Senior cheerleader Lacee Ginga looked at her squad of 16 senior boys, attempting to do a cartwheel without falling over. While Ginga is usually under the Friday night lights with her coordinated varsity cheerleading team, working with the entirely volunteer-based Powderpuff cheer team was a different story.
The powderpuff game will take place on Tuesday, October 22, at 7 p.m. in Sam Momary Stadium. Tickets can be purchased on GoFan.co for $10. It is the most anticipated event of the week, besides the Saturday dance. The senior and junior girls play flag football, while the senior and junior boys cheer.
Students participate in Powderpuff for a multitude of reasons. Some join with friends, others to increase school spirit and some to have fun.
“It is my last year here so [I thought] why not; I don’t want to miss out on an opportunity to have fun with my friends,” senior Sergio Portillo-Rivera said.
Powderpuff practices are typically an hour long. The powderpuff girls flag football team practices twice a week, while the boys cheerleading practices once a week. While the boys learn their routine for the big game, the girls learn the basics of flag football and separate themselves into offense and defense.
The event also engages the whole school through cheering, participation and fun traditions, making it a memorable highlight of the year.
“Powderpuff isn’t just a game, it’s a time when students can come together to create unforgettable memories,” junior Drake Adkins said.
Although powderpuff is designed to increase school spirit and bring the student body together, there are yearly concerns, including injuries. Last year, then-junior Emiaj Jaime fractured her clavicle during the powderpuff game.
“The injury made my life super difficult. At first, it hurt to move and I couldn’t lay down without pain. I couldn’t drive for months and doing normal things became difficult, but over time it became easier,” Jaime said.
The threat of injury makes athletes, and especially coaches, question the safety of participation. The girls volleyball team is prohibited from joining the powderpuff festivities due to their overlapping seasons, as well as a concern with potential injuries. However, the unexpected dangers of the powderpuff have not deterred other players.
“I am not scared of getting hurt…at the end of the day it’s all good fun and honestly it would be pretty hard to get hurt playing a modified flag football game,” junior Caylah Ortiz said.
Another issue with powderpuff, specifically this year, is cancellation due to inclement weather. Hurricane Helene canceled one of the girls flag football practices, and caused confusion amongst the boys.
“Only five people showed up because the announcements said senior powderpuff was canceled, but they meant the girls, not the boys, so the boys didn’t come to that practice,” Ginga said.
Two weeks later, school was canceled from Oct. 9-12 due to Hurricane Milton, and both the boys and girls practices were canceled. The canceled practices have led to less preparation than usual and a reduction in time for teams to coordinate and strategize. Specifically for the boys cheerleading, the reduced practice schedule has led to concerns about the retention of the routine for gameday.
Picking out their walkout song is another important aspect of powderpuff that excites students and gets them energized for the game. Traditionally, the music genre is popular rap. Last year, the junior girl’s team walked out to ‘Skeeyee’ by Sexxy Red.
“I know what song they want to do [but] we only have one practice left now before the game. I’m worried that the routine is not going to be fun enough,” Ginga said.
Participating in powderpuff allows students from different grades and social circles to collaborate. The experience of practicing and competing together helps break down barriers, encourages connection and support among peers. Bringing friends together from different sports and cliches is a major reason kids keep joining every year.
“I’m not nervous to play in front of the school because I don’t see it as like a big game per se. I just see it as I’m gonna have fun with my friends regardless of the outcome,” Ortiz said.
Powderpuff Q & A by ELLEIGH ACKERMAN
