Each class fielded all-girl teams for a flag football tournament, and they were coached by members of the school’s football team, and school staff was on hand to ref the game.

The senior class prevailed in a 13-12 thriller over the juniors in the championship game, after prevailing over the sophomores in the first round.

The annual tradition was started in 1971 by Chuck Pandolph. He noticed that, at the time, there were not a lot of options for girls interested in playing sports. Pandolph, who played football for the Marines and was an Olympic bobsledder, sought to make a change, according to Kara (Pandolph) Munn, his granddaughter.

“He wanted to start something that was just for the girls,” she said. “He saw potential in many of them; Kelly Morgan, Kathy Baker to name a couple.”

The junior team and coaching staff, from left, are Sabina Radoncic, Melody Costigan, Kelsi Burth, Melody Martin, Ellie Willett, Maddie Stavenhagen, Molly Butler, Stephanie Kilbourne-Hill, Ally Bourgeois, Lizzie Harvey, Emma Akey, Payton Bomyea, Rae Baumann, Scottie Nicholas, David Montroy and Tryon Haltigan. (Provided photo — Josh Dann)

Morgan attributed the tradition’s longevity, even as girls’ sports have become widely established at the high school level, to the multigenerational point of pride that brings the community together.

“There’s still parents and even grandparents now who’ve played in that who stay a part of the community,” said Morgan, who kicked the game-winning point for the sophomore class in their 1971 7-6 squeaker over the junior class.

With this year’s champions having graduated by the time the next Pumpkin Bowl rolls around, 2025 will offer a chance for a new class to lay bragging rights to one of Saranac Lake’s cherished traditions.

The sophomore team and coaching staff, from left, in the back standing are Delaney Knapp, Kasey Clark, Sophie Baker, Mar Carmona Guarido, Brisa Brunette, Layla Dearborn, Ryan McGinnis-Theis, Brandon McGinnis-Theis, Elias Willett and Brice Heery. In the front, from left, are Ashlynn Tomaszewski, Rori Chanaille-Schenk, Tess Martin, Layne Locke, Jaylee Niederbuhl and Bingo Valentin. (Provided photo — Josh Dann)

The freshmen team and coaching staff, from left, in the back standing are Cooper Barry, Thomas Kilbourne-Hill, Evan Harvey, Ella Knapp, Sophina Bombard-Schmidt, Alliseya Susice, Emma Stephenson, Kaylee Holmes, Julia Pickard, Karissa Holmes, Amelia Evans, Tabithia Duprey and Gunner Harrison. In the front, from left, are Katy Hoffnagle, Lilly Kipping, Wren Crist, Lyndsee Reardon, Lillian Patnode, Pepper Laxson and Emily Bartiss. (Provided photo — Josh Dann)