Powderpuff Master
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The Patriot A Patriot Special Issue Powderpuff 2005 Edition November 22, 2005 Powderpuff tradition still alive in 2005 Bethany Messick ‘06 long. The entire game is very mandatory practices. The have to the case. The winning team usually competitive and exhilarating. put a routine together, learn their sports their jerseys once more around Washington Township is known Although the name of the game cheers, and practice their stunts in a the school to rub the win in the other for its school spirit and traditions like is Powder Puff, it is everything but a short amount of time. The boys also team’s face. the Spirit Parade, Homecoming, and dainty game. These girls scream, yell, go around the school showing their Even though the tradition of Mr. Washington Township; but one kick, push, and tackle even though it senior or junior pride by trash talking Powder Puff is taken very seriously, of the most unique traditions is is supposed to be flag football. There and chanting down the hallways. The everything is done with good Powder Puff. It is the one day that are certainly no girly-girls involved whole week is truly exhausting. sportsmanship and tact. senior and junior girls get to duke it in this game. The day of the game is an out on the field like the boys do, and Preparation for the big game is amazing sight. The girls wear the boys get to have a cheer off like taken very seriously. There is a long homemade t-shirts to show their team the girls do. week of mandatory practices that pride, and the guys walk around in their Before the game all the girls include going over plays, doing drills, cheerleading tights, short shorts, or A Decade of Powderpuff report to the 11/12 auditorium to be and running a little bit to get in shape. pleaded skirts. Everyone is charged Winners reminded of the rules. While the girls During this week of practices, the girls with energy and anticipation. are in there, the “powder puff don’t only use their energy during The game itself is remarkable. cheerleaders” run around to get the practices, but they hang signs, show So many proud parents come to watch 1995-Seniors girls pumped up. Then a little their spirit, and mildly trash talk to their sons dress up in skirts and strut 1996-Seniors screaming match begins between the the opposing team. The week is their stuff, and watch their daughters 1997-Seniors seniors and juniors to get them fired meant to pump up the team and kick some butt on the field. The entire 1998-Juniors up for one last time. At game time, create excitement throughout the game is intense and passionate. 1999-Seniors became the first the girls run on to the field as the school. The day after the game you class to win the game twice. boys cheer them on. The game starts The girls aren’t the only ones would think that everyone would be 2000-Seniors at 6:00 and because of the number of that get wrapped up in the game. The drained of energy and team spirit, but players involved is usually 5 periods boys are also involved in intensive at Washington Township that isn’t 2001-Seniors 2002-Seniors 2003-Juniors 2004-First tie in Powderpuff Powderpuff: Is the fix in? history. Mark Natale ‘06 had to win,” said Mr. Bob Gorski, a However, the play was quickly waved Rewind Archives, as well as the class long time Powderpuff coach. dead as the ref’s called the senior council yearbook collection), and can Nothing is quite as sexy as a As the game evolved into the running back out of bounds. Viewed in assure you, there is no pattern. The conspiracy. From JFK to Watergate, blockbuster event it is today, the senior slow motion (thanks to the Monthly first junior victory came in 1998, a the Black Sox to BALCO, conspiracy dominance followed. But it is no fix Rewind Archives), it is extremely full 5 years before they would emerge theories have become a staple of or shady officiating that has caused difficult to tell whether or not the victorious again. The seniors also won Americana. For the past few years, the trend. senior stepped out of bounds. The in 1999, the year the juniors would WTHS has even been able to boast of “The seniors have already been difficulty is increased when a ref has have had to win to prove the it’s very own, one challenging the into the game, they are familiar with to make the call in real time. conspiracy. So once again, we find integrity of our finest tradition - the concept, and they come out with So now the question arises. If ourselves again with an unfulfilled Powderpuff Football. a mission to win the game.”, explained the game had been fixed for the theory. Is the game rigged? Does the Gorski. The increased drive and seniors, why would the ref make the So when the smoke clears and administration want to see the seniors experience prove to be an uplifting tough call? Wouldn’t he have turned the game is over late Tuesday night, win? Those questions rise every combination for the elder class. a blind eye to the possible infraction, the outcome will have been decided November, but until now the answer “At senior practice, we are able and rule the play a touchdown? purely by the players on the field. has been avoided. Maybe it was simply to learn a lot more, and we already Instead, the call locked a junior There is no fix, no conspiracy, no ignorance, or maybe it was the learned so much last year. Our plays victory, and erased any thoughts of a underlying plan to assure a senior mystique of Mr. Bollendorf conferring are better, we start out farther ahead, fix. victory. with refs, that stopped us from seeing and we have all that knowledge from But yet, the desire for a `Mr Gorski puts it best: “You the obvious, and realizing that there junior year,” explained Chelsea conspiracy remains. can’t deny talent. A talented group of is NO FIX. Winkelspecht, a senior quarterback. Almost simultaneously as the girls come in from other sports, and The murmurs of a fix are nothing The irony is that the main piece juniors stormed the field in 2003, new they’ll be able to play. It doesn’t new, as the myth stretches back to of evidence dispelling any officiating accusations began. Stories emerged matter what grade they are.” the early days of Powderpuff. Back in bias did not come in a senior victory. claiming that every 4 years, the game its infancy, Powderpuff was an after Many current Township upperclassman is fixed for a junior victory. Again, school game that had to be over at remember the last time the seniors lost this was a shallow accusation formed 4:15, roster spots were limited, and in the November 2003 game. In the by the attraction of a conspiracy. Once Powderpuff players were chosen from both sides. closing moments of a heavily again through simple research, this Tuesday at 6:00pm. “Even back then, people contested match, the seniors handed myth was proven to be false. complained about the selection off to the left, and scored what seemed I was able to get results of every Be there! process, saying that only certain to be the game winning touchdown. game since 1992 (thanks again to the people were picked because the seniors Seniors looking to display talent Rob Czyzewicz ‘06 & Will Haight ‘06 on the field to experience something different and to have a good time. The word anticipation doesn’t “It means a lot to us. It’s a begin to describe the feeling of chance to be together with all of our Powderpuff for the Senior class of friends and bond with each other 2006. And with a game that is so before we leave at the end of the year” filled with tradition, it is the Senior said Trish Herring ’06. “It’s a fun girls that plan to prove that last year’s game, but at the same time, it’s really tie against the now graduated girls was important to us”. a far cry of what these girls are truly There seem to be various capable of. advantages that the Senior side in “Everyone is taking it more general possesses. It appears obvious serious this year, and the intensity is that the senior class is as school much higher. We feel better now this spirited as this school has ever year because we are more experienced witnessed. In fact, they plan to use and we know what to expect,” said that added energy and their extra year Colleen Montgomery ’06, a special of experience to their advantage when teams player. the ball is kicked off Tuesday night. In addition to the girls being “The Seniors are different from serious and confident, head coach Mr. the Seniors last year because I think Bob Gorski is supremely adamant in we have more spirit, and our Matt Kienzle ‘06/ Patriot Staff his preparation and he believes that cheerleaders will dominate this year Seniors pause during practice to strategize. the girls are ready to emerge in as they did last year, and we feel really victory. strong and unbeatable this year”, said Juniors go through the hype and the see where they could be positioned. “I know how important this Montgomery. silliness and that may affect the way It’s important to see where they could game is to the seniors, this being their Gorski finds that the extra year they play”.