As the fall season comes to a close, Ladue High School’s  juniors and seniors gear up for an eventful game of flag football, powderpuff, to kick off the new year.

“All I hear is the seniors and juniors talking about the game. The excitement from the students, especially us seniors, is crazy. We can’t wait to take a step onto the field and channel our inner football player,” senior Isabelle Shepard said. 

The powderpuff game occurs in the midst of the most stressful time for high school students of all ages: finals. Teachers give students study guides and even essay prompts to prepare them for sitting in classrooms day after day. Powderpuff gives students a chance to relax and enjoy their high school years rather than losing themselves to the books. 

“It’s a really good time! Finals week is one of the hardest times of high school, and I always look forward to spending time with my friends and giving myself a break from going to the library every single day,” Shepard said. 

Besides the girls playing their hearts out on the football field, there are others that contribute in great ways to help both the juniors and seniors succeed: the football boys. The Ladue High School football team takes the leading role in making sure the girls know what they are doing out there on the terf. 

“I enjoy having the boys coach us. It’s fun because I’m friends with the guys on the football team, so they make it really fun. Also, I know last year our coaches have a playbook. They’re pretty serious about this game,” Shepard said. 

While the love for powderpuff is quite strong throughout the junior and senior classes, there are those who participate that are not as enthusiastic as they may seem. Some girls don’t understand the hype over just a flag football game, but because of their strong friendships, decide to take part in powderpuff.  

“The game sounds fun, I guess, but I would rather do other things right after a long day at school. I honestly could care less who wins, I was forced to sign up for this by my friends,” senior Elise Hillebrand said. 

Being a large high school, the boys on the football team have numerous companions. The picking of who is going to step out on the terf and dominate is not exactly what people may expect. Some say the boys may already know who they want to play before the plays are even written in the playbook.

“You know, they probably just pick their friends to play and that’s usually how it goes, which is kind of what I expect. The football team has always had to choose the girls they want to place on the field, and I have a feeling it won’t be as fair as the school makes it seem,” Hillebrand said. 

While there is some controversy over the powderpuff game, it is a truly beneficial way for students to experience each others athleticism and take a slight break from all of the stress from final exams. Powderpuff is Dec. 13 and is an enjoyable way to have rivalry between the upperclassmen and have some healthy competition. 

 “I definitely do smack talk a few of the juniors, but it’s all because I know us seniors can throw down, “ Shepard said.