Powderpuff teams seek playoff bids in week seven
Martel College running back Cassie Peretore runs through the Graduate Student Association’s defense in a game on Monday, Oct. 27. GSA won the game 7-0, giving Martel their first loss of the year.
With the seventh week of preliminary powderpuff games still underway, Sid Richardson College currently sits at the top of its division and the overall conference with a 78-point differential and six wins and no losses. Last year, the team ended their season with a 62 point differential and six wins and one loss.
According to Sid Richardson junior Christina Shields, the secret to the team’s success is an improvement on the offensive side of the ball.
“Our defense has been really strong for the past few years, but this year we really diversified our offense as well,” Shields said. “Our defense is still rock solid, but now everyone on offense is scoring, and I think that’s the reason we’ve seen such a good point differential.”
Martel College trails behind Sid Richardson and GSA as third overall, with a current record of four wins, one loss and a 18-point differential. Last year, Martel ended their season with three wins and four losses, finishing with an 11-point differential. This year, the Martel and GSA are tied for the best record in the North division, although GSA has the better point differential with 28.
Head Coach and Martel senior Taylor Neal said he is enthusiastic about his team’s improvement.
“Our team has improved on both sides of the ball, and it has been exciting to get a few wins to start the season,” Neal said. “We are not satisfied with a few early wins, and we’re still trying new things as we attempt to improve.”
Martel junior Cassie Peretore said Martel’s newfound success can be explained by the team’s effort and chemistry.
“Our coaches and players this year have really stepped it up with dedication and hard work,” Peretore said. “I’m really excited to see where our season ends up. Honestly, we’re just going out there, having fun and enjoying ourselves.”
Will Rice College opened with a loss by one point to Martel. However, they were quick to stabilize their point differential with three consecutive victories against Brown College, Baker College and Hanszen College. The team recently lost to Sid Richardson by seven points.
Coach Will Byers said he is proud of the determination and work ethic of the team, giving special credit to senior Ellen Wendte and junior Michelle Huang.
“We’ve had two tough losses that really came down to the wire,” Byers said. “I’ve been extremely impressed with our girls’ resilience and focus. Captains Ellen Wendte and Michelle Huang have done a great job of getting people out to practice and motivating everyone to excel. I think future seasons are looking bright for Will Rice.”
Coming off of its 2013 season, which finished with a loss in the championship game, the McMurtry College team has seen less success this season with two wins, three losses and a two-point differential. According to Head Coach Ross Michie-Derrick, a McMurtry senior, the team has had to rebuild itself after losing many key players to graduation.
“Veterans like Jessica Kelly, Andrea ‘AK-47’ Kopczynski, Joanna Hall and Allison Yu have played well from the start,” Michie-Derrick said. “The freshmen have found their lane in the past few games, [and quarterback] Avery Landrum has amazing spatial awareness, which has facilitated her rapid rise.”
Despite the initial setbacks, Michie-Derrick said the team will end up winning the championship.
“We started the season in a rebuild, but we will finish it with the championship plaque,” Michie-Derrick said.
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