Providence gears up for rough schedule

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The good news was evident as Providence battled various opponents last Saturday at Pershing Grade School in Week 2 of the annual University of St. Francis 7-on-7 football passing camp.

There was senior Mike Hoffmeister running the show at quarterback. All-area running back Tim Hanrahan was attending another camp, but you know he will be there when the bell rings.

Senior Pete Houlihan may do most of his work on the defensive side of the ball, but he swings over to offense often enough to make an impact.

Last season's two leading receivers, Joe Sawicki and Steve Arthurs, also return.

Add in three veteran offensive linemen and the makings of a pretty fair defense, and the Celtics may be primed to take things a step further this season.

Last fall, you may recall, the end came in a 24-17 loss to Sacred Heart-Griffin in the Class 6A state semifinals.

Of course, there is that other matter, the schedule.

If you were among those who thought the Celtics battled through a meat grinder a year ago, finishing 8-5, you ain't seen nothin' yet.

Providence opens against Lincoln-Way East in what will be the final game of that series. Then in Week 2, the Celtics take on Joliet Catholic. The last time the two local Catholic powers met was in Round 2 of last year's playoffs, Providence winning 24-21 in overtime.

As if things were not brutal enough playing in the Catholic Blue against the likes of Loyola, Mount Carmel, Brother Rice and St. Rita, lesser Catholic League citizens Gordon Tech and Guerin have been replaced by De La Salle and St. Laurence. Yes, two more playoff teams of a year ago.

Last season, the Celtics were 2-4 after Week 6 and had to battle from there for their playoff lives. They could be an awfully good football team this fall and find themselves in a similar predicament.

Or not.

"Yeah, we probably have the toughest schedule our school has had in a while," Hoffmeister said during a breather in the 7-on-7. "There are no breaks."

But that can work either of two ways.

"The schedule, if we handle it all right, it can show that we will be a force with all the guys we have returning," Hoffmeister said. "The schedule is as hard as it can be, but it sure helps that we have 8-9 guys returning on offense. We can do our summer work and keep building chemistry and all wind up on the same page."

"That's the big thing, we do have guys returning on offense, starting with Mike Hoffmeister and of course Hanrahan at tailback," Providence coach Mark Coglianese said. "We have some other skill guys back, and we have the makings of a pretty good line with three guys returning there."

Hoffmeister completed 90 of 176 passes, 51.1 percent, for 1,169 yards and nine touchdowns a year ago. His favorite target, Sawicki, caught 33 for 531 yards, a 16.1 average. Tight end Arthurs grabbed 15 for 222, a 14.8 average.

Houlihan, a big-play specialist defensively and on special teams, caught fourProv passes but for 115 yards. A long catch-and-run touchdown play against Sacred Heart-Griffin provided an inkling into the offensive fireworks he can provide.

"Pete will be a playmaker and he is pretty excited right now," Coglianese said of Houlihan. "Eastern Illinois just offered him a full ride. That's his first offer, and he'll probably get more."

"Sawicki and Arthurs are my favorite targets, but we have 6-7 other guys who can catch the ball," Hoffmeister said. "Pete (Houlihan) can run past anybody, and Cody Cleveland catches everything, too."

Cleveland is like Houlihan in that he mainly will play in the defensive secondary, "but he can play both ways at times," Coglianese said. "He and Houlihan will get reps on offense."

That all means the passing game is well fortified. But as Coglianese said, "We still have to hang our hats on the running game."

Enter Hanrahan. As a junior, all he did was rush for 1,923 yards, No. 1 among large-school backs in the area. He averaged 6.9 yards per carry, and 21.5 carries and 147.9 yards per game.

"If we can't pass against somebody, we have Tim and a couple of fullbacks who can run the ball, too," Hoffmeister said. "If we don't get it done running the ball, we have good targets to throw to.

"So we should be OK offensively, and I think our defense will be solid all around."

Granted, the schedule can be a killer. On the other hand, all those opponents that do not like to lose will be facing a veteran Providence team sporting plenty of talent is all the right places.

Great game after great game, week after week? That's the way it appears at this juncture.

Hoffmeister, Hanrahan, Houlihan and the rest are anxious to meet the challenge.