Many high schools have a tradition that’s filled with school spirit, friendly competition, and athleticism; the Powderpuff flag football game is ours. This is an opportunity for girls to get on the field and compete. The Powderpuff game occurred at Liberty High School on Friday, November 8th. Participants from each grade level were split into teams and participated in this event. Students and staff came out to cheer on the teams and enjoy the competition.            

Powderpuff was originally a light-hearted competition where girls get a chance to compete against one another. The name comes from a powder puff, which is a beauty product used to apply face powder on one’s face. It symbolizes how girls play a more aggressive sport like football while also keeping their femininity and gracefulness. Over the years, it has expanded into a bigger event where participants get to show off their leadership skills and talent.  

Some high schools switch up the game rules to make it unique to the school but the basic rules of powderpuff are as follows: Teams compete against each other to score touchdowns. The key is to avoid getting tackled. Since it’s a game of flag football, there is no physical contact between the players. Instead of using physical force against a player, flags are used to mark a tackle.

Picking the teams for the Powderpuff flag football game is quite easy. Seniors traditionally choose who they want to play the game against. Typically, seniors choose to play against the freshmen. This year was the same as seniors at LHS chose to take on the freshman yet again. That meant that the sophomores and juniors were up against each other. This added some pressure into the mix because the freshmen were playing in this event for the first time and now they had to play against the top dogs. 

All teams trained hard and thought of different strategies to win the game. Each team trained in advance so they could bring the best version of themselves onto the field. They refreshed themselves on game rules, learned new skills, and built trust within their team. Even though the seniors felt intimidating, the freshmen didn’t let them get in the way of training to the best of their capability. Maddilyn Lewis, a 9th grader at LHS, said, “My team’s strategy going into the game was to play our best.”

Game day arrived and it was filled with anticipation, excitement, anxiousness, and hope. Students and staff filled the bleachers and cheered for the players. Some even dressed in their grade level’s color to match with the powderpuff players. Although the players were a little nervous, coming together as a team helped them gain confidence. The first round was Freshmen vs. Seniors and Sophomores vs. Juniors. In the end, the freshmen won 18-6. Ultimately, the juniors faced their defeat with a score of 14-0 against the sophomores.

The final showdown was the Freshman vs. Sophomores. In the end, the sophomores took the victory with a score of 12-0. The freshman placed second, with juniors following close behind, and the seniors ended up last.

Powderpuff Day is more than just a flag football game. It’s a day where all grade levels can come together and show team spirit and camaraderie. It’s also a day where students can make lasting memories and try something outside of their comfort zone. It’s a reminder that sometimes we should step away from the stress of other high school activities like academics and focus on having fun and bringing people together.