The juniors thought they had the 2012 Powder Puff football game all wrapped up, but Kelsea Sadler’s last-second touchdown pass to Kelli Uresti gave the seniors a 12-8 win. The annual game benefits Project Graduation. (Photo by Cyndy Slovak-Barton)
by CYNDY SLOVAK-BARTON
Move over Vince Young.
The Hays High Senior Powder Puff team knows how to earn a victory in the last second of a football game as well.
The final score of Hays’ 2012 Powder Puff seniors vs. juniors flag-football game was 12-8 and there was plenty of drama late in the contest.
The juniors held the lead for a large portion of the game, with most of the action taking place in mid-field, and neither team getting close to the end zone many times.
With only a couple of minutes on the clock, the juniors tried to pound a final nail in the coffin of the seniors. But, after three incomplete passes, which left just seconds on the clock, the junior girls decided to run the ball, instead of taking a knee and ending the game. A wild scramble ensued, with junior Savannah Derrick taking the ball and running up the right side.
But Derrick, a Hays High soccer player, is used to a much wider field and stepped out of bounds by several feet during her rush to get back to the line of scrimmage.
With only one second left on the clock, the seniors took possession.
Senior quarterback Kelsea Sadler took the snap and managed to recover the bobbled ball.
The juniors, thinking that because the snap was bad that the ball was dead, didn’t grab Sadler’s flags to end the play. Sadler responded by throwing a long pass to Kelli Uresti, who grabbed the “Hail Mary” pass and backed into the end zone, while keeping her flags away from the hands of the juniors.
Uresti’s game-winning touchdown with no time on the clock set off a massive celebration by the seniors.
Other key plays for the seniors came from a quarterback sack by Meredith Driskell and an earlier touchdown by Leslie Simoneau.
Halftime performance was provided by the Class of 2012 “Guysteppers” and “Cheer Dudes.”
The annual Powder Puff game benefits Project Graduation.
