Coming off an intense win last year, the senior class of 2023 won for the second time, except this year they truly are the “top dogs,” as they beat out the junior class of 2024.

Powderpuff is a homecoming tradition where junior and senior girls get to go head-to-head in a game of flag football. Teams are coached by the juniors and seniors of the varsity football team, and they get to share the action of what they experience every Friday night during football season.

“There’s nothing like it,” senior Coach Roan Hickey said. “It’s just quite an experience in itself that you really can’t replicate.”

Last year’s win was an ecstatic moment for the class of 2023 since they were, as most junior classes are, the underdog of the Powderpuff game. Not only did they assume the position of Powderpuff 2021 champions, but now had a great deal of pressure to regain their champion status for the 2022 Powderpuff game.

According to senior Luka Johnson, they felt like they had to win this year since they won their junior year against the seniors.

With high stakes, the seniors did not disappoint as they got an interception within the second play of the game, and a touchdown during the third. Starting off the night strong, they managed to end even stronger with Johnson’s 80-yard touchdown within the last two minutes of the game. With a final score of 20-8, the class of 2023 remains undefeated.

The class of 2024, however, may have let the nerves get to them. Junior Coach Grayson Zurn believes that they did not fully trust themselves during the first half of the game, but after a nice pep talk during halftime, the juniors were back onto their A-Game scoring a touch down plus the extra point.

Powderpuff has always been a homecoming favorite amongst the girls, but the football team also get a once in a life time experience learning what it takes to coach a bunch of high school kids.

Zurn said that respect was a huge factor into the teams success and mishaps during the game. As a coach and an athlete Zurn knows that respect towards your teammates, captains, and especially your coaches is very important to create a successful team. If anything, being a coach reaffirmed his belief as now he see’s if there is a mutual respect between coaches and players, the team as a whole will work better together.

The seniors on the other hand looked at their success as coaches and players was due to the team chemistry among the girls.

Johnson said that when they all came together and helped each other, the game became more fun to play which allowed them to have more motivation to win. Hickey explained that when they created a strong team chemistry, it allowed them to work together better when it came to “pulling off plays,” and “just really locking down the other teams offense.”

Walking away from Powderpuff this year, each team learned a few things.

One, even though the defeat from the seniors was a hard to accept, but juniors will be returning next year bigger and better, ready to claim victory against the class of 2025.

Two, Johnson is a beast on the field and football coach Beau Labore should consider her for the varsity football team.

Three, win or lose, Powderpuff is a high school experience the girls and the coaches believe is a must. Coaches are able to share their love of football to girls who get to experience the action of Friday night football, or in this case, Wednesday Night Lights.

Every year during homecoming week, our football stars take off their pads and cleats and trade them in for a coach’s hat as they lead the junior and senior girls through the traditional, nail-biting, Powderpuff game.