9/26/18
Matthew Fuller
Jim Evancho
On a humid Tuesday evening in the City of Jacksonville, Alabama, the competitive spirit was in the air as this year’s Jr. vs. Sr. powder puff football game was about to take place, and pride was on the line.
The Junior’s were ready to take on the Senior’s and the student coaches had prepared their team for battle. They knew it would be a hard night, as this was their first time playing in this yearly grudge match and the senior’s had previous experience. They had a strategy and they were ready to put it to use. The team was fueled by the energy being raised by the cheerleaders. The cheerleaders were fully dressed and ready to get the crowd behind them and support the juniors during this engagement.
The junior cheerleaders had their game-faces on as the two combat ready football teams prepared to meet on the grid iron. The intensity on their faces and the sheer desire to cheer the junior team to victory was the major driving force behind this supporting group. Dressed in their best cheerleading skirts the cheer team wanted to let the crowd know they were there for a purpose.
The seasoned veterans of the battlefield in the Golden Eagle Stadium were ready to take on their challengers. The gritty and battle worn seniors had experienced the struggles of being the underdog last year and honed their skills. The tactical advantage of being the experience warriors gave them an edge and they planned to use it against their counterparts. As the senior team was preparing for battle it was up to the senior cheerleaders to drive up the emotionally driven crowd.
The senior cheerleaders brought their “A” game to the field as they engaged the crowd. They were supporting their battle hardened team as they conducted risky and an potentially career ending choreographed cheer moves. They remained nimble and showed off their athletic abilities throughout the game engaging the crowd at all costs. They were fearless while conducting the dangerous pyramid while cheering the entire time.
The two rivals finally lined up against each other at the line of scrimmage to fight to the end. The juniors in the tie-dye jersey’s against the seniors in solid pink. The battle raged on through the 1st quarter with no score from either side, it was definitely a battle of the defense. Then with only 11 minutes left in the 2nd quarter the seniors out-maneuvered their enemy and scored the first touchdown of the game. This infuriated the junior’s who went on to respond with a touchdown of their own with just 7 minutes left to the half. The seniors were determine not to allow these young warriors to take them out of the game and they pushed much harder which led to another score with only 6 minutes remaining in the 1st half. The half ended with both sides weary from battle.
The second half began with the seniors leading the juniors 12-6 but the juniors were determined to show them they were down but not out. Then with only 8 minutes remaining the seniors were able to score again only to make the juniors more tenacious. The seasoned veterans of the field were now ahead 24-6 and were feeling confident with their lead. The juniors were not to be discounted though as they scored with only 4 minutes remaining. The juniors were happy to be closing the gap on their tormentors when a penalty was called against them. The touchdown was called no-good and the score reset back to 24-6. The embattled teams remained vigilant until the final second ran out ending the game with the seniors being victorious.
Coach Jaeden Barksdale spoke with The Jacksonville Journal reporter Matthew Fuller. The coach said they were playing well but the seniors were a little more aggressive than they had expected. There were also a few breakdowns in communication inside the huddle leading to a few mistakes. Barksdale went on say they he was happy with his team’s performance and feels they did a great job against the previously experienced seniors. He is looking forward to playing on the Golden Eagle’s this Friday to support his team in remaining undefeated.
Cheerleader for the juniors, Kenon Dwayne Satcher was also interviewed by Matthew Fuller after the game. Satcher stated that that they thought they did really well representing and cheering for their team even though the seniors came out and were “On fire”. It was his personal belief that the junior cheerleader’s did a better job. Satcher is also looking forward to Friday so he can help to defend the Golden Eagles undefeated record.
No matter who won the powder puff game, the entire student body will be behind the Jacksonville Golden Eagles on Friday when they play the Piedmont Bulldogs.
