Football: Isaac hurt; Providence completes upset
By Dick Goss dgoss@stmedianetwork.com August 24, 2012 11:13PM
Joliet Catholic Academy students tailgate before their season-opening football game at Providence Catholic in New Lenox Friday, August 24, 2012. | Brett Roseman~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: September 27, 2012 11:20AM
This wasn’t exactly what the national television audience on ESPNU was expecting to see.
But then, maybe these Providence Celtics are more than anyone anticipated.
After Joliet Catholic super-back Ty Isaac, who has committed to Southern California, left late in the first quarter when he suffered a right shoulder injury while being tackled, Providence went about the business of completing a thrilling 40-34 upset victory over the Hilltoppers.
“All we know is that it’s a shoulder injury,” Joliet Catholic coach Dan Sharp said. “Ty left at halftime to get X-rays.”
Isaac already had rushed for 66 yards on seven carries, scored on a 43-yard run and lost a 32-yard TD run to a holding penalty. Even in his absence, though, the Hilltoppers mounted enough offense to win most games.
“If you would have told me Ty would go out in the first quarter and we would still score 34 points, you probably would have laughed,” Sharp said. “I wish we could have gotten one more stop in there, but this was a great game between two quality teams.”
The problem for Joliet Catholic, not unlike last season’s 70-45 loss to Montini in the Class 5A state championship game, was defense. Providence, directed masterfully by junior quarterback Dominic Lagone, totaled 414 yards, and the Celtics offense was in control from the time senior tailback Brandon Price broke off a 77-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage.
Price rushed for 148 yards in 17 carries, Lagone completed 8-of-12 passes for 135 yards and Chad Weaver caught five for 57 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown catch on a double pass from Cody Kirby, rushed seven times for 85 and had a long kickoff return.
“This was amazing,” Weaver said. “Everyone thought JCA would win. We knew Isaac is a great player, but even with him in there, one player couldn’t win this game. I don’t think it would have changed much if he hadn’t gotten hurt because we would have driven the ball down the field the same way.”
