The quarterback makes the pass to the receiver near the end zone, who completes the throw to score a touchdown. The receiver’s triumph prompts a victory dance before the crowd, which happens to mirror the cheer squad’s routine.

Female athletes, students and the cheerleaders alike will follow the annual tradition as they compete in the 2008 powder puff game between classes, Nov. 21. The girls will don flag football tags and class shirts while the guys substitute the role of cheerleaders at the game.

“I am excited to be out there and have fun with my friends,” Ashlyn White, who will play for her sophomore class, said. “It is also a chance to get out there and show the guys what girls are made of. Not only that, but you get a cool shirt out of it.”

Each class will play two games, with a total of four games from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Sophomores will play their first game against the juniors while at the same time the freshmen face the seniors. The two winning teams will vie for first place while the two losing teams battle for third.

In preparation for the games, girls involved in powder puff practiced during lunch period each day of the Nov. 17-21 week. Football players from each grade volunteered to coach their female counterparts during practice and the actual games.

“It’s hard to coach [the girls] because a lot of them don’t know the whole game of football,” Justin Wilson, a coach for the sophomore class and JV football quarterback, said. “They usually don’t know what they’re doing, but I think the sophomores will dominate this year.”

As it will be the first year they compete, many classes consider the freshmen an unchallenging opponent. Although favor often escapes the freshman class in school-wide competitions, the newcomers defied the norm with first place for their homecoming float and may present more surprises to the other classes during the powder puff games.

“Since this is the freshman class’ first year, they are the underdogs,” Courtney Franz, who will play with her junior class, said. “They will have to prove themselves to the other classes.”

In the previous year, the then-juniors snatched victory from the then-sophomores in a narrow game. The close victory left many sophomores, now juniors, hungry for a second chance to prove themselves.

“We came so close to beating them last year,” Franz said. “It would be awesome to beat them this year.”

As a three-time powder puff player and senior athlete, Janae Ford looks forward to her final games. She remains confident that her class will continue the legacy of senior victories.

“We are the seniors and we have the most experience,” Ford said. “We are going to beat everyone, end of story.”

For coverage of last year’s powder puff games, read the Nov. 21, 2007, article, Seniors secure powderpuff victory.