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"We just had a great activity that started to get bad publicity," said Steve Trifone, Cheshire High School athletic director. "We just didn't want to bring those two schools together this year ... For an activity that was supposed to be fun, it was going in the wrong direction."
Trifone said exchanges between rival fans escalated to vandalism in the Cheshire High School parking lot. Car windows were broken and items stolen from the locker rooms.
Southington will play New Britain High School this year, but Cheshire has been unable to find an opponent. Earlier efforts to schedule a game against Hamden and East Haven fell through. A recent attempt to schedule a game with Meriden's Platt High School also did not work out.
"I probably contacted over 20 schools," Trifone said.
Cheshire High School Principal Kevin Ryan said there weren't many options left.
"I think it's kind of a done deal," he said. "They're either involved in other schools (or) couldn't make dates match."
Lima believes schools are avoiding Cheshire due to the controversy.
"It's as if each school came up with their own excuses," she said. "They think we'll vandalize if things don't go our way."
Trifone said Hamden High School is a candidate for a powder puff game next year.
This year's team had five practices before learning that no opponent could be found. Volunteer coach George Gilhuly asked the girls if they wanted to play a game against each other. That idea was rejected, according to Trifone.
Powder puff brings the seniors together as a class, said volunteer coach Tom Lewoc. He wasn't surprised that they didn't want to play each other.
"Breaking them up would defeat the purpose," he said.
The senior girls aren't the only ones who will miss the annual game. Jesse Sheehan, a Cheshire senior, said the flag football game is an event for the entire school, particularly the senior class.
"I have a lot of friends who are really disappointed - boys and girls," he said.
The actions of fans last year frustrated Sheehan, since it hurt the chances for a game this year.
"There's really nothing we can do," he said.
Powder puff practices are still taking place, despite the bleak outlook for a game. Lima said Gilhuly told the girls anyone not wanting to continue practice was free to leave - an offer about half the girls took him up on, according to Lima.
She's decided to keep practicing.
"As long as they practice, I'll go," she said. "What if we did get a game?"
jbuchanan@record-journal.com
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