By Cassie Silkoff ’25
At Derby High School, Powderpuff is a popular annual event where girls get the opportunity to play flag football. In past years, the Red Raiders from Derby played their over-the-bridge rivals, the Shelton Gaels for powderpuff but this year they were left to find a new opponent.
To the Derby community, Girls Powderpuff is more than just a “fun” game that is played before Thanksgiving. The game always has a hard hitting impact on the community, and an even bigger turn-out as there is never a cash charge to get in. Derby High School Athletic Director Jennifer Moffat reported that, “It brings everybody together. It’s fun to see the boys on the sidelines as cheerleaders […] Also at the gate there is no charge to get in, we have people bring non-perishables and donate them. When we are in Shelton the items go to The Spooner House, and when we play in Derby, it goes to Saint Vincent DePauls.”
The matchup with Shelton dates back to 1995 and continued on and off into 2023. However, in 2022, the DHS boys football team realigned the Thanksgiving day game and they now play Oxford. This left a disconnect with the two schools’ powderpuff teams.
When the girls found out the game might not be possible, the emotions were evident; Derby High School’s Emma Hyder ‘25, stated that, “It really makes the week leading up to the Thanksgiving game so much more special. It is really disappointing because I was looking forward to the 3-pete this year, on our turf for our last powderpuff game ever.”
After several meetings and conversations between Moffat and Oxford’s Athletic Director, Andre Huston, the goal to get the girls a game was finally coming to life. When asked why he agreed to play Derby, Huston explained that, “Participating in a powderpuff football game with Derby can be a great opportunity for several reasons. One reason is that it fosters community spirit and camaraderie. It also provides a platform to showcase sportsmanship and teamwork, offering a chance for everyone involved to have fun and create lasting memories.”
Moffat also relayed that the game just, “makes sense because we are a class S school and they are as well and we now play them on Thanksgiving.”
Only after Thanksgiving will we know which school will come out victorious, whether that be by bringing home the boot or pulling all the flags.
With this new matchup, the powderpuff game will be an exciting showdown before the Thanksgiving football game throw-down!
The Raider Press 