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Crouching on the 50-yard line, Gabe May ’26 waits for his name to be called over the speaker. After being introduced to the crowd, each cheerleader performed a jump or trick they had learned in preparation for Powderpuff.
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Jumping with her teammates, Audrey Savoie ’26 celebrates scoring a touchdown. Her team, the blue team, went on to win the game.
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Holding their pose, K-Pop Club members Siya Majmundar ’27, Anandi Raj ’27, Diane Kim ’28, and Sanjitha Girish ’27 wait for their music to begin. The dancers performed during halftime at the Powderpuff game and received applause and appreciation from the crowd.
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Jumping high in the air, Daniel Schuler ’26 performs a straddle jump during the cheerleaders’ halftime performance. The boys’ performance consisted of dancing, jumps, and stunts, performed while wearing bright skirts and pompoms.
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During a moment of downtime for the game, her fellow cheerleaders lift Maylee Jemibewon ’26 into a stunt. The Westwood cheerleaders took on the role of coaching and giving instructions to the male cheerleaders at Powderpuff.
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Smiling, Jackson Paddock ’26, Nate Gundersen ’27, and Richard Xue ’26 wave at the crowd. Before the game began, each participating cheerleader was introduced to the audience.
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Throwing the ball, Kaleia Coughlin ’26 passes to her teammates. Before the game began, each team took time to practice passing, catching, and running the ball as a warmup.
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Before the game, Maya Alas ’27 helps Taelyn Zinnecker ’27 secure her hair. All of the players decked out in pink and blue accessories to represent their team.
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Surrounded by his team, Asher David ’26 explains his plan for their next play. Each girl had a role to play, whether it was running the ball, getting open for a pass, or guarding an opponent.
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Cheering with pompoms held high, Jackson Paddock ’26 chants the words toward the crowd. The boys were taught multiple cheers by Westwood cheerleaders to perform throughout the game.
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At the beginning of the game, Audrey Savoie ’26 and Myah Kapavik ’27 play rock paper scissors to decide which team will have possession of the ball first. The pink team won and started off their first play, giving Kapavik the ball to run down the field.
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Clutching the ball, Zoe Larrea ’26 runs from her opponents before they can reach the flags at her waist. Per flag football rules, which don’t allow tackling, the play stopped when her flag was pulled.
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After the game, seniors Finn Chaney and Asher David shake hands, congratulating each other for a well-played game. Chaney served as the blue team’s coach, with David as the coach for the pink team.
The National Honor Society (NHS) hosted its fourth annual Powderpuff game, featuring a gender-swapped flag football game at the Warrior Bowl from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, April 3, as the final event hosted by NHS to fundraise for the Thirst Project.
Female students took the field in teams to play flag football while male students stepped into the role of cheerleaders, creating a unique twist on a classic sport. From the start, the crowd filled the stands, eager to watch their classmates take on a new role and showcase their skills.
“This event was very entertaining,” Leah Bao ‘26 said. “People were just having fun, so it was nice to watch people be carefree.”
This year’s matchup split the teams by grade level, with freshman and senior girls joining forces as the blue team to take on the pink team, made up of sophomore and junior girls. From the start, both sides showed strong teamwork and determination, with players making quick passes and strong runs. The mix of grade levels added an interesting dynamic, as underclassmen and upperclassmen worked together to compete and support one another on the field.
“I think my favorite play was the one we ran during our first offensive run,” blue team player Audrey Savoie ‘26 said. “[We] had two handoffs and then a throw. [We] used a different version of it later, and it worked so well.”
On the sidelines, the male cheerleaders kept the crowd energized with chants and routines. Their enthusiasm kept up the momentum throughout the game. The cheerleaders also sported colorful tutus to resemble the skirt portions of typical cheer costumes.
“My favorite play during the game was when we had our first touchdown,” pink team player Maya Alas ‘27 said. “Seeing everyone run onto the field was so fun, and we all jumped around in a circle in celebration.”
At halftime, the K-Pop Club performed choreography to a mashup of jellyous by ILLIT — complete with the complex footwork trending on social media — as well as ANTIFRAGILE by LE SSERAFIM and Gnarly by KATSEYE. Their lively performance gave the players a break while entertaining the audience.
“NHS reached out to us first [asking us to] perform,” K-Pop Club Vice President Dhiya Reddy ‘27 said. “It was very short notice, and I believe the dancers only had around two weeks to prepare, so they gravitated towards choreos they already knew and focused on cleaning it.”
After halftime, the intensity of the game picked up as both teams returned to the field with renewed energy. The blue team found their rhythm, connecting on key plays and making strong defensive stops that shifted the momentum in their favor. Meanwhile, the pink team fought back, pushing down the field.
“This was my first time playing flag football. Typically, I run cross country,” Alas said. “It was a totally different environment. It’s hard to rely on your teammates during a cross country race, but going into the Powderpuff game, I knew that there were people who had my back and were cheering me on the whole time. I had a great time.”
As the game came down to the final moments, the blue team secured the win after a hard fought battle. Despite the loss, the pink team showed strong sportsmanship and team spirit until the final whistle. Ending off the annual Thirst Project week, NHS raised a total of $1201 for the installation of freshwater wells in developing nations.
“My favorite moment of the game was watching the boys be the cheerleaders,” Bao said. “They were very fun to watch, and they did quite a few tricks, which was pretty cool and impressive.”
