COMMENT: Girls prove football isn't just for boys

The first day of spring practice still may be some three weeks away, but football already has returned to Braden River High.

Sort of.

I returned to the sidelines of Pirate Stadium April 4 for what was sure to be an epic pigskin classic.
The stakes were high. The teams, clad in brightly colored T-shirts, had been practicing and trash-talking for weeks; and in just a matter of hours, all of Pirate Nation and I would finally see who would be crowned this year’s Pirate Puff Champion.

The Pirate Puff Classic (see photos at left) has become a tradition at Braden River, and it’s one the girls don’t take lightly.

Each year, the four classes square off in a pair of flag football games. The winners of each game advance to the championship game.

But don’t let these girls fool you. Just because it’s flag football doesn’t mean there isn’t the occasional pushing and shoving not to mention bruising.

And Monday night proved to be no different.

The seniors’ strong defensive stand pushed them past the freshmen, while the sophomores ran all over the juniors in the second game of the classic, which was best summed up by the juniors sideline as embarrassing.

And as the seniors and sophomores took the field in the championship game — a game that pitted sister against sister and friend against friend — the trash-talking intensified.

But after 24 minutes of football, this night once again belonged to the seniors.

And as I watched the celebration ensue, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like if the girls were to form a united front and face off against Lakewood Ranch’s Filly Football team.

And although I can’t predict the outcome, there are two things I know for certain. I won’t have to spend the entire night dodging spitballs, and the sidelines will smell particularly rosy that night.

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected]