OH has a recurring trend with their Powderpuff winning teams: if they win their junior year, then they lose their senior year game. This year, the class of 2025 seeks to break the streak as they head into Sept. 18’s annual homecoming match-up.
Every year, girls from the junior and senior classes participate in Powderpuff, a game of flag football, in the spirit of homecoming festivities. Current senior and junior football players coach the teams for OH, and they have two practices before their big game.
“Our team is looking great. We’re gonna do even better than we did last year,” said senior Defensive Coordinator Mikey Claycombe.
The game has become a great source of school and class spirit every year. Most students that attend will wear their class color to support the teams on the field and it is a high-energy event that brings a lot of the school together. The most fun part for the teams though is getting to play with both new and old friends on the field.
“It’s nice having the whole grade together, like people I wouldn’t usually see [[…]] not everyone is involved in athletics [[…]] but some people I wouldn’t normally see I get to see on the field,” said senior Ava Sullivan, returning Powderpuff player.
This bond between players does not disrupt the natural competitive nature of the game though, and both teams are going for the same goal: to win.
“Oh, we’re gonna cook; don’t even worry,” Sullivan said.
Many students find it to be a surprising trend that the seniors are usually the losing team, even after they win their junior year.
“I think seniors historically lose due to the juniors coming in with a lot of excitement and confidence in the game,” said senior Soumya Sulakhe, a non-playing participant this year.
Despite the streak of losing senior teams, this year’s group is trying some new strategies to overtake the juniors. They are learning from their past shortcomings and using those to get even better.
“We have less plays this year, which I think will help [[…]] instead of being good at a lot we can focus on being really good at a few things,” said senior Kiyah Chavez, another returning Powderpuff participant.
Despite the game’s competitive nature, there are still ways to get involved if students do not wish to go “full out”. Some girls choose to go and support their team rather than play, and the class of 2025 has a lot of spirit to back them up.
“For non-players, we get to watch the players’ enthusiasm getting out on the field and it’s fun to cheer them on. It still feels like I’m a part of it without having to actually play,” said Sulkahe.
The senior team is full of athletes, and considering OH’s success with athletics last year, especially with girls’ sports, the seniors are not going to play around. Not only that, but this team has a year of Powderpuff experience under their flag belts, which will be helpful if they use it to their advantage.
“I think honestly our class is very athletic [[…]] we’re all pretty competitive which makes us actually want to win,” said Chavez.
In the end, Powderpuff is a game for the fun and entertainment of spectators and players alike. Anything can happen, and of course, it’s all in good fun, but the seniors have some things going for them that their opponents cannot make up: teamwork and experience.
The game can go either way, but through their hard work and progress this year the senior team may finally be able to break the streak.
I am a senior at OH and so excited to be a Managing and Opinions Section Editor this year! I love working on 42Fifty, but I am also very involved in band and numerous honor societies here. Looking forward to doing great work this year!
