After Providence opened a three-score lead at halftime, Marist showed fight, cutting that lead to seven late in the game.

On a fourth-and-inches from its own territory, Providence junior Broden Mackert with 7 minutes, 18 seconds left to play took the handoff and ran the football 81 yards to the end zone, putting the Celtics ahead 28-14 and closing the scoring on the Providence victory.

“If that goes the other way, everyone is wondering what I am doing as a coach,” Celtics coach Tyler Plantz said. “I am proud of these guys. When adversity hits, nobody flinches. Offense, defense, special teams – all stepped up, and it was complementary football.

“We had some young players step in for the first time and make plays. We had some guys that had been struggling that made plays. I am just really proud of the way they worked all week and the way they came out against a good team.”

Mackert knew it was his job to get the first down in that spot.

“I just had to run behind the guys in the trenches and just run through someone’s face,” he said. “I knew I was getting that yard. My season got cut short last season, so just coming back and winning with the guys is great.”

The Celtics (4-2) recorded all the first-half scoring, grabbing a 21-0 lead at the break. Mackert opened the scoring from the 1-yard line with 7:41 left in the first quarter.

Mackert tallied 112 of his 200 yards before the break. He ended the game with 19 carries for 200 yards and a pair of scores.

The Celtics’ first touchdown was set up by a 45-yard punt return from senior Blake Garrigan.

“I never really returned punts before,” Garrigan said. “Once I got it in my hands, it felt natural. It is nice after when I am on the sideline getting Gatorade and I see all the hands in the air because we scored off that.”

After a three-and-out by the Celtics defense, senior wide receiver Brayaden McKay took a handoff 60 yards to paydirt with 4:57 to play in the first half.

Providence closed out the first half with a touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Dominic Vita to fellow sophomore DeAngelo Coates with 36.3 seconds left before halftime. That gave the Celtics the three-score lead.

Vita ended the game 7-of-8 for 72 yards and one touchdown.

The Celtics defense held Marist to only 31 total yards in the first half, but the Redhawks made it interesting after the break.

A pair of short scoring runs from Tomm Hosty (four carries, 10 yards, two TDs) accounted for all the Marist scoring.

Hosty, coming in as a change of pace at quarterback, carried from 1 yard out with 5:20 to play in the third quarter and again with 9:19 remaining in the game from 6 yards out.

Quarterback Luke Detampel was 13-of-28 for 117 yards and one interception for Marist. The lone interception came from Garrigan with 3:09 left.

“He is just a ballhawk,” Plantz said of Garrigan. “He is fearless in the run game. This is just a testament to these guys and how they play the game.”