Playoff-appearance streak should continue

There was a moment on a Saturday afternoon last October when it appeared that Stevenson High's string of what was then 18 consecutive years of qualifying for the playoffs was in serious jeopardy.

Sitting on a 4-3 record, the Patriots looked beaten in a game at Lake Forest, and still had a road game against playoff-bound Warren to go.

A 4-5 non-playoff record looked very, very realistic.

Yet, in the final minute of the Lake Forest game, Stevenson summoned up everything it had to first keep the Scouts from adding to a 10-7 lead, and then driving 90 yards in a minute to score and steal a victory -- and the playoff berth.

This year, Stevenson is going for its 20th straight playoff appearance, and the Pats shouldn't have to worry about cutting it so close this time around.

For one thing, veteran QB Zach Wujcik -- a crafty left-hander -- returns to lead an offense that longtime coach Bill Mitz has opened up in recent years.

Wujcik is a 6-foot-4, 200-pounder with the size needed to see over oncoming pass rushers.

Wujcik's favorite target will likely be Michael Bilton, a do-everything kind of player who will spend more time on the field than any other Patriot this fall.

In addition to playing wide receiver, Bilton plays defensive back and is the team's punter.

And, of course, no Stevenson team is complete without an NCAA Division I-caliber offensive lineman.

This year, the highly touted one is tackle Ben Samson. The 6-foot-6, 315-pounder will protect Wujcik's blind side as well as open holes for Stevenson's patented power-rushing game.

Stevenson will be playing this year on its new, artificial-turf field.

The Patriots are the sixth area school to replace grass with the fake stuff, joining Lake Forest, Grayslake Central, Lake Zurich, Libertyville and Carmel.

This year, Stevenson will only play three home games on its new field, and two of them are the last two weeks of the season.