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Being the underdog is fine with Carly Sibi.
As a three-sport athlete, Sibi, a ninth grader, loves a challenge. That’s why a matchup with the juniors/seniors in the 2026 BHS Powder Puff Game was so appealing.
Sibi and the freshmen/sophomores defeated the upperclassmen 28-7 in the championship on Thursday, April 23.
“It was an incredible feeling, being an underclassman,” said Sibi, who played quarterback. “It felt good to show the
upperclassmen that just because we are smaller and younger, we have bigger hearts and dedication to win. The underdogs always win!”
Not every time but, in this case, it was in convincing fashion. The Class of 2028/2029 took a 14-7 lead at halftime powered by Sibi, Hailey Ackerman, Kiera Shiels and Jacquelynn Kondroski.
According to Sibi, teamwork and communication were the keys to her squad’s win.
“We worked together to target the key players on the junior and senior teams and covered all parts of the field to prevent them from receiving or running the ball,” Sibi explained. “We communicated with each other as well as with the coaches to make sure we knew where to go to be able to pass the ball down the field to the open area and score a touchdown.”
Mr. Delaporte, a coach for the freshmen/sophomores along with Ms. Faessinger, said that “the freshmen and sophomores combining was a bit of a last-minute change. Although it shocked many of the players, I was impressed with the chemistry we all developed in a short period of time.”
The underclassmen struck quickly in the title game on a pass from Sibi to Ackerman with 5:11 remaining. Ten seconds later, Sibi had an interception and Ackerman scored.
Grace Morreale, a senior, had an exceptional game for the upperclassmen. Morreale, who had several solid runs, reached the end zone with 38.9 seconds left in the first half.
After the break, Sibi connected with Shiels to push the underclassmen’s lead to 21-7.
The upperclassmen had an excellent chance to close the gap. Morreale picked off a pass with 3:10 remaining but after a failed pass, two short runs, a penalty and another run, they gave up the ball on downs.
It wasn’t all about offense. The defense played a significant role in the win.
“Our girls stopped the run and tackled easily,” Delaporte said. “We knew we had some offensive firepower but being able to get stops and turnovers on defense were keys to victory.”
Standouts on defense included Nicole Rodriguez and Riley Dwyer.
The victory by the freshmen/sophomores broke a string of three consecutive triumphs by the Class of 2026.
Sibi was grateful to have the sophomores join them.
“The sophomores impacted our win greatly,” she said. “They contributed to the defense and offense,
capturing flags left and right and intercepting the ball to get another offensive chance.
“Having a strong relationship with the girls outside of sports, as well as in sports, helped us plan to work around the opponents while having so much fun with the girls I love at the same time.”
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