JUPITER, Fla. (AP) What boosters describe as the nation's last tackle powderpuff football game is no more, at least for now.
After 50 years of spirited competition between senior and juniors girls, Jupiter High's principal has canceled the annual game, saying he doesn't believe helmets and shoulder pads borrowed from boys' teams adequately protect the players from the game's hits.
The cancellation of this month's game blindsided Jupiter, a middle-class suburb on the Palm Beach coast. The event packs the stands - something the Jupiter boys' team rarely does. With boys dressed like female cheerleaders in tight shorts, crop tops and wigs, the girls say the game lets them experience the thrill of competing before a roaring crowd instead of playing softball or soccer in front of a few dozen parents and friends.
