Formerly known as Powderpuff, girls’ flag football is anything but powdery and puffy.

“It’s a really physical game: some people get scratched, some get kicked, some like to use their words. Some defend themselves in the best way they can,” said junior Naomi Leach. “One girl fractured her fingers in practice.”

Junior and senior team members showed their grit during the annual game.

Under the lights, teams played in front of a crowd huddled beneath a canopy of umbrellas. Despite the cold, wet, and blustery conditions, both teams looked energetic and enthusiastic as they chased each other up and down the field.

Junior and senior team members met up for at least three practices before the big game. There, they practiced plays and learned to run routes in preparation for the only game they played. The season’s short nature meant a sizeable buildup of energy and enthusiasm.

“We want that title. It’s like, ‘We need to whoop their butts, we need to prove ourselves,’” Leach said. Despite their best efforts, the juniors lost 14-0 to the more experienced senior team.

The seniors have won seven years in a row.

“We came out and did what we had to do and get that win,” said senior Hope Bridges. “We wanted to win more than they did because we had to keep the winning streak going.”

Although gameplay is competitive, most members join for the camaraderie. The program brings in all kinds of students from all types of athletic backgrounds.

“I met new people that I’d never talked to and I thought that was cool because without football I’d never have talked to them,” said Leach. “Now we’re all close, and at homecoming we danced together.”

This year is the first year the sport has been called girls’ flag football. Since the program’s inception, it has been known as Powderpuff. The name is generally unpopular among team members who feel it inaccurately depicts the activity.

“The name ‘Powderpuff’ had nothing to do with the sport, it was just because we were girls and they wanted to make us seem weaker,” said Leach. “What even is powderpuff? I thought we were Huskies.”