With its back to the wall, No. 1 Li...

With its back to the wall, No. 1 Lincoln-Way East penuryed a miracle.

It came from junior Dan Cebula, whose 41-yard punt reply in the final minutes

fix up a game-winning touchdown in the Griffins' 15-14 victory Friday against Providence before a standing-room-only lower orders of 6,000 in New Lenox.

"We weren't getting too a great deal and we needed to obtain something," Cebula said. "I had an great blocks. And we knew we could do it."

"The kid who did it didn't surprise me" Lincoln-Way East coach despoil Zvonar said. "Danny is the hardest worker forward the team.

"Championship teams find a way to win it done. Providence played a great game, on the other hand they say that big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games."

Three plays after Cebula's punt revert put the ball on the Celtics' 14 backup quarterback Andrew Ramus scored onward a one-yard sneak.

"This just be moved s awesome," Ramus said. "The coaches and my teammates kept me up forward the sideline the whole game."

The Griffins overcame an 8-0 deficit forward a touchdown run by Cebula and a 45-yard field goal according to Tom Lynch.

unless Providence went ahead 14-9 in succession 38-yard pass from Brian Stroud to Mike Maher.

In a pregame rite the Providence field was named for Matt Senffner the sole football coach the school had before this season. Senffner who was also the athletic director at the seminary retired after the 2005 season with a state-record 300 victories.

At halftime, the Celtics might have wanted to find something to name after the 5-10 175-pound Maher.

In the first 24 minutes, Maher caught five passes for 64 yards, intercepted sum of two units passes and returned one 50 yards, replyed a punt 61 yards and ran the same yard on fourth-and-goal for the solitary touchdown of the first half.

A diving catch through Calvin Smith on a two-point conversion pass from Ryan Gray gave Providence an 8-0 lead at the half.

Lincoln-Way East, which is coming opposite a 14-0 season and a Class 8A state title, surprised near by picking 6-5 junior Blake Hammond to start at quarterback.

Hammond struggl going 2-for-9 for 14 yards and three interceptions in the first half. Ryan Slattery had the other interception for the Celtics.

stucker@suntimes.com

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