On Friday, November 7, Benet students enjoyed a day off. Occupying many Redwings’ morning was a staple student government event, Turkey Bowl. Turkey Bowl is a flag football tournament played by intramural student teams. Each team of 8-10 players paid $40 to participate. Teams were divided into four leagues: Freshman/Sophomore Boys, Freshman/Sophomore Girls, Junior/Senior Boys, and Junior/Senior Girls. Each team was guaranteed at least two games out on the soccer fields; a loss in the first game would move the team to a consolation bracket. After the first game, all rounds were elimination rounds. This sudden-death approach led to some fierce competition in this exciting event.

Flag football is played like real football but serves as a more school-friendly sport as a non-contact sport. Tackling in this game is replaced by the pulling of flags. There are a number of ways in which the ball is turned over from the defense to the offense. This includes interceptions, dropping the ball, and pulling the opponent’s flag. Though tackling was absent from Turkey Bowl, the fast-paced nature of the plays executed by student teams made games exciting.

Every Turkey Bowl participant found something to enjoy about the tournament. Freshman Ryan Flynn said, “Turkey Bowl was a great competitive experience to enjoy with my friends– probably my favorite event at Benet so far. I didn’t make it very far in the competition, but I still had fun, and it has made me look forward to next year.” Sophomore Ava Kasprzyck said, “Turkey Bowl was so fun. Being on a team with your friends makes the day fantastic. Turkey Bowl is a great way to get involved.” Sophomore Katy Cunningham said, “My favorite part of Turkey Bowl was having fun with my friends. I participated because I did [Turkey Bowl] last year, and it was so much fun. I’m doing turkey bowl next year because our team is going to win!” Other students also portrayed this competitive optimism. This positive feed
back for Turkey Bowl demonstrates the importance of such events for the Benet Community. Days of competition and fun like Turkey Bowl present opportunities to make important memories with great friends.