Sunlake’s Class of 2028 came out on top in this year’s annual powderpuff game. Charlotte Stryker, a central player in the sophomore girls’ team, can account for her plays: “Last year, I participated in powderpuff as a freshman. In all honesty, we weren’t very organized and unfortunately got last place.” Even though they made common mistakes as freshmen, she took it as a learning opportunity to advance in this year’s competition. Prior experience in powderpuff lent a helping hand to Charlotte, and she says, “Playing last year did help because we learned the rules, what we should fix, and how to win.” It worked out in the end, her class being victorious in flag football. 

A solid number of last year’s freshman players decided to participate again this year. Familiarity with a similar team was useful this year as well because she and the sophomore coaches knew which players worked best together. 

Charlotte gives her insight on why she decided to participate again this year, saying, “I love being a part of school activities and I’m a very competitive person.” She advocates for incoming freshmen and people who haven’t had the chance to participate yet to play on the field next year. “I recommend other people to play next year because it’s super fun and it gets competitive. The girls playing are super nice, along with the coaches being good at leading the team.” Even with a rough start in freshman year, her team’s plays and their coaches have evidently proven themselves. 

When asked about her team’s game plans, she said, “We made plays for offense depending on the situation. For example, if they had really good safeties, we would run the ball so there were less chances of interceptions.” The sophomores planned their plays accordingly, carrying out the ball and scoring over six touchdowns.

Emotions were running high in this year’s game of Powderpuff. She comments, “When we were winning throughout the game and during the play against the seniors, I was thinking about how crazy it would be if we actually won, and we did!” 

The sophomore’s achieving the win this year in Powderpuff shows how you can progress an unorganized year into a solid victory in just one season. With experience, returning players, and strategic planning, Charlotte Stryker and her teammates drove their class to the top, proving that dedication pays off.