Underneath a darkening night sky and familiar stadium lights, a sheet of freshly fallen rain coated the Titan turf. The air held with it a stinging cold, but the determined fire of student spectators and players filled the field. Standing on the sidelines were the senior and junior teams’ alternates and coaches. The players had been practicing and had earned their spots on the team through a series of tryouts. When the final rosters were posted on Jan. 7, many curious eyes were drawn to the game.
“Practices were fun and energized. We put in the hard work and it paid off,” senior Ava Kellerman said. With practices every day during lunch, and before school on Wednesdays, it’s no wonder the game was an intense watch.
The first quarter resulted in a tie game, but the second quarter turned the game upside-down. Senior Teya White made an amazing interception only one minute into the quarter and ran it down the field for a touchdown with everyone cheering.
A minor pause halfway through the game gave way to murmurs. One player mentioned that according to the rules, once the ball was intercepted by White it was considered dead and the play should have restarted. After minutes of debating, the board finally read 6-0. White’s touchdown had been cleared by the referee.
With a minute and twenty-nine seconds on the clock, Tessa Buswell made another touchdown, and the half ended with a score of 13-0.
Just when spectators were almost positive that the game would end in a total victory for the seniors, the juniors started to finally come back. Junior Hailey Vermilyea took their team to an advance with an almost buzzer-beater touchdown and conversion. The third quarter ended with the beginning of a heated battle for the title of Powderpuff champ.
“We were nervous but excited. The game was fun, I think we were underestimated and the game was closer than they expected,” Vermilyea said. The juniors were suddenly back up on the board with a score of 13-7.
With the start of the fourth quarter, hope rose for the juniors while the seniors panicked. It was a fight to see who could keep the lead spot. The juniors and seniors both scored a touchdown, but the seniors overcame the juniors and made the third and final touchdown – securing the class of 2024’s victory two years in a row.
“It’s exactly what I expected. Pure dominance through and through,” senior Coach Timmy Salamy said. The stands roared and before the team huddles ended, the student section erupted onto the field.
“I liked playing with my friends, playing for fun instead of for a league sport,” senior Teya White said.
For seniors, it’s the last year on campus to make the kinds of memories that Powderpuff and other school events give the opportunity for. And, now, it’s likely the final year that Powderpuff will exist. With the introduction of women’s flag football, and it becoming a CIF sport, the beloved game between Poway and Rancho Bernardo will become a league match-up instead.
“[We were] super excited, thought we were gonna win for a minute but I think we got too hyped,” junior Tori McIntosh said.
With Powderpuff coming to a close, the game against Rancho Bernardo will be one to remember. On Feb. 3 in Rancho Bernardo’s stadium, the class of 2024 will fight it out against Rancho Bernardo’s seniors. This will likely be the last Powderpuff game that Poway will play, as girls’ Flag Football will replace the games next year.
