this is going to be a tough road. But we are playing well right now."

Inconsistencies doom Andrew

It was a season of "what ifs" for Andrew, a team that had grown accustomed to playoff football but now finds itself playing spectator.

"We were consistently inconsistent," said coach Jim Zimmer, whose T-bolts finished 4-5. "There were some close games we could have won, but came up short. A couple of plays here or there could have been the difference. The games we won, we scored a lot of points and didn't give up many. But the games we lost we didn't score many and we didn't give up many. We needed better balance on offense."

Zimmer acknowledged strong seasons from defensive end Dan Zotto, who is headed to Air Force, and linebacker Mike Bushnell.

"Dan and Mike really stood out all season," Zimmer said.

Andrew fans should know the future looks extremely bright for the program. The T-bolts should welcome back nine starters next year, including WRs Jake Hamilton and Drew Howe and RB Cody Case, along with a trio of linebackers and offensive linemen.

Additionally, the sophomores registered a 9-0 season and the freshman "A" and "B" teams compiled a 15-3-1 mark.

"We have nine starters returning, opposed to only three this year," Zimmer said. "We like our future. We think it looks very bright. People look at the lower levels and don't take what those kids accomplished seriously. We do. We appreciate what they accomplished and the time they dedicated to the program."

Brother Rice not looking ahead

Brother Rice coach Steve Nye insists he's not looking any further than this week's game against Sandburg when it comes to the Crusaders playoff road.

"They're all good teams in the playoffs," said Nye, whose Crusaders finished 7-2. "The biggest thing for us is just concentrating on us. If we play the way we're capable of playing and don't turn the ball over, we can play with anyone."

The Crusaders' schedule certainly prepared them to compete with the best. Rice is the only team in 8A who can boast of playing seven playoff teams.

"We played teams who pound it out and teams who liked to spread it out," Nye said. "Our schedule has prepared us for the playoffs.

"And I still think we're getting better as a team."

This may come as a surprise, but this is the first time Brother Rice and Sandburg have competed on the football field. While Rice is coming off a 57-12 victory against Seton, a game in which RBs Frank Renardo and Dwayne Dade rushed for a pair of touchdowns each, Sandburg dropped an ugly 36-0 contest to Lincoln-Way East.

"I know Sandburg rested some kids," Nye said. "They should be healthy and we are healthy. They have a tough quarterback (Brian Hansen) and some good receivers. This is a great game for the South Side."

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