With slightly over a minute left, the score was 24-26 and the heat was blazing.  From the drumline to the admission line, each spectator eagerly awaited the final moments of the game.

This was no ordinary Thursday afternoon sports game.  It was Powderpuff football, a yearly tradition sponsored by the SGA that involves a flag football game between senior and junior girls.  Despite fierce opposition, the senior girls won.

The event included food trucks, a drumline performance and a raffle for footballs signed by Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III and linebacker Brian Orakpo. Proceeds benefited the Larry King Cardiac foundation.

This year, the game fell on the seniors’ last day of classes and their enthusiasm was infectious.

Throughout the first half, the score remained close.  For the juniors, Julia Dionne made stellar touchdown runs and Lottie Nalls made several clutch catches to advance the ball. Senior running back Madeleine Entwistle  made many crucial plays to contribute to the senior’s offense. As quarterbacks, junior Kate O’Brien threw long passes as senior Katie Wollmer showed off her speed.

By halftime, the score was 12-6 with the seniors in the lead.  Attendees enjoyed refreshments from X BBQ, Ben and Jerry’s and the Clayboy truck as the girls held team huddles and prepared for the second half.

The second half opened with junior Dani Okon’s early touchdown, tying the score at 12-12. As the minutes crept past, the seniors dominated with two more touchdowns, bringing the score to 24-12 with just seven minutes left. Senior Stephanie Stevens exhibited swiftness and agility on the offensive, while senior Maria Camargo brought up the rear with excellent defensive guarding.

A senior victory seemed imminent, but Dionne scored a touchdown with four minutes remaining to bring the score up to 26-18. The juniors’ saving grace came when Nalls scored a touchdown with two minutes left, making the spectators go wild.

The final minute of the game was just as dramatic.  Junior Linn Bumpers intercepted the ball in front of the seniors’ endzone with 55 seconds left. The referee threw a flag, however, and called the play back because there were too many junior players on the field when the ball was snapped.

Though the juniors gave up their last opportunity to score, their defensive line stayed strong and didn’t let the seniors score for the remainder of the game. The seniors clinched a tight victory with a final score of 26-24.

Junior Andrea McDonald thought the event was an enjoyable bonding experience.

“We did awesome, we had great grit,” McDonald said. “Lottie Nalls is a boss and will now start for the boys football team.”

Though she wasn’t able to play, sophomore Amanda Azmi was also enthusiastic about the event.

“The game was more exciting than I thought it was going to be,” she said. “I was rooting for the juniors and the juniors definitely showed the most sportsmanship.”