Neuqua Valley’s Pierce Stevens had a surprising yet simple answer to a common question.

What, he was asked, is his biggest strength on the football field?

“I just love the sport,” Stevens said. “I just love flying around, love hearing the crowd cheering. It’s amazing.”

Stevens heard a lot of cheers on Friday, and many of them were for him. The 6-foot, 190-pound junior linebacker had one of his team’s three interceptions and also scored on a 4-yard run as the Wildcats beat rival Waubonsie Valley 21-13 in a season opener in Aurora.

“Pierce is just our emotional leader,” Neuqua Valley coach Bill Ellinghaus said. “On defense, he’s all over the place. He plays a little offense too.”

It didn’t take long for Stevens to make an impact against Waubonsie Valley. He ended the Warriors’ first pos

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