Emotions ran high in the homecoming showdown between the juniors and seniors. Juniors Kourtney Kesul and Daisy Rosales were banged up during a game which included an ejection and three straight unnecessary roughness penalties against the seniors to start off the first half.
But penalties did not hold their offense back. The seniors cruised against the juniors, picking up a 27-12 victory.
The seniors entered and left their last powder puff game in style, coming into the parking lot loaded in the backs of pickup trucks, and leaving after weaving under a human arch on the field.
Senior quarterback Tara Lycos made a statement early, connecting with Ashley Schorr for a 24-yard touchdown strike in the first 10 minutes of play. Lycos connected with Schorr on the next play, converting to make it a 7-0 lead.
Junior defensive back coach Ryan Tharp tried to make changes quickly, having the ladies “drop back more because they were throwing deeps.” Defensive changes did not slow down Lycos, however, as she hooked up for a 45-yard touchdown with receiver Kristiana Stolzman.
After a quick stop of the juniors, Lycos led the offense in a drive which ended with another touchdown connection with Stolzman, giving the seniors a 19-0 lead.
“Kristiana and I have had this offensive combination for three years,” said Lycos. “I just wanted to get the ball to her and then I knew that we’ll win.”
After a half-time show highlighted by the Guys’ Poms performance, the junior defense came off energetic with an interception by defensive back Emily Kohley only 30 seconds into the half.
The seniors proved resilient, however, as Sarah Scarbro dropped back into coverage and took the ball back the next play on an interception.
The junior offense seemed potent at times, with running backs Amanda Zbilski and Krystal Gonzalez often picking up big gains. Zbilski scored on a 32-yard touchdown carry to close the gap to 19-6.
After another Kohley interception, the senior defense cranked up the pressure, picking up a key safety on defense and giving the seniors a 21-6 lead.
“I got a better handle on the game after playing for a while,” said senior Summer Campbell, a first-year player whose shutdown defense stood out.
After a few punts by both teams, the seniors took control again with a Lycos touchdown pass to Schorr with under 5 minutes to go. The juniors put up another touchdown late, but it proved too little, too late, as the seniors closed the game out.
Lycos finished the night 12-27, with 254 passing yards and four touchdowns. Schorr and Stolzman each had 97 and 96 yards receiving, respectively.
One of the senior coaches, Brody Burkhart, was proud of the seniors’ performance.
“We just came out here to win, but also to have fun,” said Burkhart. “We had both a strong offense and defense, and the scoreboard shows for it.”
Post Author: Marek Makowski. Marek is the Sports Editor for The Voice. He is an avid White Sox fan, and also supports the Bears and Bulls. Marek aspires to transform his passion for journalism into a future career. He also reports for The Mash, a product of the Chicago Tribune. You can follow him on Twitter, @MarekMakowski.