As the smallest women's dorm, Badin often finds itself the underdog, and this Sunday's contest with Pasquerilla East is no exception.
"I know they are a bigger dorm," Bullfrogs captain Meaghan Charlebois said. "Of course, every dorm is bigger than Badin, so that's always tough for us."
In order to counteract the Pyros' depth, Charlebois said Bullfrog quarterback Katie-Rose Hackney will go to the air early and often.
"[Hackney's] been doing a lot of work and definitely has been improving," Charlebois said.
PE captain Molly Fox said her team is ready for Badin's pass-happy attack.
"We've seen them with their receiving gloves," Fox said. "We're ready."
Fox said the Pyros will use the running game to try to keep Hackney and the Badin offense off the field.
"We have some good running backs," Fox said. "We have a very strong football team. Plus we're going to surprise them with some trick plays."
Pangborn vs. Farley
The Pangborn Phoxes and Farley's Finest will open their respective Interhall football seasons this Sunday at 3 p.m. on West Quad in a game that should prove to feature two of this year's top teams.
After losing last year's championship game in the stadium, Pangborn is highly motivated to return.
"Our goal last year was to get to the stadium, but our goal this year is to get to the stadium and win," senior captain Katie Riemorsma said.
Riemorsma, a starting safety and wide receiver, is one of a number of athletic Phoxes who will be starting on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Pangborn will present a balanced attack and will rely on its athleticism as well as its experience.
Defensively, the squad did lose several important players - but Riemorsma isn't worried.
"We did lose some of our defensive starters, but we don't expect to lose a step," she said.
For Farley, coming off a .500 season in which it barely missed the postseason, the goals are clear.
"Our goal this year is to make it to the playoffs, and then go from there," junior captain and running back Kim Crehan said.
Despite a new coaching staff, the Finest will have a lot of the same plays and strategies as last year, especially on offense where they return all but one starter.
On the defensive end, Farley will be missing some defensive standouts from last year's squad who are currently studying abroad, but Crehan said she still expects to see a very strong defensive effort from this upperclassman-heavy team.
"We have great leadership and team chemistry," she said. "We know we have a tough first game, but we feel confident."
Welsh Family vs. Walsh
In a game that features two of last year's playoff teams, Welsh Family and Walsh will kick off their Interhall seasons this Sunday at 1 p.m. on the West Quad.
After a solid regular season earned them a bid to the playoffs last year, the Whirlwinds ended their season on a sour note with a first round playoff defeat.
Having put that behind them, the team has high expectations for this year -even thoughts of making a run all the way to the championship game.
The Wild Women are entertaining similar thoughts, however, looking to rekindle the magic that helped them win the championship two years ago.
The Whirlwinds, led by dedicated and experienced coaches, have been known in prior years for a stingy and intense defense and will look to that defense to uphold their reputation over the course of the season.
On offense, they are led by a strong receiving core, which features several girls who missed their junior seasons studying abroad.
The Wild Women, on the other hand, will look to some of their younger players - most of their squad is made up of sophomores and juniors - and a particularly strong freshman class. Offensively, quarterback Mary Sullivan and receiver Cigi Low return and present a good matchup for the Welsh Family defense.
Howard vs. Lewis
Howard and Lewis both hope to start off the season on the right foot with a first game victory at they square off on West Quad at 4 p.m. Sunday.
Lewis will attempt to continue its excellent play from last year when it entered the playoffs as a three-seed, while Howard hopes to rebound from a disappointing 2005 season where it missed the playoffs.
Breen-Phillips vs. Pasquerilla West
Pasquerilla West will begin its title defense Sunday at 5 p.m. on West Quad against Breen-Phillips.
The Purple Weasels want to continue their winning ways this season. The Babes hope to reverse their fortunes from last season and perhaps even make a run at the championship.
