The seniors’ offense became their Achilles’ heel, which the juniors wasted no time exploiting through an aggressive offense, allowing them to claim a one-sided victory.
Story by Uma Chakraborty & Ellie Song
Staff Writers
Photos by Emiko Essmiller
Online Managing Editor
The annual Powerpuff game, which pits the SPHS junior and senior girls against each other in a game of flag football, took place on Friday, Feb. 27. While the seniors had strong plays, the juniors’ teamwork ended up being the driving factor that let them dominate the game. Despite the seniors’ previous win and experience from the prior year, they were heavily overpowered in a 20-6 victory for the juniors.
Winning the coin toss, the juniors lined up on the offensive to commence the game, charging with deadly precision and claiming the first touchdown of the game, awarding them six points. While the seniors attempted to follow closely behind, their passes were easily intercepted. Even after a successful long pass by the seniors, they failed to get any further before having their flags pulled. A timeout was then called by the seniors with just five minutes left in the first quarter, and the juniors returned for their first down.
Assisted by the break, the juniors’ efforts seemed to double as junior Ella Go connected the ball to the end zone, bringing the score up to 14–0, a lead they maintained throughout the rest of the quarter.
The seniors’ spirit, still not defeated, had many of their players making it past the 20 yard line, until the juniors got the best of them and pulled their flags. As the pressure piled on, the seniors began fumbling passes with the ball when playing offense. Sensing this pressure, the juniors ensured the seniors were relegated entirely to defense. Yet, as neither team could best their opponent’s defensive shield, no points were scored in the remainder of the second quarter, marking a quiet wrap for the game’s first half.
SPHS student bands kept the ball rolling and energy high into halftime with performances on the field. The band Just Five Of Us performed Just the Two of Us by Bill Withers and Grover Washington, Jr. Shortly after, the band Sam and the Dilly Dallies brought Knocking on Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan to life.
The juniors’ overwhelming energy and offense made them impenetrable in the second half, blocking notable plays despite the seniors’ best efforts to come back. Neither team broke past the other as the rest of the quarter slipped by without any notable changes, maintaining the juniors’ 14–0 lead.
The last quarter proved to be the same story, in which the seniors briefly seized the ball and attempted to run it down the field, only to then have their flags pulled unceremoniously. A junior got injured with 10 minutes left in the game, but nevertheless, the juniors powered on, with junior Bailey Shinada scoring a six-point touchdown shortly after, stretching the already wide lead to 20–0.
With only two minutes on the clock, the seniors proved themselves in a bitter sendoff, with senior HeeJu Lee scoring the first touchdown for the seniors and ending the game with the juniors’ victory of 20–6.
“The outcome might not have been what we wanted, but we played hard … we had fun, and that’s all that matters,” senior Adelaide Bertolina said after the game ended.
