Seniors didn’t wait for the Friday night Homecoming matchup against St. Agnes to cheer on on of their favorite football teams. Last Wednesday’s junior-senior powderpuff matchup brought out a competitive spirit from both grade levels, on the field and the sidelines. The game ended with a win for the seniors, 24-22, which was no surprise to anyone who knew the seniors have been on a winning streak since the two classes first went head to head in 2005.
Leading up to the game, the senior players and coaches learned and practiced plays, after designing t-shirts together. Throughout practice, tensions ran high. With their loss last year as juniors fresh in their minds, they were determined to beat this year’s junior class.
The juniors had a different plan; they wanted to be the first junior class to win. But they lost the coin flip, which has coincidently happened every year.
Minutes into the first quarter, anticipation filled the air. Every player was keenly focused and each side made good plays. Then, Ellie Millerbernd ‘22 scored the first touchdown, causing an eruption of excitement from the senior side.
The fans in the stands had mixed emotions. Some cheered, while others claimed they saw dirty play. Hope Counts ‘25, sister of Maria Counts ‘22 and Grace Counts ‘23, said, “It was hard to know who to cheer for, especially having a sister on each team.”
Agitation only grew as the game progressed. Soon, each team began to lightly accuse the other of cheating. The main accusation was that the flags were tied instead of being clipped, which is a senior custom. Juniors thought this was unfair, while seniors claimed it is simply tradition.
By halftime, the seniors only had a two point lead at 16-14, which prompted them to review some of the previously practiced plays. Meanwhile, being so close to turning the tide gave the juniors an extra spark of energy.
Early in the second half, each side scored another touchdown and energy had reached its peak. Playful dirty glances were shot across the field while the teams grouped together on the sidelines, joking around to ease their nerves.
In the final minutes, seniors ran the clock down to keep their lead. As soon as the last second elapsed, all the seniors rushed the field and they celebrated their victory.
Although the game was competitive, relations between the two grades were mended as all students walked over to the senior rock and made s’mores around a campfire. Everyone was smiling and chatting, even though minutes ago they were on two different sides of a game.
“Seeing the way everyone could go back to normal and have fun together so quickly was really interesting,” Olivia Ryan ‘25 commented after being asked about the after-game campfire.
Even though the juniors lost this year, they have big plans for next year. Grace Counts ‘23, when asked about next year’s game, states, “The sophomores this year may be fast, but we are stronger. We are definitely going to win next year!”