To add something new to this year’s calendar, the girls from the 2023 senior class participated in their first powder puff game Oct. 30.  While walking onto Carstens field wearing their powder puff shirts, the seniors got into their assigned teams before the first game began.  This returning event hasn’t happened since 2018, persuading 73 girls to sign up this year.

The girls who originally organized this event, seniors Ellie Watts and Annie Flynn, were in charge of sending out information about the game since there wasn’t a staff member sponsor.  Not only did they have to check the field space, but they had to find a date that worked for everyone.

“I love that students are interested in taking the lead on this.  I think that building leadership in students is something that we always try to do,” Mark Mirandola, Director of Student Activities, said.

To decide which team each girl was on, current football players held an informal draft during the school day.  There were three to four coaches per team that were in charge of creating teams.

“For the draft, there’s a competitive aspect where randomizing all the players would possibly create situations where there could be one team that would dominate,” senior and powder puff coach Michael Gates said.

Each game consisted of two, ten minute halves where the seniors were able to get water during their halftime.  Since tackling wasn’t allowed, everyone was required to pull one another’s flags as a way to stop them.

“I think flags were a much better idea than tackle because it was a clear way to establish if someone was actually down instead of having to take their word for it,” senior Maddie Maci said.

The event ran for three hours, allowing there to be time for either two or three games.  No team was able to play everyone, but the girls had the ability to watch other games that were happening around them.

“In the three hours that the whole powder puff lasted my team only got to play two full games when we wish we could’ve played more,” senior Katelyn Hennelly said.

Though the long-lasting event didn’t let every team play each other, those who chose to participate in the powder puff game were pleased with how it went.

“Watching my friends play this year makes me excited to keep the tradition going next year,” junior Reegan LaMantia said.