The setting sun illuminates the field in a golden glow. Girls dressed in homemade jerseys and face paint chase each other, grasping at flags and jumping to catch the ball. Fans and coaches cheer as clouds settle in. All of a sudden, lightning strikes, and a loud siren blares through the air.
Powder Puff is an annual Homecoming tradition where girl-only flag football teams compete against one another. Coached by male students and athletes, the teams were scheduled to play at Echo Park Stadium 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 20.
After nearby lightning strikes, the start time was delayed until 6:12 p.m. The first round of games then began, just for more and more bolts to strike the area surrounding the field, causing another lightning delay to be called at 6:38 p.m.
People waited in their cars in hopes of the event continuing, but after multiple announcements and delays, the parking lots cleared out.
“When they canceled, we were kind of bummed because we were so pumped, ready to play and had practiced to go down with a fight,” Charlie’s Angels player Elizabeth Lemeshewsky ‘25 said. “It all tanked as soon as they canceled.”
The same night of the cancellation, Student Council posted on the @rcstuco Instagram that Powder Puff had been rescheduled to be played on the school turf field at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 22.
After many flags stolen, touchdowns scored and teams eliminated, there was a winner: the Gold Diggers. This team, composed of seniors and led by coaches Gavin Neira ’24, Reid Finch ’24 and Abe Chitwood ’24, won the trophy for the third year in a row.
Student Council (StuCo) Student Body Vice President Cale Maguire ‘24 was one of the students working to organize–and then reorganize–the event:
Student Council Student Body Vice President Cale Maguire ’24
Q: How were you involved in Powder Puff? What is your background in StuCo?
A: Powder Puff was my committee, so I was in charge of making sure that it ran smoothly. I was also a part of making sure that brackets were made and teams had signed up.
Q: How did you feel when they had to cancel and reschedule Powder Puff to Friday? Were you at the games on Friday?
A: Obviously, it was a little frustrating, but I knew it was going to work out in the end. I was at the fields on Friday and it was a super nice day. It couldn’t have gone smoother.
Q: What did you think of Homecoming this year compared to other years? What made this one special?
A: I thought that Homecoming this year was a lot of fun. Not only the dance, but the entire week itself. The dance was super cool, because we got to upgrade it and get lasers, a new sound system and a new DJ.
Q: Who is in charge and who organized Powder Puff? How long has Rock Canyon been doing this tradition?
A: Student Council is responsible for putting on Powder Puff. In Student Council, we have a committee specifically for it. The tradition of Powder Puff at Rock Canyon has been going on for 15+ years.
Q: How did teams sign up and join to play? Was there a specific fee to play?
A: We mainly advertise through social media, so teams would scan the QR code online to get the Google Form. Everyone had to turn in their forms, along with a $5 fee, by Sept. 7. Once that’s done, we make the brackets, and then communicate who they play and at what time.
Q: What do you think of Powder Puff overall?
A: Overall, I thought that Powder Puff was a success. It’s a good event for everyone to come out and have fun at. Even after the cancellation [on Wednesday], we only had a couple teams drop out.
