By Baker Pitts, staff writer
Powder Puff football is a annual flag football game that pits the girls of SNU against one another. The teams are split into two teams: freshmen and juniors versus sophomores and seniors. Both teams are coached by SNU football players.
In a game of Powder Puff, like with any other game of flag football, players with the ball are deemed ‘down’ when one of the flags on a belt worn around the waist is pulled. Normally, one would try to avoid physical contact as much as possible in a game of flag football, but in Powder Puff, each team has 5 linewomen. Linemen are the people who try and sack the quarterback or who try and protect the quarterback, and since Powder Puff utilizes an offensive and defensive line, pushing is allowed by the linewomen.
Monday night marked the first practice for the girls playing in this year’s Powder Puff game. The two teams, freshman/juniors and sophomores/seniors, both had their chances to get out on the field for the first of three practice times before the game on Friday.
The teams took slightly different approaches to training, with the Soph./Sr. team focusing more on pure offense and defense, while the Fresh./Jr team took more time working on their offensive and defensive lines.
What they did on Monday will most likely have the most impact due to the two hour length of the practice whereas the next two practices will be one hour each.
The Soph./Sr. Strategy will afford them a better base on both offense and defense, which will result in their players being better situated and more comfortable downfield on both offense and defense. However, the Fresh./Jr. team will be able to put much more pressure on the opposing team’s quarterback and possibly repel their defensive line as well due to their focus on that Monday night.
Both teams have their share of talent to help them win the game. The Sph./Sr. team had Jamie Keoppel (sr.), Callee Cox (soph.) and Jordan Leibold (soph.) all vying for the quarterback position, as well as Becca Stewart (soph.) and Brooke Williams (sr.) among the ranks of the receivers.
The Freshman and Juinors answer with a few power players of their own, including Mandie Oliver (fresh), Jayna Lyles (fresh), Katie Langston (jr.) and Whitney McCarty.
Witnessing just one practice of these two teams is enough to assure anyone that this year’s Powder Puff game will be one to remember.
-Editor’s note: This year’s Powder Puff game will take place at the SNU Soccer Fields, starting at 7:30. Will the 3-0 seniors go undefeated?