Before Malden High’s annual Pep Rally and Thanksgiving game against Medford, the CO’26 and CO’27 spent weeks fiercely assembling their teams of senior and junior girls to compete in the Powderpuff flag football game, which was held on November 24th.
As the cold wind blew, the girls made their way to MacDonald Stadium, preparing for the event. Though the atmosphere was competitive, with both teams eager to win, junior Nyla Pierre, who participated in the Powderpuff game because she wanted to play with her friends, shared that she felt excited because she “knew it was for fun, no matter the outcome.”
Likewise, junior Amelia Berliner felt excited, as she had “seen how much fun it was as an underclassman,” and was excited to have the opportunity to play this year against her senior friends.
As soon as Michael Lightbody, history teacher and referee of the game, and Mayor of Malden, Gary Christenson, arrived, they led the girls into a coin toss to determine the team that would start the kick-off. When the coin flipped, it revealed that the senior team would do the kick-off, officially starting the game that consisted of two 30-minute halves.
Though the game started strong for the seniors, as they coordinated and played together, Berliner was first to score a touchdown for the juniors. Within the next few minutes, the seniors scored a touchdown by Brenda Darisse.
As the first half went by, many players made touchdowns for their team, but what challenged the seniors was when Berliner made a defensive pick-6 touchdown, followed by a run to the offense’s end zone, leading to a turnover. When the timer ran out, the first half ended with a 20-14 score, with the juniors leading.
Both teams were hungry for the win, especially the seniors, wanting to prove themselves and take back their tie from last year’s Powderpuff game against the CO’25. Throughout the second half of the game, both teams scored touchdowns, which led the score to go back and forth.
Although it was competitive, there were many difficulties that occurred. Senior Sania Chen, who participated last year and decided to continue due to her love for football, mentioned how she felt pressured, as the coaches kept telling her where to throw or run. “I had a lot of girls who were open but I couldn’t see. I told girls that I’d pass them the ball but then threw it to someone else.”
Despite the difficulties, both teams still put in their best efforts to win the game. Yet, there could only be one winner to take home the win. With the timer ending, the juniors showed off their incredible teamwork and defeated the seniors with a 24-18 score, running into a group hug.
Although Chen was upset with the outcome, wishing they played differently, she still had fun because she “was able to see teammates and the juniors show off their incredible skills. It’s always fun to watch but also to be a part of it.” Like Chen, senior Linh Do also shared her joy, especially because she was with her friends, despite the loss.
“I was so glad we won, and I hope next year will have the same results,” concluded Berliner, who “will definitely be participating next year!”
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