Kankakee, Bishop McNamara set for 1st-round home games: Daily Journal IHSA, 8-man football playoff previews

Class 5ANo. 11 Providence (7-3) at No. 6 Kankakee (7-2)When: 1 p.m. SaturdayAbout the Celtics: It has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for Providence this season. But the Celtics were dominant in their opening round playoff game against Mount Vernon displaying the prowess on both offense and defense that certainly makes it seem as if Providence is more than capable of making another run at the Class 5A title game. The Providence one-two punch on the ground is back on the attack after Broden Mackert returned from a three-week setback due to a calf injury. Braden McKay shouldered quite a bit of the offensive load with Mackert out, but the Celtics can throw the football more than competently as well with Dominic Vita utilizing several downfield weapons he has at his disposal.About the Kays: Like Providence, Kankakee probably deserved a much higher seed than what it ended up with. Kankakee is a No. 6 seed with two losses but one of those losses was a narrow setback to one of the best tea