The Sage Informer

Under Wednesday night lights, girls from grades 9-12 hit the football field for crazy powderpuff games against each other for Homecoming Week!

While watching each grade go against one another— freshmen vs. juniors and sophomores vs. seniors—zoning out was not an option. Everyone’s head was constantly on a swivel, waiting for cheers to erupt from the crowd.

After the freshman vs. junior game, freshman Meadow Miller was asked about her performance. In terms of what she would do differently, she stated, “I would try to cooperate with my team better, have improved communication, and make a good plan for the game.”

Powderpuff at MHS gets everyone involved. Each grade level has four football athletes to coach the teams. Senior Nolan Buehnerkemper said that his favorite part about coaching his team was seeing their plays work and getting their first powderpuff win. “It only took us 4 years, but we finally got it done,” he stated. On the other hand, he shared his least favorite part of the night: “The worst part was probably trying to explain things because they couldn’t focus due to the [loud] atmosphere.”

As the night came to a close, the bonfire was lit, and the players poured off the field. Throwing the dummy into the fire is something people always look forward to. This year, the cheer girls dressed it up to look like a Bulldog. When asked about spectating the game, sophomore Emily Matthews said that the craziest thing she saw was “Meg Cassel getting a touchdown and hitting a celebration that you’re only supposed to do on defense.”

Last year, around this time, the class of 2027 was dominating all their opponents. Junior Sarah Cresep was a major asset again this year, scoring points to help further advance the score. Cresap shared, “The most memorable part of 2025 Powderpuff was running into Coach Allen during a play.”

The freshmen, new to powderpuff, brought the energy and sage spirit as they stepped on the field for the first time. Whether they were playing or not, it was very clear that their grade came to win, even though that wasn’t the outcome. Freshman Molly White, who didn’t participate this year, said, “I really liked watching everyone score and I loved getting to watch my friends catch the ball.”

A lot of parents were pretty proud and excited watching their kids play and possibly try something new. Mrs. Stiverson, teacher and parent, stated, “Ashley is a really competitive kid! Being able to watch her out there having fun and goofing around with classmates, at something she didn’t necessarily excel at, was very entertaining. I’m glad the girls get to do this once a year and put on a little show for all of us teachers and parents!”

Meg Cassel, Staff Writer

casme28@sages.us