Girls' Powder Puff Games can Turn Ugly

Girls Powder Puff football games have been played the week of homecoming for over 10 years at Pinson High. The game is played much like flag football with one the biggest rules being no tackling the carrier of the football.  Instead the flag is pulled off and the play is ruled dead by on the field by refs which usually include school coaches.

The weeks prior to the games in which the first is played freshman against seniors, the teams practiced at various places.  The coaches are, in most cases students who are assumed to know how to play the game and show their coaching skills.  In some games, the guys dress as cheerleaders and wow the crowds with their cheers and some even do stunts.  Very low to the ground stunts of course.

One thing stands true each year, with each game. The powder puff girls are competitive and are out to win!  The biggest goal each year is to beat the seniors.  Even the current Governors race is no match for these Powder Puff girls. Each year, the first game is seniors vs. freshman, the second game is sophomores vs. juniors and the third game is a playoff between the winner of the first and second game

Powder Puff 2006 made somewhat of a historical turn as fans watched the freshman beat the seniors 14-12 in a very close game.  Mistakes were made, tempers flared, penalties were called, touchdowns were called back and two seniors was benched by the refs. All of this resulted in the first senior loss since 1998.  The juniors won the 2nd game against the sophomores and went on to beat the freshman in game three. After the first game ended, both teams vacated the field and some of the girls headed for the concession stand. That’s when things turned ugly.

A fight broke out between an 18 year old senior and a 14 year old freshman.   According to some witnesses the irate18 year old attacked the 14 year old for no apparent reason knocking her to the ground, ending up on top of her yet other witnesses say the 14 year old goaded the 18 year old into the attack. The 14 year old says she did nothing wrong and didn't fight the girl other than trying to get her off. Her parents who were at the game but didn't see the fight decided to file a report with the SRO.  Both girls were sent home by Assistant Principal Brown and the 14 year old was not allowed to play in the last game against the juniors. According to the girl’s mom, after a meeting on Wednesday morning with the schools principals the 14 year old was told she couldn't return to school until attending a hearing at Jefferson County’s Board of Education Student Services.   This included neither attending the Homecoming Parade and bon fire on Thursday nor the pep rally and football game Friday.

The 14 year old attended the hearing Friday morning.   According to her mom, there were several discrepancies in what the witnesses said but the board ruled with a choice of either a 10 day suspension or 5 days at Ketona. The 14 year old decided to take the 5 days at Ketona plus making up her work from teachers at Pinson High. The news has not contacted the senior involved or her family but we do know she too had a hearing on Friday morning.  She is also attending Ketona according to the 14 year olds mom. We questioned Pinson High school Principal Houge as to the school’s policy when to involve the board and when the local school administrators could make the decision as to if both girls were at fault or just one of them. Houge said, “I cannot reply on this case because of the FERPA law.  Any questions concerning the Code of Conduct will have to come from Student Services at our Central Office.”   She did offer to supply the news  with a copy of the schools Code of Conduct hand book. According to the 14 year olds mom, the incident is still under investigation but she and her daughter will be totally compliant with the Board of Education ruling.