Manatee takes pride in our many traditions, perhaps one of the most beloved being our annual Powderpuff game; a gender bent twist on the classic game of football. The flag football game consists of three separate matches, the first between Freshmen and Juniors, the second between the Sophomores and Seniors, and the final showdown between the winners of those two. All the while, our girls were cheered on by the Powderpuff cheerleaders; flipped as the boys of manatee. Both groups practiced for about a week before the actual event. 

The coaches as well were football players that ran the team of their own grade, bringing their own experience and coaching style to the field.  

“What I wasn’t expecting were all the coaches to be super nice and understanding. They were very patient with those of us on different skill levels with the sport, including myself who was starting from the ground floor,” said Elizabeth Austin (11).  

The Freshman and Juniors had an intense game, Freshmen taking the win 12-0. After that match, the Sophomores and Seniors had a very close match, Seniors winning with a final score of 8-6. The last match of the evening was our freshmen versus our seniors, not happening often, had people exhilarated. After a tough game, our seniors took home the gold with a whopping 17-6! 

“It was amazing how invested everyone was, I enjoyed watching it,” said Abby Prieto (12).  

On top of it all, the Powderpuff cheerleaders learned a dance routine to the song Starships by Nicki Minaj and many others which was the highlight of the night besides the dub taken home from seniors. They were sure to cheer on the game in between their cheers, chants, and dances.  

“It was definitely an experience; I had a lot of fun and I’m really glad I ended up cheering,” explained cheerleader Connor Allan (12). 

Powderpuff is such an enjoyable event for anyone who comes out, and a spirit week tradition that will be carried on for years to come.