The Highland pass seemed to hang in the air like a punt Saturday afternoon, but junior cornerback Gavin Hagan never took his eyes off the ball for Providence.
When it finally did descend, Hagan got his hands over the receiver in front of him and snatched it away before landing comfortably in the middle of the Celtics’ end zone.
In an instant, Hagan scratched off a possible touchdown during an eventual shutout. And just as importantly, he gave his team momentum Providence would not relinquish.
“I saw the guy breaking on a post,” Hagan said afterward. “I look up and the ball was in the air — and the ball was in the air for a while. I just made a play on the ball.”
Even though that interception was in the first quarter, it was a harbinger of things to come in host Providence’s 21-0 Class 5A quarterfinal victory over Highland in New Lenox.
Hagan may very well be the most enthusiastic player for the Celtics (8-4), who earned a rematch next weekend in the state semifinals against Joliet Catholic (9-3), a 49-7 winner over archrival Morris. The Hilltoppers beat Providence 19-0 back on Sept. 1.
In the pregame, Hagan moves among his teammates, hyping them up for what is to come. But on the field, he’s all business, as evidenced by an interception that got called back.
That was during the second quarter. He also had a key tackle on a fourth-and-2 later in that quarter that gave Providence the ball back and led to the Celtics’ final touchdown.
“I’ve played ever since I was 8,” Hagan said. “I love this game so much.”
Hagan wasn’t the only one who enjoyed himself at home. Senior running back Justus Snapp finished with 107 yards on 16 carries. He went 90 yards on a screen pass from sophomore quarterback Leo Slepski for a TD in the first quarter.
Combined with Hagan’s interception, it helped to spell the end of the season for Highland (10-2), which entered on a 10-game winning streak.
Sophomore quarterback Blake Gelly had completed 70% of his passes before Saturday, but thanks to Hagan and junior safety Luke Leverett, he went 3-for-16 for a paltry 28 yards.
Postgame, Providence coach Tyler Plantz had plenty of good things to say about Hagan.
“He’s a stud,” Plantz said. “The way he sees the game, it’s slow for him. Being able to have a guy like that on a team where he can make a play whenever you need him to …
“The way he can make something happen, he’s a special player.”
Defensive coordinator Luke Sheppard said Hagan can handle the opponent’s best receiver, which helps his unit throw more weight around elsewhere.
“It’s nice when you can have one corner that can lock down an entire side of the field,” Sheppard said. “He started coming along in the second half of last year.
“He’s only a junior, so it’s going to be impressive to see what he does hopefully the next two weeks and next year as a senior.”
Hagan played his youth ball for the Homer Glen Stallions, where he was a safety and a running back. Although he’s playing corner now, he said he’s more likely to be a safety in college.
But there’s little doubt he will play at the next level. He recently received a scholarship offer from Akron.
While Hagan is entering the final stages of his junior year, that doesn’t mean he’s reserved when it comes to leadership, either.
It’s actually something he enjoys, which again speaks to his enthusiasm for the game.
“I just want to make sure everyone shows up on time,” he said, “and everyone is doing everything what’s required.”
Gregg Voss is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
