WALLINGFORD -- Thanksgiving Day involves high school football for many families in Connecticut. But more importantly in Wallingford, the day before Thanksgiving also means the first and longest-running powder puff football game in the nation.
It's been 45 years since the girls at Sheehan High School took the field against crosstown rival Lyman Hall, and the high schoolers did it again in 2016.
In 1972, Sheehan High athletic director Judy Samaha wanted to create more athletic opportunities for girls in Wallingford, but she had no idea the tradition would endure for so long.
The powder puff game features senior girls from both Wallingford high schools battling on the gridiron in a flag football game. Each team has over 100 players, and boy, are they dedicated. In fact, they wait years to participate.
"I don't think people understand what Powderpuff is like in Wallingford," said Claudia Simone, a captain for the Lyman Hall Trojans. "I've waited for years for this so I'm ready to go."
"I was coming here in my middle school years," said Sheehan Titans' captain Amanda Gray. "I was, since like seventh grade I can remember being like 'oh my God I can't wait 'til this is my year.'"
It's the towns second biggest event, next to their 4th of July fireworks.
"I hear the only other event this big is the fireworks," said Sheehan coach Cheryl Colwick, who also teaches physical education at Sheehan. "Four thousand, 5,000 people over the years come each and every year to see this."
Colwick is not new to the gridiron. In fact, this is her 22nd year participating.
"So many of them have never been on a team before. So, they become a family and that is so meaningful in so many different situations," Colwick said.
While it's all fun and games, there does have to be a winner, and this year that was Lyman Hall, who scored 36. Sheehan scored 19. Sheehan had won the previous two years, so it was apparently time for Lyman to break the streak.
But there's still one thing the players on both sides agree on: if they had to choose between attending the senior prom and playing powder puff, the prom would lose.
