Powderpuffs playing hardball

Caitlin Russell
Dec 3, 2010
It was rough-and-tumble in Thursday night’s powderpuff football game between The Black Ops and the pink-clad team, The Harajuku Barbies. BY BARBARA THOMAS
Ready, set, hike! The center for The Black Ops gets ready to snap the ball to the quarterback, as they face off against The Harajuku Barbies at Thursday night's Powderpuff football game. BY BARBARA THOMAS
The Harajuku Barbies were tenacious in their attempts to break through The Black Op's defense, but in the end were only able to pull out one touchdown. BY BARBARA THOMAS
Kayana Jones of The Black Ops roots for her team from the sidelines, but don't let the pigtails fool you: These girls mean business. BY BARBARA THOMAS
The ladies of Wareham High School battle for the ball in a scrum worthy of a rugby match. BY BARBARA THOMAS
Although the game was officially flag football, there were times when it seemed the girls would have preferred to play the traditional way. BY BARBARA THOMAS
Felicia Thomas runs the ball down the field, gaining some yards for The Black Ops. Thomas says that she enjoys football, and wouldn't mind seeing a girls football team at Wareham High School. BY BARBARA THOMAS
Role Reversal: The boys, clad in pink, cheered on the girls of the Harajuku Barbies. BY BARBARA THOMAS
The seniors and Freshmen of The Black Ops came out on top with a 30-6 Victory over the sophomores and juniors of the Harajuku Barbies. BY BARBARA THOMAS

Thursday night’s game between The Black Ops and The Harajuku Barbies of Wareham High School was Powderpuff football in name only.

The girls played as aggressively as any male football team. Although officially a flag-football game, one could easily have mistaken it for a tackle game with no pads. Many girls were hitting the ground and eating some dirt throughout the game.

At one point a member of the Barbies (which consisted of members of the sophomore and junior classes, the Black Ops consisted of members of the senior and freshmen classes) was sent flying end-over-end, and her shoe flew off as well. But she sprang right back up and got back in the game like nothing had happened.

“Everyone here is an athlete," said Black Ops defensive coach Zack Kowzic, a member of the Vikings varsity football team.   "They’re mean girls, they get very aggressive.”

Even more impressive is that the girls started training only a week before the game.

“We’ve practiced every day since Sunday,” said Black Op Felicia Thomas.

Some expressed interest in seeing schools with female teams for sports that have traditionally had only male teams.

“I wish there was a girls football team. It’s really fun,” said Thomas. Her mother, Barbara Thomas, was supportive of the idea.  “If there was enough girls interested I would support that as a parent.”

“I wish there was a rugby team,” Harajuku Barbie Tiffany Marquez remarked.

Despite a somewhat sparse turn-out, the game was lively throughout, with the coaches from the Vikings yelling encouraging words like “next time run her over,” from the sidelines.

One of the highlights of the game came in the fourth quarter when Black Op MaryGrace Brogioli caught the kickoff and ran nearly the whole length of the field for a touchdown.  Another great play came later in the fourth when Black Op Marley Harunk snatched the ball out the air for an interception and ran for a touchdown.

The Black Ops ended up defeating the Barbies 30-6, but everyone played their hearts out. A small band of pink-clad male cheerleaders offered support to the Barbies.

These girls seem to debunk the old fashioned notion that contact sports are not for women.

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