The competition was fierce between the junior and senior girls in the annual Powderpuff Bowl, a flag-football game to determine supremacy on the field for at least one year.
Yet, the seniors who won last year’s game as juniors made this a satisfying 6-0 win Monday night when Leilani Otuafi scored on a 5-yard run in the second half at the Edward Arciniega Athletic Complex.
Up until her touchdown, the powderpuff game, which is a major fundraiser for the student athletic organization Block F, became a defensive struggle between two talented teams as a full moon glowed on the field.
Coach Ted Ott said the team dominated on defense, but he wishes the offense could’ve been crisper.
The seniors put together a seven-play drive that took more than 5 minutes to complete. Beginning the drive at the their 44-yard line, the seniors relied on a 26-yard pass from Shelbi Schultz to Otuafi. With the ball on the juniors’ 31-yard line Schultz pitched to Allison Lister for a 9-yard gain, and then completed a pass to Alexis Jarrett, who was stopped at the 12.
On first and 10 from the 12, Schultz faked a pass but then handed the ball off to Shelby Chard, who then ran to the left side for 7 yards before her flag was pulled.
After an incomplete pass, Otuafi scored her eventual game-winning touchdown.
Ott praised both Otuafi and Chard for how effectively they ran the ball.
“Shelbi set the play up, led Lani and threw the ball up,” Ott said.
As for the touchdown, Otuafi said the juniors’ defensive end came in too much, and she was able to run around her.
On their ensuring series of downs, the juniors were stopped when Rylee Buckmaster intercepted the ball on the 38, but the seniors couldn’t capitalize. After the seniors’ drive fizzled, the juniors took control.
Quarterback Kinsli Rogne completed a pass to Mak Moretto and also ran the ball three times. On a fourth and 12, Shasta Mori ran a reverse to the left side but was stopped 2 yards shy of a first down.
Both defenses stopped each other on the next two series of downs.
The juniors had a good opening drive in the first half, going from their 38-yard line to the seniors’ 35.
Emily Marshall had a good run as did Mori, whose reverse gained 7 yards.
After giving the ball up to the seniors, Rogne intercepted a pass on the juniors’ 46, but the juniors had to punt after five plays.
For the rest of the first half, neither team mounted any sustained drive.
Rogne completed a 13-yard pass to Moretto in the second-to-last series before intermission. For the seniors, Otuafi snaked through the middle of the juniors’ defense for a 15-yard gain, and a pitch to Lister netted a 5-yard gain.
Junior safety Adrianna Cortez intercepted the ball to stop any threat from the seniors.
Schultz said the juniors played a good game and had a good defense.
“It feels good that we took down two different classes,” she said.
Otuafi said the back-to-back wins will definitely be a good memory from her high school years.
Ott said he has enjoyed working with the girls for the past two powderpuff games. He said the team asked him to coach.
“I’m very grateful and honored they did,” he said.