By: Olive Varvel
Forget waiting until Friday night to see a football team storm the field in victory, because the 2026 Bellbrook High School Powderpuff game is set for Wednesday, September 30 at 7:30 pm. Powderpuff is a Bellbrook tradition, and the senior class of girls is split down the middle to make a White Team and Purple Team.
Under the Wednesday Night Lights, the energy promises to be just as high as the traditional end-of-week varsity game. Student-coaches on both teams are taking their role seriously. Coaches on the Purple Team include JT Korber, Jack Kosins, and Grant Diorio, and coaches on the White Team include Eli Elmeier, JT Frantz, and Kenton Gerdes. The coaches are teammates on the football team, and they foster a fierce competition with each other. Bragging rights are on the line for both the coaches and the players.
Senior quarterback Kelsey Kenney of Purple Team is excited for the game, but nervous about playing under the watch of a larger crowd. “I’m excited to feel what the football players feel being under the lights,” Kenney said. “I hope I do good and complete passes under pressure.”
Kenney brings a strong, precise arm to the offense, but she prefers to run the ball more. “I like to give it to the running back [Jenny Hildebrand],” Kenney said “It’s easier and Jenny knows what to do. She can run the ball quickly.”
White Team also poses a serious threat to the competition. Coaches of White Team have drawn up meticulous plays while ensuring simplicity for players new to the sport. “We’re trying to make everything simple and not confuse the players,” senior coach JT Frantz said. “We like to simplify plays and split up everything positionally so players can specialize early on and learn the basics of their positions.”
The coaches of both teams stress the importance of having fun. “Hopefully the players have fun and don’t worry too much about the plays,” Frantz said.
Come to the stadium on Wednesday, September 30 at 7:30 pm, where a packed student section will be bringing the noise to see which team takes home this year’s bragging rights.
