by Emma Cromidas
The annual Homecoming Powderpuff game will be held on October 30th at Beaupre Field at the North Attleboro High School. This game features the junior girls battling against the senior girls in a flag football game in order to be crowned the winner and earn points for their class during homecoming week. There will be practices held October 17th and 18th at Community Field in preparation for the game. During the final practice, players will have the chance to vote for three football players from their respective grades to be their official coaches on the sidelines. This will be a game that you don’t want to miss!
Juniors
Although this is the first year that these juniors have been able to participate in the Powderpuff game, this class is eager to defeat the “almighty” seniors and gain crucial points for their class.
All eyes will be on Emily Pastore, the starting quarterback for the juniors. She hopes to make big plays to defeat the seniors. Being a lover of football and an avid watcher of the Patriots will help her to prepare for this big game.
Another player hoping to make a big impact on the field will be Julia Dakin, who is playing left tackle. Julia’s brother, senior Jack Dakin, is a critical part of the Red Rocketeers football team and Julia is hoping to make an impact on the field as well. “I’ve been watching my brother play football for so long now and I finally get to play,” said Julia. “I probably won’t be as good as Jack is but it will at least be fun and I’ll have a better understanding and appreciation for what he does on the field.”
The junior class doesn’t have set positions yet as they have not had their first team practice, but Haley Guertin and Rachel Labonte have proved through other sports that they’ll help the juniors to be tough contenders against the seniors. Both Guertin and Labonte are strong, aggressive soccer players that aren’t afraid to push off their opponents and they will look to bring that intensity to the Powderpuff game.
The coaches for the junior class are unofficial and will be voted for during the last practice. During practices, all football boys coach the girls and set plays for them to run during the game. However, only 3 of the boys will be allowed to officially coach on the sidelines come game time. According to Julia Dakin, some boys that are in the running for coaching staff are Chad Peterson, Zach Demattio, Nathan Pearce, Mario Bresko and Jonathan Shultz.
Some juniors, like Camille Pizarro, are not participating in this event for fear of getting injured. “I’ve heard a lot about people getting injured during Powderpuff in recent years so I would rather not risk it. I’ll probably play senior year though,” explained Pizarro.
Although this is the class of 2018’s first season, the team is hoping to come out victorious and be a threat to the experienced senior team.
Seniors
The seniors are back for another year of flag football, and are poised to dominate the offensive zone after a disappointing loss to the class of 2016 last year.
A major push in the seniors’ offense will be Sam Taggart, the returning starting quarterback of the team. Last year, she played a big role in the game and contributed to her team gaining many points throughout the game. A stand-out play during the game was a key 25 yard touchdown pass by Taggart to receiver Erin Holley. Sam, along with second-string quarterback Katherine Conley, hopes to do some damage in the offensive end.
Also hoping to carry the team will be Emily Schromm who played slot last year. With her stamina and speed, she will definitely be a force to be reckoned with. In the previous year, Schromm sped past defenders and found herself in the end zone multiple times. “I have to run the ball from the outside and I’m on special teams for kick return. I get the ball that’s kicked to me and run it as far as I can down the field,” explained Emily.
Liz Morehouse will anchor the team as the wide receiver. On the field hockey field, Morehouse is a powerful goalie who isn’t afraid to tackle oncoming opponents and she has proved that she can use these tactics to be effective on the football field as well.
The team of the class of 2017 has lost many players since last season due to injuries and to the fear of getting injured during their senior year. Senior Jamie Cromidas, a member of the offensive line last year, recently tore her ACL in her field hockey game and unfortunately will not be able to participate in powderpuff this year. “It’s disappointing that I won’t be able to play in the game for my senior year,” explained Jamie. “It’s been tough to watch my friends participate in our senior sports seasons while I have to sit on the sidelines but I know that our class will be victorious in this football game.”
Other players that won’t be returning for another season of powderpuff football are Mary Kummer, a crucial member of the defensive line, and Katie Gallagher, another key component in the offensive push. “Even though it’s my senior year, I didn’t want to play because I didn’t want to risk getting injured. I had a lot of fun playing last year so I just decided playing this year wouldn’t be a good idea,” said Kummer.
The three coaches voted by the girls last year were Nick Rajotte, Bobby Mylod, and Kyle McCarthy. The coaches are the only boys allowed on the sidelines and the others have to watch the game from the stands. The coaches will likely be the same this year and they are focusing on creating plays in order to lead their team to success.
This team is ready for redemption after the tough loss last year and there is nothing that will stand in the way of their crown.
Will the almighty seniors come out victorious? Or will the juniors pull out an upset win? Be sure to attend the game at Beaupre Field at North Attleboro High School on October 30th to watch an exhilarating football game!
The First Launch 