Speedy junior Ella Pearson led her team to an upset win over the previously undefeated Seniors at the annual TAHS PowderPuff game, benefiting the Al Shoenberger scholarship. The Junior and Senior class battled for four quarters full of explosive plays, with the Juniors coming out on top, 20-12.

The first quarter started off hot for both teams. The Juniors deferred the kick and held the Seniors on the first drive.

Junior running back Ella Pearson wasted no time,  scoring a 66 yard touchdown in a matter of minutes. They missed the extra point, but it didn’t take long for the Juniors to come back for more.

The Seniors knew they had to get points on the board. The answered when Winnie Grot took it to the house in retaliation. The seniors failed in an attempt to score a two point conversion which evened the score at 6-6.

“I’m very proud of how the team played and how we kept coming back even when the Seniors were scoring,” said star Junior tailback Ella Person.

The score didn’t change until the end of the first quarter when the Juniors again gave the ball to Ella Pearson for another six points. Along with a successful extra point, the Juniors took the upper hand, 13-6.

But once again, Senior Winnie Grot sprinted into the end zone and the Seniors botched another two point conversion. The Juniors led the board with a score of 13-12 with two minutes left in the third quarter.

Due to poor weather conditions, both teams passing attempts were limited and running the ball was the best option for both teams.

Regardless of the weather, the annual game was still a success.

Late in the fourth quarter Ella Pearson added to her offensive debut with a forty-seven yard touchdown and boosted the Juniors to a lead of 20-12.

With the Seniors on offense, the Juniors knew that they would have to defend against them to eliminate their chance of scoring. This time the Junior’s defense shined by stopping the Senior offense. The clock ran out to finish the game with another rare Junior win.

Senior Head Coach Brandon Homan reflected on the game.

“They played a very good game. Ella is obviously hard to stop. We did everything that we could to stop her and it didn’t work. That’s pretty much what our downfall was,” said Homan.

Many Junior players attribute their win to their coaches, rigorous practices, and raw talent.

“Our coaching staff was really invested in the players and placed us where our talents would best support the team. They took the time to teach us about the game of football and we have a very athletic class, so the odds were in our favor,” said Junior lineman Lucia Isenberg.

Next year, the pressure will be on for the Junior class to defend the winning streak of the underclassmen.