This past Wednesday night in a thrilling matchup, the annual powder puff game between the juniors and the seniors delivered an exciting contest. The seniors secured a victory of 38-18, after a strong start and performance throughout the game.
First Half:
The game began with the juniors receiving the ball. However, the juniors quickly found themselves struggling to gain momentum. On their first drive, Chloe Groemling (#6,11) failed to capture a pass, allowing the seniors to intercept the ball, giving them an early advantage. They then wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. Emma Griffin (#20,12) powered through the junior’s defense for the first touchdown of the game, setting the tone early and putting the seniors ahead 6-0.
Despite the juniors’ attempts to regroup, they continued to face problems with penalties that interrupted their progress on multiple plays. The seniors, on the other hand, played with sharp precision. A standout play came when Bryann Smith (#3, 12) passed the ball to Mia Bajic (#2, 12) in the end zone, scoring a touchdown. The seniors’ second touchdown of the game extended their lead to 12-0.
The seniors’ well-organized offense kept the juniors on their toes, as they scored yet another touchdown by Bajic shortly after their second touchdown, establishing a comfortable 18-0 lead.
Both teams started to pick up momentum towards the end of the first half. Another one of the turning points of the game when Abby Barker (#35, 12) made a 20-yard run, setting up another touchdown for Bajic on the next play, furthering the gap between the score.
The score stood at 24-0 with juniors struggling to defend with only a few minutes left in the first half. However, just before halftime, the juniors showed signs of development when Jasmine Smith (#22,11) burst out of the pocket with a 10-yard run close to the endzone, but failed to score, due to her flag being pulled.
The first half ended with the score 24-0, with the seniors in the lead.
Halftime:
As the halftime whistles blew, both the senior boy cheerleader and junior boy cheerleader teams took the field, performing a dance routine. Choreographed by senior members and junior members of the Manual Dazzlers, school spirit and pride of both grades was displayed during their respective performances. Just off to the side, teams were allowed some time to reset and communicate new plays.
Second Half:
The second half opened with the seniors back on offense with juniors eventually getting the ball back after the seniors were stopped on third down. Journee Pirtle (#1, 11) managed a 20-yard run before being tackled, and soon after Kelsie Brown (#21, 11) threw a successful pass for the juniors’ first touchdown, putting the juniors on the board. The juniors’ sideline erupted with energy. The score was now 24-6.
The seniors, however, quickly responded as senior quarterback Riley Roberts (#10, 12) passed the ball to Bajic, who sprinted down the entire field for a touchdown. The score was now 30-6, with the seniors widening the gap between scores once again.
The juniors refused to go down. Despite numerous flags, Pirtle showed impressive speed with a long run, scoring another touchdown for the junior team. Still, the seniors were unfazed, with Janie Mundell (#20, 12) eventually finding the end zone to make the score 38-12, with the seniors still in the lead.
As it came close to the end of the game, both teams were on high alert, blocking every pass and pulling each other’s flags left and right. In one last effort, the juniors tried to put pressure on defense, resulting in an interception by Sarudzai Charasika (#11, 11), who managed to return it for a touchdown. The game ended immediately following this play.
As the game ended, the scoreboard read 38-18 in favor of the seniors, marking yet another memorable powderpuff game. Both teams left the field showcasing the energy, spirit, and excitement the game brings. For the seniors, it was a night to celebrate as they finished off their final powderpuff game with a victory to remember.
“[I’m] feeling great on that two-peat right there…we did great, we had two offenses out there that did their thing, we both performed and got T’s apparently cause they were on the board,” Roberts said.
