For 60 years, the Regina and Marian High School Powderpuff game has brought young women together to showcase their talent, camaraderie and the power of women in sports.
“It allows us to show what women are capable of in athletics and great sportsmanship. But honestly, it just brings our two school communities together. Obviously, individually, you see the two school spirits they have all week, but then just coming together—thousands of people are here to support young women in sports and the game of flag football,” said Regina High School Athletic Director Emily Frikken.
But the tradition extends beyond the field. It connects generations, with alumni returning year after year to find themselves back in the stands and on the sidelines, cheering on the same spirit they once brought to the field.
“I was on the O-line, so I remember pushing the girls back and being really into it. And we won that year, so it was a really amazing time,” said Erin Wiseman, Marian's Dean of Student Affairs and Operations.
“I was a linebacker and captain. We won 31-7. It was an emotional experience that every single year, when I watch the girls go through this process, I live vicariously through them,” Frikken said.
This year's game carries even more significance for Regina as the school celebrates 70 years of educating and empowering young women.
“They are not just playing for themselves. They are playing for the decades of Regina women that came before them. And they are always playing not just for themselves, but for the Regina sisters,” Frikken emphasized.
While Regina captured its 10th consecutive victory over Marian, the game has always been about much more than wins and losses.
Detroit Lions legend, Lomas Brown has seen the growth of women's flag football firsthand and understands why the energy surrounding the game is so special.
“It's the effort they put into it. It's the enthusiasm of the crowd. I just love being around this atmosphere… I'm so happy to see how the game of football, flag football, has just expanded and how the girls are taking it by the horns and pushing this game forward,” Brown said.
