Providence’s Lamar Winfield is a force of nature on the football field with a flair for making plays.
A 6-foot-2, 240-pound junior edge rusher, Winfield is always eager to unleash his athleticism and explosiveness on defense. He enjoys getting an extra bite at the apple on special teams, too.
“I’m focused on energy and the whole team is just built off of that,” Winfield said of the resurgent Celtics. “Every time that I make a good play, other guys are there to feed off that.
“I love to get loose and impose my will on everybody around me.”
Winfield had the will and the way Saturday afternoon, lifting host Providence to a 39-6 victory over downstate Washington in a Class 5A state quarterfinal game in New Lenox.
Besides recovering a fumble, Winfield also blocked a field-goal attempt for the Celtics (9-3), who advance to next week’s semifinal against Oak Forest (10-2), a 34-20 winner over Peoria (9-3).
Junior running back Broden Mackert chipped in with two rushing touchdowns for Providence, while senior receivers Brayden McKay and Xavier Coleman also added TDs.
Winfield, meanwhile, came up with his big plays in the second quarter to preserve a 7-6 halftime lead. He denied Washington (10-2) twice in the red zone and finished with six tackles and a sack.
“Honestly, they haven’t been down all year, and when they were put in situations like that, they didn’t know how to respond,” Winfield said of the Panthers, who entered with a 10-game winning streak. “Our coaches really harp about controlling the line of scrimmage.
“My focus (Saturday) was just dominating.”
Senior linebacker Gavin Farley dislodged the ball from the running back on the fumble recovery
“His physicality is the biggest difference in his game,” Farley said of Winfield. “He’s just more physical than most linemen we play against. He really put in the work during the offseason.
“He’s got great speed for his size and he’s just so strong.”
Senior linebacker Blake Garrigan described Winfield as a star in the making.
“Lamar is just a beast,” Garrigan said. “He’s only a junior and has another year here. For his size, he can really move. He’s a good listener and he’s very coachable.
“He’s a great kid, great to be around, someone I’d hang out with.”
Indeed, Winfield has the size to disrupt plays at the line of scrimmage, plus the athleticism and speed to harass the quarterback. He’s in his third year on the varsity.
His performance Saturday underscored a rapid growth and improvement.
“Every year I’ve been here, my role has grown bigger and bigger,” Winfield said. “I feel like I’m building blocks out there, getting more responsibilities. I’ve been stacking and stacking my work.”
Winfield, a three-sport athlete, is a heavyweight in wrestling and a thrower in track. His father, Rickey, is his role model. Rickey was a standout semipro football player in Wisconsin.
“My dad played all the way until I was probably 4 or 5 years old,” Lamar said. “He’s always giving me tips. He played the same position as me and we’ve always had that bond and connection.”
His father also was the one who got him hooked on a hobby.
“My dad got me into playing chess,” Lamar said. “What I love about chess is you never focus on just one thing. You’re always trying to set up different things to help you further your goal.”
Winfield, a Joliet resident, came to Providence because of the allure and history of a football program with 10 state titles. His superb play Saturday puts the Celtics one step closer to another.
“This was probably my game of the season,” he said. “This is why I play and what I’m about — just taking my aggression and power I’ve built up throughout the week and letting go.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
