After two years, girls’ powder puff football finally returned to Freedom High School with a bang on Saturday, May 12.
The game was originally planned to be held in fall 2018 but was postponed due to inclement weather. The senior and junior girls who had been practicing in preparation for the powder puff game were only briefly disheartened, as news that the football game would resume in the spring lifted their spirits. After several morning practices coached by several high-school football players, the girls entered the game high-spirited and ready to compete.
Before the game began, many of the powderpuff game participants were spray painting the field as part of one last hurrah before the grass field was replaced with turf. Messages of positivity and support for each class’s team was sprayed across the fields.
For a majority of the first half of the game, seniors were leading with Kamryn Meador and Jaelyn Batts both scoring touchdowns. Shortly afterward, however, junior Sally Steppling scored the first touchdown for the junior team, which gave hope for their team to gain victory.
“[The seniors] got two touchdowns on us earlier in the game but we made a comeback,” Steppling said. “We are changing up our positions a little bit and making our plays more innovative. Overall, I think we are playing pretty well and can come back and win this thing.”
As the game progressed, the junior team made another touchdown with not much time remaining on the clock. During the last minute, the juniors were determined to win, despite the seniors leading by 14-12. For the seniors, the game and their victory had become one of their final memories at Freedom High School.
“One of my favorite parts of the game was when every time I would grab a flag, I could hear everyone cheering for me and my team would give me high fives,” said senior Abseala Battaai.
Cheering from the sidelines was junior Chloe Shepherd, who helped coordinate the event.
“I’m really happy with how the game played out even though we didn’t win because it was just really fun watching everyone engage in the game and have a good time,” Shepherd said.
Demonstrated through the words of encouragement sprayed on the field, the supporters on the stadium benches, and the passionate coaches and players from both teams, the girls’ powderpuff game was successful and is planning to return in the next school year.
