Do you hate the traditional gender roles perpetuated by football, where the guys have to play and the girls have to cheer? Are you tired of the same routines, both during the game and at halftime? Or do you just not care for football at all? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you would love Whitman’s annual Powder Puff game. For those of you who don’t know (if that’s even possible), Powder Puff is a yearly Thursday tradition at Whitman where the girls play football, the boys cheerlead, and laughter and fun are inevitable.

This year’s two Powder Puff teams spent weeks preparing for the big night. The girls put in long nights going over plays on the field while the boys worked tirelessly to perfect their routines. Mr. Varlamos was the coach of the senior girls and Mr. Murphy coached the juniors, and while both teams worked hard, only one of them would emerge victorious.

Whether you heard about Powder Puff on the announcements or found out when you nearly got trampled to death by the stampede of boys in the hallway, everyone was excited about this past Thursday. Before the game, everyone bought him or herself a delicious, incredibly low-priced bag of DECA popcorn or made predictions on who was going to win the halftime show. I wish I could say that the game had you on the edge of your seat and that the action was so non-stop that if you blinked you would miss everything.

Unfortunately, this was not the case. Don’t get me wrong, there was plenty to watch, but the juniors maintained such a big lead that the game was basically in the bag for them even before halftime. Right from the start, the juniors worked like a well-oiled machine, quickly establishing a healthy lead. The seniors would score every now and then, but even the junior defense was impressive.

The quarter ended with the juniors ahead, but the real show began at halftime. Before the junior boys performed their routine, I was able to get the inside scoop from Mrs. Grady. “Powder Puff is probably one of the most confusing events I’ve ever witnessed,” she said, “but somehow it works.” 2015 must be the year of the juniors—with a great song selection, perfectly synchronized choreography and amazing stunts, the junior boys definitely were a tough act to follow. Undaunted, the senior boys ran out onto the field full of energy and gave it their all. Overall, their whole performance was great, but it wasn’t good enough to beat the junior boys, who ultimately won the halftime show. While the world may never know what exactly gave the junior boys the win, my guess is how much more risqué their routine was. Whatever it was, Dr. Muller had this to say: “Words cannot describe what I just saw. However, I am very proud of the boys and girls that we saw tonight.”

In the second half of the game, the senior girls got in a few more points but the juniors more than doubled their lead. In the end, the juniors won 62-30. However, the big loss did not keep the spirits of senior Gabriella Cerrito down, who asserted that “The juniors might have won [the game], but the seniors are still the best.”

Powder Puff is one of the most fun events of the school year, and both halftime performances are always extremely entertaining. For those of you already looking forward to next year’s game, Paw Print has this exclusive piece of news: Mr. Murphy, this year’s coach of the junior girls, will coach the same group as seniors next year, hoping to snag the team another victory.