Like Marshawn Lynch, his favorite player, Providence junior running back Broden Mackert keeps a bag of Skittles candy on the sideline.

“I sometimes give the guys on the sideline who’re hurt a pack of Skittles,” Mackert said. “I’ll just say, ‘Hey, can you hold onto this pack until halftime?’ Then, I’ll just finish the bag so I can keep going.”

Feeding on the candy Lynch referred to as “power pellets,” Mackert ran through his share of defenders during his breakout junior season with the Celtics. Mackert, who fractured his scapula in Week 4 of his sophomore year, returned with a vengeance this past fall, stampeding for 1,756 yards and 23 touchdowns on a whopping 226 carries.

“We had new guys up front and new coaches, so it was basically a whole new offense and a different style of the game,” Mackert said. “I had a whole different attitude... We all have a love for the game. The O-line and tight ends, those guys will do anything for me, and I’ll do anything for them. They do the dirty work, especially the tight ends.”

Mackert, who averaged 7.8 yards per carry, spearheaded a Providence rushing attack that rumbled for 3,507 yards and 47 touchdowns this past fall. Churning behind All-CCL/ESCC fullback Joey Levy as well as Lafayette recruit Bryce Tencza, the CCL/ESCC Orange Lineman of the Year, Mackert and the Celtics averaged 250.5 rushing yards per game.

“[Joey] would just run down the hole and clear everything up,” said Mackert, who wears the No. 24 like his favorite player, Lynch, did with the Seattle Seahawks. “He was a big part of the game, and the O-line was too. It was a whole different offense this year. We all clicked.”

Asserting themselves on the ground, the Celtics bulldozed their way to the Class 5A state championship game. Going back and forth with St. Francis, a team Providence lost to in the regular season, the Celtics once again fell just short in a 39-36 defeat. Fueled by their defeat, Mackert and the Celtics are eyeing a state title in 2026.

“We’re going to have a lot of young dudes, so we’re going to need leaders all across the field,” said Mackert, who was the CCL/ESCC Orange Offensive Player of the Year in 2025. “I want to improve on my speed. I’ve been working on it in track, and I’ve been seeing the results. I definitely want to be faster than I was last season.”

While Mackert shouldered the load for the Providence offense, Lamar Winfield emerged as a havoc-wreaker on defense. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound junior compiled 60 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks along with a pair of blocked kicks this past season. His efforts have landed him on the scouting radar of several Division I programs.

“I definitely took a big step from my sophomore year to my junior year, and it was due to the work my family and I put in,” said Winfield, who had eight tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss in the state championship game. “I got after the quarterback, and I was a lot more disruptive. My bull rush and the majority of my power moves, I didn’t have those my freshman or sophomore year, but I’m getting bigger and stronger.”

Winfield, a defensive lineman for the Celtics, had offers from Toledo, Miami (Ohio) and Yale before the season kicked off. He’s since picked up an offer from Western Illinois and he projects to be one of the top defensive players in the CCL/ESCC this coming fall. Winfield is setting high marks for himself and his team as he gears up for the 2026 season.

“We have to set the tone,” said Winfield, whose favorite NFL player is Cam Newton. “My role was to keep the D-line in check. I had to make sure everybody was doing their job, and my job was to wreak havoc on everybody I could... We’re an energy team, and when the energy is very high, we play at our best. Next year, we can build on keeping that up.”

Winfield grew up in Joliet and started playing football at 5 years old. His goals for next season include helping Providence win a state title as well as achieving All-State honors and Defensive Player of the Year honors in the division.

“I want to get double-digit sacks, and I want 15 TFLs next year,” said Winfield, whose father Rickey played semi-professional football. “It was tough going all the way and not winning one, so I definitely want to bring one back to Providence. We lost a whole bunch of key guys, but being able to come together as a brotherhood will be a big part of it. We’ll have a bunch of new guys, and we have to trust each other.”

Providence had a busy February, with eight senior football players signing to continue their careers at the collegiate level. Among them were wide receiver Xavier Coleman (WIU), defensive lineman Dominic Infelise (Ball State) and offensive lineman Tencza (Lafayette).

Infelise, a three-star 2026 recruit, was named the CCL/ESCC Orange Division’s Defensive Player of the Year in the fall. The senior recorded 45 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, three pass breakups and three blocked kicks in 2025. Tencza, the CCL/ESCC Orange Division’s Lineman of the Year, was an IHSFCA 5A All-State selection in 2025.

Coleman led the Celtics in receiving this past fall, posting 52 catches for 787 yards and six touchdowns. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound receiver added 24 carries for 157 yards and a trio of scores. Coleman, Infelise and Tencza were three of the team’s seven All-CCL/ESCC honorees.

Senior linebacker Gavin Farley (St. Xavier) and fullback Joey Levy (St. Ambrose) are two more All-CCL/ESCC players who signed to continue at the collegiate level. Farley recorded 102 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries, two pass breakups and two blocked kicks in 2025. Levy led the way for a Providence rushing unit that compiled 3,507 yards (250.5 yards per game) and 47 scores.

Trevor Martino (Ripon College), Ryan Lenahan (Concordia University Wisconsin) and Gunnar Thormeyer (Wabash College) also signed with collegiate programs last month. Since Providence’s signing ceremony, senior wide receiver Teagan O’Brien has committed to Wabash and senior tight end Jackson Luif has committed to Concordia Wisconsin.