UCS football runs into the 2021 playoffs
October 27, 2021
On Sunday October 24th, football teams from across the state gathered together to find out where they fell into the playoff brackets. Across the district, Stevenson and Utica quickly celebrated their playoff berths and immediately jumped into practice. Stevenson, a one-seed in Region three, will face off against Fraser at Runkel Field, while Utica will play opposite of the number two team in the state, Romeo, at Dan Barnabo Field.
Stevenson’s football team is looking to mirror their playoff success from 2019, where they went to the state semi-finals. The team is led by seniors Jordan Kwiatkowski, Jordan Ramsey, and Biagio Madonna and features UAIS Senior Marvin Mamo.
Utica’s football team is celebrating its first playoff berth since the 2017 season after going 5-4 with important wins against Warren Mott and Lakeview. The team greatly benefitted from the new playoff point system the Michigan High School Athletic Association adopted this year, giving value to teams who schedule stronger schedules. With tough games against Anchor Bay, Chippewa Valley, and Stevenson, they gained enough points to make the playoffs as a four-seed.
Not only do the playoffs guarantee one more chance for all the players, but it also gives the cheer, dance, and marching band one last chance to preform their show at a game for a final time.
Megan Jamais, a UAIS senior in the Utica marching band, said, “I am excited because it’s fun to get another chance to play with my friends when we were worried that we were done with games.”
Likewise, Maya Consiglio, a first-year senior on the Stevenson cheer team, is looking forward to extending her time on the team.
“It is exciting to be able to continue to be on the sidelines with my friends and teammates!” Consiglio said.
Samantha Willson, who has attended all but one Stevenson game this year, believes that the student section is ready to go all the way to the state championship. Her mother is associated with the Titan Touchdown Club, the team’s booster program, and her brother is a junior on the team.
According to Willson, “Fraser isn’t a fantastic team and doesn’t have the amazing fan support that Stevenson has, so the team is energetic, ready for a great game.”
Friday nights are a great tradition among football fans, bringing a school and community together to root for an amazing team. Utica Community Schools has two great teams that are ready to make a run for the state championship at Ford Field, and their fans, band, dance, and cheer teams are ready to go out and give their all!
Want to go watch a game this Friday? #32 Fraser takes on #10 Stevenson at Runkel Field (39701 Dodge Park rd.) with a 7 pm kickoff. #29 Utica will take on #2 Romeo at Dan Barnabo Field (62300 Jewell Rd, Washington) with a 7 pm kickoff. All tickets must be bought online prior to the game for $6 apiece. The link for the Stevenson tickets is here: Sterling Heights Stevenson vs Fraser | Football Tickets | GoFan and the link for the Utica tickets is here: Romeo vs Utica | Football Tickets | GoFan
