October 31, 2021. Fourth quarter. 1 minute left in the game. Charles Brantley, Michigan State cornerback, intercepts a pass, thought to be intended for Luke Shoonmaker, Michigan tight end, thrown by quarterback Cade McNamara. I could almost hear all the extreme rambling and cheering from the fan section all the way from Spartan Stadium right in the comfort of my own home. As a football enthusiast and closeted Spartan fan, this game had to have gone down as my favorite rivalry game in college football.

Rivalries aren’t just exclusively between sports teams. Oddly enough, they can be found anywhere. Growing up in Grosse Pointe, I’ve always felt a sort of tension and inferiority against my own grade from the first moment I became a Kerby Cougar, to what will be my last few days as a Blue Devil. For as much as I would love to point fingers and name-drop those who have caused me such angst, I’d actually like to thank them.

If the movie, “Mean Girls” hadn’t pulled as many scenes as they did from my very own grade, or if there wasn’t such a hierarchy of individuals that outsiders envied to be a part of, I wouldn’t have the backbone that I do today. As nostalgic and melancholy as this time may be for high school seniors across the country, I can confidently and humbly say that my time is just about done.

Just as the underdog Spartans prevailed in that historic rivalry game, I too believe my best plays are yet to come. Cheers to not peaking in high school.