The UHS football team faced-off against Woodbridge High School this past Friday. Woodbridge High walked away with the victory, with the final score of 7-30.

Though the UHS team was considerably behind, down 0-16 by half-time, the team rallied back in the second half, with sophomore Blaine Anderson leading the charge by catching a touchdown pass by senior Ziyad Merchant. 

This game against Woodbridge has been regarded as one of the most important games in this season. With the opponent being Woodbridge High School, UHS’s rival school, the UHS players head into this final game of the season with a more serious mindset. 

“Our expectations going into the game were obviously to win because not only was it the biggest game of the year, but it was also a game we felt like they weren’t the toughest team we had played all year so we could handle them both offensively and defensively,” sophomore and receiver Andrew Bogard said. 

Even though the UHS team did not win the game, the game solidified the team’s bond and provided a valuable experience for the underclassmen. 

“Our young core got great experience playing in such a high intensity game,” Anderson said, “Over the course of the season we battled through a lot of adversity and in the process gained a lot of experience and learned a lot about playing at the varsity level.”

With this season being the last for the team’s senior players, the loss had affected them emotionally. 

“The team is very young and if the players stick to the program, lots of success will come through,” senior Ahmad Atkins said, “As a senior, I’m personally disappointed. Coming in as a freshman I wanted to win playoffs, but that didn’t come to fruition.”  

Regardless of the loss, the players acknowledged the energetic cheering of the crowd and wanted to express appreciation for their constant support throughout the season. 

“I had never seen both of our stands filled up to the brim like that and it was kind of surreal and was a lot to take in,” Bogard said. 

“The experience of the game was great; our student section and band made the game extremely fun to be a part of. My favorite part of this game is getting the opportunity to play the sport I love for all my friends and family to watch,” Anderson said. 

Looking forward to the next season, the team is extremely optimistic about it. 

The UHS football team finished the season with 2-8. Under the leadership of Coach Vince Mesa, the team received two wins, something the team had not experienced in a long time. The new season will begin next August, the following school year. 

“Something the player and the school can look forward to next year is some real competitiveness from us. Coach Mesa is the real deal and I know that he will take the right steps into making this program a success again” Atkins said.