Football for fun, charity

Powder Puff game on Friday

By: Bill Greenwood
   Something peculiar was going on at South Brunswick High School on Tuesday afternoon.
   As students rushed out onto the practice fields in their athletic T-shirts and shorts and began throwing footballs back and forth, it was obvious that this was no traditional football practice. In fact, these weren’t even traditional football players.
   They were participants in the high school’s sixth annual Powder Puff football tournament, in which the girls play, the boys coach and everyone tries to rile up the crowd with their cheerleading skills.
   "It’s so much fun to be on the field for once because we’re both stat girls for the football team," said Alison Inzano, who stood with her friend, Jess Attardo, both members of the senior team. "It’s fun to get a different twist of it, to actually be on the field playing."
   The football tourney will take place Friday at 6 p.m. at the high school’s Viking Stadium. There will be three games played: freshmen vs. juniors, sophomores vs. seniors, and a championship game featuring the two winners. Tickets cost $5, and all proceeds will benefit a charity that has yet to be selected by the Student Council.
   "We all work hard all week to support a good cause, and it really shows when everyone goes out on the field," Jess said.
   Practices began Monday and will continue through Thursday, according to Chris Heinz, one of two advisers to the class of 2007. He said he hoped his class would be able to continue its string of success.
   "The class of ’07 won last year," he said. "So, that was nice. They’re looking to repeat."
   "We’ve been working for four years for this," Jess said. "After our victory over the undefeated seniors, up until last year obviously, it just kind of gave us more energy for this year to just kind of keep up the winning and stuff."
   However, Jared Kohutanycz, one of the coaches for the junior team, said he expects his team to pull off a victory.
   "Of course we’re going to win," he said. "We’re the juniors. The seniors are looking too far ahead. They’re already celebrating. They’re not looking out for us."
   Jared said he has been teaching his team’s offensive line how to block, adding that the offense has learned a number of plays and that the defense is "looking strong."
   He said the experience has been an interesting one so far.
   "Sometimes, it gets a little bit funny," he said. "Like today, it’s all wet outside, so they’re falling, they’re slipping, they’re having a good time."
   Jared also said his team has a definite advantage because of the junior Powder Puff cheerleading squad, which he said has a reputation as "one of the funnier cheerleading acts."
   The group, which includes Dillon Diatlo, Spencer Evans, Anthony Little, Kris Raghavan and Tommy Quigley, will be trying to rile up the crowd during the game and will perform a choreographed dance at halftime, which they created themselves.
   "We all come up with random things," Kris said. "When we think of something, we throw it out."
   Dillon said the squad’s contributions aren’t meant solely to incite a laugh riot from the crowd, as its performance also is meant to keep the whole atmosphere light, even if the juniors should lose.
   "I remember freshman year, we lost, but then all the girls looked at our halftime show, and they were all happy again," he said. "We’re hoping to cheer them up if they lose, which they won’t."
   Both Alison and Jess said they are hoping for a big, rowdy crowd Friday because it helps to pump them up for their games.
   "We want a lot of hype, a lot of energy from the crowd and for everyone to be cheering and stuff because it’s so much more fun when everyone cheers," Jess said.
   They said those who come out will be supporting a good cause in addition to getting a good show, which Dillon could not agree more with.
   "If you’re not coming to watch the girls play Powder Puff, watch the boys cheerlead," he said. "It’s going to be sick."