The guys you’ve heard about all year for Providence — Justin Hunniford and Miles Boykin — had big games again Friday night.
So did the guys you may not have heard about: Richie Warfield and Mike Markasovic.
That’s why the Celtics are in the driver’s seat in the Catholic League Blue race after rolling to a 41-27 win over No. 9 St. Rita in Chicago.
The Celtics (5-0, 2-0) can clinch a share of the conference title next Saturday at Loyola and can start thinking about improving their postseason seed with each win now that they’ve become playoff-eligible.
Providence looks well-armed for a November run with a passing game directed by Hunniford and a complementary ground game keyed by Warfield.
On Friday, the latter ran 16 times for 129 yards and a 23-yard touchdown. He also ran a kickoff back 82 yards for a score to put the Celtics ahead to stay at 14-7 with 2:41 left in the first quarter.
Warfield has made the leap from freshman year to varsity in one of the state’s best conferences look easy.
“We were kind of wondering what that transition was going to be, jumping the sophomore level,” Hunniford said. “But he’s handled it very well.”
Hunniford is looking ready for the spotlight as well. He came in to Friday’s game completing 80 percent his passes and had another productive game: 21 of 29 for 205 yards and three touchdowns.
Hunniford also ran 25 yards for a score that essentially sealed it, putting the Celtics up 41-20 with 4:26 remaining.
Two of the touchdown throws went to the Notre Dame-bound Boykin, for five and eight yards, and he finished with five catches for 76 yards. Iowa recruit Nate Vejvoda had two catches for 24 yards, but St. Rita’s attention to the two big-time recruits opened things up for Markasovic.
The junior had five catches for 40 yards in the first half.
“Mikey is a very explosive player,” Providence coach Mark Coglianese said. “We like getting him the ball quick,”
St. Rita (4-1, 1-1) likes to get the ball to running back Tyre Lee, but Providence limited him to 23 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.
Quarterback C.J. Weydeman did have a big game for the Mustangs, passing for 236 yards and running for 69 more. Brandon Gaston caught nine passes for 155 yards and three touchdowns..
Email: mclark@suntimes.com
Twitter: @mikeclarkpreps
