2017 SENIORS VS. JUNIORS POWDER PUFF GAME

By DEVIN LEWIS

When one thinks of “Friday Night Lights” in Washingtonville, the first thing that comes to mind is the boys’ football team putting on a show for the whole town.  However, for one day out of the year, the lady Wizards also get a shot under the lights. The senior vs. junior  Powder Puff game has been a tradition at Washingtonville for countless years.  The girls playing, the students on the sidelines, and the teachers coaching never fail to get the crowd excited.

The juniors made their Powder Puff debut with the guidance of Coach Clough last Friday.   They faced off against a determined senior team led by Coach Bruscino. Both coaches have a big rivalry in these Powder Puff games; last year Coach Clough took Coach Bruscino down in a close battle. Over the past year, there has been much anticipation for this matchup and for the seniors to end their careers with a win.

This was no small event in Washingtonville. Fans came out to support and spanned across the bleachers along with the varsity football team who took a back seat to cheer on the girls.

DEVIN LEWIS FOR THE WIZARD WEEKLY

The madness started out early with a big 60 yard touchdown run from senior quarterback Nicolette Smith.  This brought life to the seniors’ sideline.  Although the juniors were behind early, they did not stop pushing to get on top.  Their comeback started when wide receiver Nina Castillo and quarterback Victoria Pecovic found the endzone.  The game was knotted up at two touchdowns a piece when star wide receiver/safety Emily Nagle finally decided to put an end to it.

Emily Nagle caught a game changing touchdown pass from Lauren Horowitz in the second half to take the lead. Nagle expressed her thoughts on the play. “When I scored that touchdown, I felt as if I  redeemed myself for missing the first pass play.” 

The seniors were ahead of the juniors three to two with only one nerve-racking possession left.  Their defense needed one more stop to end the game.  Once again, Emily stepped up big for her team.  She intercepted Pecovic’s pass and the entire senior sideline stormed the field in celebration.  Emily exclaimed, “I just remember seeing Clough throw his hands in defeat and I turned to see Mr. Connolly throw his hands in the air and out of nowhere I was surrounded by all of the girls.  I wish I could relive it.”

Given the seniors’ determination to win after last year’s tough loss, the game ended up being as intense as ever.  Lauren Horowitz gave her opinion on this year’s matchup and how the seniors prepared for the game.  She noted, “We worked harder to get better results this year.  Everyone was eager to play and most importantly, to win. Lauren ended up being a huge factor in the senior’s victory, recording a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown along with multiple tackles on defense. 

What makes the Powder Puff game so competitive is the battle between the juniors and seniors.   Cornerback Michaela Warren stated that, “Playing against the juniors motivated the seniors significantly.  It let the defense get more aggressive and motivated us to keep the senior tradition of winning the Powder Puff game still going strong.”