Med Dawgs annihilate Lethal Ladies in championship game

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Brigitte N. Brantley
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  The night of Oct. 19 found the 8th Security Forces Squadron "Lethal Ladies" pitted against the 8th Medical Group "Med Dawgs" in the much-anticipated finale of this year's Powderpuff double-elimination tournament.

Both teams started their season without much hope - maybe they would win a game or two, but they never thought they would reach the championship game.

Each week, the rivalry grew as the women went all out in every game. Despite all the safety precautions taken, injuries also mounted: a torn Achilles tendon, a broken rib, sprained ankles, stitches, and a concussion.

The Med Dawgs were physically smaller and shorter than their opponents, putting them at an immediate disadvantage from the first game.

The Lethal Ladies were the 8th SFS's second-string team. All the first-choice players were pulled to the "A Team," leaving the supposed second-rate players on their own.

Throughout the tournament, the two teams played well, eliminating teams from the 8th Operations Group, the other 8th SFS team and the 8th Force Support Squadron. The Med Dawgs lost only one game, with the SFS "A Team" gaining more yards in overtime for a game that tied 6-6. 

"Throughout the season, we gave everything we had and played our hearts out," said Janessa Dymond, Lethal Ladies captain. "We weren't always the most skilled team out there, but we played at 110 percent, and that is why we won our games. "

As Oct. 19 came around, the two teams were in a deadlock - if the Lethal Ladies could pull off a win during the night's first game, they would be named the tournament's victors. If the Med Dawgs overcame them, both teams would play each other again in back-to-back games.

By this point, it was seen as a battle between underdogs.

"We felt strong going into the first game," said Sahtara Wehe, Med Dawgs team captain. "We practiced a lot. After a couple games, we made changes to our lineup and teams just weren't able to hold up against our defense."

Wehe added she knew the second game would the hardest if they made it that far.

And they did.

The Med Dawgs shut out their competition 12-0 during the first game, leaving the chance for victory open to both teams in the second. Then, although the Lethal Ladies played strong for many weeks, they couldn't hold on to any more.

The Med Dawgs shut them out again 14-0 to claim the game and the tournament. They went from a ragtag team of players who hadn't practiced together before to the team who won it all.

"The female league wasn't seen as a priority at first, but that changed after the first game," said Jessica Butler, the Med Dawgs' lead defense player. "We played hard because we had something to prove."