A deep and experienced senior class for Rochester Hills Stoney Creek football has been building with the 2026 MHSAA footabll season in mind.
Now that the season has arrived, the 22-person senior class believes the moment is theirs to take, both in the Oakland Activities Association White division and in a potential playoff run.
"We are all seniors now," said running back Ricky Schneider at OAA media day on Friday, Aug. 7. "We have all kind of been waiting for this year. We know this is our last chance. And we know this is going to be one of our best years as well."
Stoney Creek has taken a step forward over the past two seasons under coach Rick Powell, who is entering his third season in charge of the Cougars. The Cougars improved from 3-6 to 5-5
in Powell's first year and then took a step to 7-4 with a playoff win over neighboring Utica Eisenhower in 2025. It was the second playoff win in school history and the first in a season where the playoff pool was limited (first win came in the COVID-19-altered 2020 season).
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With a class featuring plenty of experience, six returning starters on both sides of the ball, and the addition of junior varsity players who went 9-0 last season, the potential for another step forward exists. The expectations and standards are ingrained into the players and they are eager for the opportunity to execute.
"Now, that stuff is second nature to our guys," Powell said. "It is about taking it one step further, a little bit higher and really focus on the excitement, the energy and the consistency that we have had all offseason."
Offensively, that excitement starts in the backfield. Quarterback Brandon Gergics and running back Brosie Telegadas are both three-year starters. Safety Quinn Zezula, linebacker Ryan Dezenski, lineman Roark Stephens are the key returners defensively.
Gergics led an offense that rushed for more than 2,600 yards as a dual threat under center, accounting for 1,051 rushing yards and throwing for another 809 yards with 22 total touchdowns. Telegadas was another 1,000-yard rusher who accounted for 16 touchdowns.
With a few returning starters on the offensive line, Stoney Creek wants a balanced attack in 2026.
"It has been about taking that next step to be comfortable and the strongest [team] on the field this year," Telegadas said.
Stoney Creek's mettle will be tested with a difficult regular-season schedule. The Cougars open with a showdown with neighboring Eisenhower in a playoff rematch, play Ann Arbor Huron in Week 9 and have crossover games with Clarkston and Rochester Adams on top of their White schedule, plus a crossover game with an OAA Gold opponent in Week 8.
In the preseason coaches poll distributed at conference media days, Stoney Creek was picked as the favorite to win the White Division narrowly over Rochester.
"We just have to do what we do and let the chips fall where they fall at the end of the day," Powell said.
The friendly trash talk between Stoney Creek and Eisenhower, separated by just 2½ miles and a county line, has picked up as kickoff closes in. Eisenhower had a last-second pass batted down in a 35-31 loss to Stoney Creek in the first round of districts.
"It is a special game," Dezenski said. "There's already some banter going on, so it should be a really fun one. Knowing what they got and what we got, I feel pretty confident."
In the past two seasons, Stoney Creek's season has ended in the hands of Adams, as the Highlanders have reached the Division 1 state semifinals. The crosstown rivals could still be a factor in any potential playoff run, despite graduating a highly successful senior class and the new seeding rules governing the early postseason rounds.
But thinking about Adams or Eisenhower or any opponent at this stage is premature, especially with the calendar still in August.
"If we take care of ourselves and do what we do, that will put us in a good position to be successful," Powell said. "I think it is a constant climb. We made the playoffs in Year 1 at 5-4. Year 2, won a playoff game, the first in school history. Now, hopefully we can get over that hump and win a district championship. It is always nice to hold a wooden mitten."
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Jared Ramsey covers high school sports for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jramsey@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Rochester Hills Stoney Creek football has been building to this moment
