Powderpuff

The annual powderpuff football game is one of the most anticipated events of the school year, and the 2020 powderpuff game will go down in history.

With the blue and white teams prepping off-campus for weeks prior to the event, the ladies got their chance to show off on the gridiron, and they did not disappoint.

After going back and forth throughout the whole game, the score was tight in the closing minutes. With the blue team down, they managed to get a safety with great defense, giving them two points and putting them in a scoring distance of winning the game.

Then, the unthinkable happened. With enough time to get off one last play, the blue team launched one final prayer.

Quarterback Kylie Bunning dropped back and threw a perfect hail mary pass connecting with Abby Brown. The pass was caught at the 40-yard line and receiver, Brown bobbed and weaved all the way to the end zone.

The touchdown sent all in attendance into a frenzy. With the blue team coming out on top, all the blue team members and coaches stormed the field to celebrate.

“Scoring the winning touchdown was one of my best high school memories,” Brown said. “It was so much fun to celebrate with my amazing team and all my friends, and it is definitely something I will never forget.”

Senior Night

With 17 seconds left in the matchup against Chicago Lakeview, senior Ryan Jacobson, was going to the free-throw line. No one could have seen that coming, especially since Jacobson had been injured for the entire season.

The Cougars had a plague of injuries throughout the 2020 season, but none was more devastating than Jacobson’s, as he was the returning starter and leading scorer.

Against North Ridge Prep, Jacobson came down wrong on his leg and tore his ACL and meniscus. With the ambition to play at the next level, Jacobson realized his senior season would be cut short only two games in.

Fast forward to Feb. 11 when the Cougars would play their senior night game against Chicago Lakeview. With 13 seniors on the roster, this game was particularly important. The Cougars ran up the score and held a comfortable lead with a couple of minutes remaining. With 11 of the 13 seniors having already played, McCarty looked at the athletic trainer Kirsten to see about the last two.

Along with Jacobson, starting center Michael Moore was hurt for the length of the 2020 season. With a dislocated knee, he didn’t play a game all season. Regardless of the “death look” McCarty got from the trainer, he decided he’d sub them in with under a minute to go.

Jacobson and Moore took their first and last steps back on the hardwood. With Moore immediately recording a rebound in the stat book, he passed it up the floor.

With 17 seconds left in the game, the refs called a reaching foul on Chicago Lakeview to get Jacobson to the free-throw line. With the fan section cheering him on, he knocked down his final point in a Cougar uniform.

“It was an emotional night for all of us,” Coach McCarty said.

Color Competition

The 2020 chant could be heard from a distance. As the senior class lined up outside of the school, they were decked out head to toe in tie-dye and rainbow colors. The most anticipated event of the year was underway, and it was the last go-around for the senior class.

After being given the go to enter the school by staff, the entire class of 2020 stormed through the doors, heading for the gym.

With so much energy and excitement, tragedy almost struck as a faculty member, Mrs. Childers, was knocked over by the tsunami of students. Luckily for her, the Cougar Class Act award winner, Nick Burrows witnessed her fall over and sprung into action.

“There was so much excitement for color wars that a teacher got ran over,” Burrows said. “Without even thinking, I moved in front of her and tried blocking people from trampling her or her glasses.”

Barreling down the halls, the 2020 class teamed up for one last go around to win the color competition.

They sang the fight song, teamed up on freshmen, and cheered their lungs out.

Unfortunately for the senior class, the juniors snagged the “W,” but the important thing was that the seniors all came together to compete in the “best day of the year.”

“Color wars really unified the whole 2020 class,” Burrows said.