When watching the annual Powderpuff game, Golden Guys performance and Best Buddies game, students may not realize the amount of time and effort put into this night. This effort is given by not only the players and performers, but the dedicated staff who choose to support their students by being coaches and choreographers.
The popularity of Powderpuff games spiked after Title XI, which banned discrimination based on gender in the school setting. The name of the game is a reference to a makeup tool used to apply powder to the face. One of the first teams that participated in the game chose to call it Powderpuff as a joke against themselves, and would stay on the field at half-time to apply makeup.
This game is a time for both the players and Golden Guys to participate in something outside of their comfort zone, and something they might not usually partake in. Eureka High School uses this game as a perfect opportunity to raise money for a good cause.
Student Council members meet and pitch their ideas for the charities, and they vote between six and seven different options.
The charity selected for this year is Safe Haven Baby Boxes, a foundation that is striving to lower and prevent the amount of illegal abandonment of newborns. They install these boxes at fire stations and allow parents to safely leave a baby that they cannot care for. The fee to get into the Powderpuff game goes towards this cause.
Julie Montgomery, American Sign Language teacher, has been coaching Powderpuff since 2022. She collaborates with the other coaches to build the perfect offensive team for the seniors.
“We work with offense on plays, and we try to figure out what student is going to be best for our quarterback, running backs, who are going to be our wide receivers, things like that,” Montgomery said. “So we just tackle positions first. We really try to get the girls comfortable with being aggressive.”
Many other factors come into play, such as constructing a strong defensive line for both teams. The Senior defensive line is run by Josh Sander, Social Studies teacher. He goes over what to do, how to do it and how to make sure nobody is getting through their defense.
This year is Olivia Bauer’s first time coaching a Powderpuff team. A Language Arts teacher, she is in charge of coaching the Junior girls. She decided to become a coach because of her love for coaching and football. Bauer saw this as a perfect opportunity to get involved in the school, incorporating two things she is passionate about.
“I just love getting to see people learn about themselves, even though it’s a smaller game, you know, it’s one game that we’re all working together for,” Bauer said. “I love getting to see people overcome challenges and navigate trying to solve problems together and come up with a solution so that we can win.”
Some teachers take the Powderpuff game very seriously, but are also very focused on the fun aspect of the game. Jonathan Boedges, Special Education teacher, also coaches the seniors.
“It’s planned out every year. We have several different staff that help out with it. With this, practices are kind of set regardless, you have to make two out of three practices,” Boedges said. “We just try to honestly have fun and let the girls have a good time. We do have some plays, and we try to run plays, but it kind of comes down to what the girls want to do.”
The girls have three practices to get their skills and strategies down. While the two teams are working on aggression and taking their opponents down, the Golden Guys are working on their new dance moves.
The choreography and music used during the Golden Guys performance is mostly chosen by Golden Line seniors. The coaches, Kara Patterson and Jenni Highfill, are there to make sure everything is running smoothly and successfully.
Audrey Clark, Senior, has been a dancer on Golden Line all four years she has been at EHS. This year has given her and her teammates an opportunity to do something new and more laid back than their usual dance practices.
“Basically we just try to find some trending songs and popular songs, especially TikTok music that everyone knows. We try to find things that are a little, like, girly, I guess. And then we put together just a few songs for a mash up so it keeps people engaged,” Clark said. “And then we just spent a couple hours making the dance, and we just do, like, pretty basic things because obviously they can’t dance that well.”
The music is one thing that is crucial to a good performance, so the Golden Line seniors make sure they pick songs that people will like and find entertaining. The other aspect of this performance is the dancing itself.
Another important part of the night is the Best Buddies game. This is an opportunity for members of Best-Buddies to play in a football game, with members of the football team assisting the players up and down the field. This is an experience for students to play in a game they love, and have fun while doing it. Isaac Molish, Senior, has previously played in Best Buddies games and loved every second of the experience.
“I have played in the game, I am on the Sparkle Squad too. My favorite part was probably when I got to play against people and get touchdowns and it is amazing,” Molish said. “Winning isn’t everything, neither is losing. Being famous isn’t everything either.”
There couldn’t be a Powderpuff game without referees making calls, ensuring the game is going smoothly and everyone is staying safe. Varsity head Football Coach Jacob Sumner coordinates referees for the game and he enjoys every moment of it.
“I just love the entire Homecoming experience for all kids. Both of those teams out there, juniors and seniors, the fans, it’s usually a packed house,” Sumner said. “We got the Best Buddies game at halftime. It’s just a wonderful community experience of what Homecoming is supposed to be.”
Despite rumors of the game being rigged in favor of the seniors, Sumner has shut down the skepticism. Coaches of the powderpuff teams believe the game is fueled on skill and athleticism from each team.
“The game has never been rigged before, and I’ll never ever rig it in the future,” Sumner said.
