From April 1-3, teams of girls gathered on Benny Pierce Field to compete in the annual inter-class Falconpuff flag football games. The initial matchups pitted freshmen against juniors and sophomores against seniors.
On the first day, the freshmen executed a massive upset over the junior class after a battle that was hard fought until the very end of lunch. The juniors were forced to replay their final touchdown attempt due to a defensive penalty, but they ultimately failed to score, resulting in a 18-12 overtime victory for the freshmen.
The second day featured a dominant performance by the seniors, who secured an 18-0 blowout against the sophomores. Strong positioning by senior Sasha Prasad led to two interceptions that were quickly converted to touchdowns. Additionally, strong offensive plays helped the team move forward consistently against the sophomore defense and take home the win.
In the championship game on April 3, the winners from the previous games met up in the finals game. The freshmen were the underdogs in the previous match, so executing a second upset didn’t seem out of the question. Yet the seniors, who had won the Falconpuff contest for the past three years, were very eager to continue their streak.
The game’s only score came within the first few minutes when senior Thalea Charton recorded a pick-six — a play where a defensive player intercepts a pass (a “pick”) and returns it directly for a touchdown (six points) — putting the seniors up 6-0. That small advantage became crucial as the game turned highly defensive with neither side breaking through, resulting in a defensive stalemate. Despite the lack of substitutes and players filling unfamiliar roles, the seniors held their ground.
“We had a really small team and no subs, so stamina was a bit of an issue,” senior Cai said. “A lot of people were playing positions they hadn’t trained for before, but I think we prevailed.”
Ultimately, the seniors maintained their 6-0 lead until the final whistle, securing a rare “four-peat” — a feat that hasn’t occurred in the past four years.
“I think we came into the game very hyped up because we wanted to get our fourth win in all of Saratoga history,” Cai said. “Throughout the game, we carried our energy and excitement, and that’s what got us the win.”
