Last Wednesday, May 28th, DECA revived their annual powderpuff game at PHS, putting the boys on the sidelines in tutus to cheer with pom-poms while the Friday night lights shone down on the girls’ flag football game. The juniors faced off against the seniors, although some seniors seemed to be experiencing a case of senioritis. To balance the teams, the coaches decided to include underclassmen by pairing freshmen with seniors and sophomores with juniors. Despite this, both teams brought their A-game, competing fiercely for the chance to take home the trophy.
Jayden Williams served as the head coach for the sophomore and junior team. We had the opportunity to interview him about his coaching experience. “Yeah, I had a blast coaching the girls. I knew they’d do great because I was their coach,” Jayden said. When asked if he plans to coach again next year, he replied, “Yeah, I’ll definitely be back, but I’ll be coaching the senior team since I’ll be a senior myself.”
I also asked Jayden if he thinks the girls will play again next year and if more participants will join. “Oh, of course they’ll play again next year for sure, as long as I’m coaching,” he answered confidently. This win boosted his confidence as a coach, and we are excited to see what happens next year.
Although we couldn’t connect with the senior team’s head coach, we did speak with one of the assistant coaches, Zlatlan Moreno. I asked how he felt about his team’s loss. “We didn’t want to lose, but it’s whatever—a game is a game,” he replied. When asked if he would coach again next year, he said, “Maybe; I’ll have to see since I’m a sophomore.” I concluded our interview by asking him about his coaching experience and what he would change for next year. “I feel like we could’ve done better. Like I said, a game is a game, and we move on from that,” he explained. “One thing I would change is my coaching staff; we weren’t prepared and didn’t have the right strategy in place.”
As the intensity of the game continued and the wind picked up, we reached the final quarter with less than a minute on the clock. The seniors were trailing 6-12, and although the juniors had the ball, the seniors put their defense up. However, it proved insufficient against the juniors’ offense. Olivia Pruitt threw the winning pass, and the clock stopped as they scored their final touchdown. The small crowd of boys erupted with excitement as they rushed onto the field to celebrate the victory.
Even though one team emerged victorious, the Powderpuff Game is not solely about earning the trophy; it’s also about strengthening bonds and having fun together.
