This is not your mother’s Powder Puff

Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2006 | 7:03 a.m.

What: New Mexico Burn at Las Vegas Showgirlz

When: 7 p.m. Saturday

Where: Valley High School

Tickets: $8 for adults; $3, students 12-18; kids free with paying adult

On the Web: www.lvshowgirlz.com

The last time I had looked in on the Las Vegas Showgirlz was Feb. 18. Of the 50 or so women who had expressed an interest in playing the heretofore he-man sport of tackle football in Las Vegas, a grand total of seven showed for practice on a raw, 40-degree day.

Then it began to snow, which seemed appropriate.

As I shivered toward the parking lot while what appeared to be six offensive tackles and one wide receiver tried to line up in something resembling a formation, I figured they had roughly a snowball's chance in Summerlin of ever playing a competitive down of football.

Fast forward six months to a 90-degree Saturday evening at Valley High School.

On one side of the field stood the Los Angeles Amazons, who must have been named for No. 74, their defensive tackle built like Mama Cass but who plays with the disposition of Bea Arthur. The Amazons wore maroon and gold uniforms and looked just like Florida State, save for the ponytails and French braids sticking out from under their helmets.

On the other side of the field stood the Showgirlz, wearing blue and white uniforms with a big royal blue "LV" decal on their regulation helmets. The six offensive tackles I had spotted at that first practice were still around. So, remarkably, were about 43 others.

Midway through the first quarter, Carrie Walters, the Showgirlz quarterback, took a snap and ran laterally along the line of scrimmage, reading the Amazons' left defensive end and linebacker. When both committed to the trailing back, Walters kept the ball and scooted into the Los Angeles secondary. Then, when the defense collapsed on her some 15 yards down the field, Walters pitched the ball to speedy Jennifer Tonaltzin.

It was like watching J.C. Watts and Billy Sims execute the Oklahoma triple option. "That's our Texas series," coach Dion Lee would say.

Just to confirm I wasn't dreaming, the Showgirlz ran the same play in the second quarter with the same Swiss-watch precision.

There might have been secretaries and nurses and dental assistants and homemakers inside those helmets and shoulder pads. But the game they were playing looked just like football.

The Showgirlz wound up losing in overtime, 20-14. Afterward, many of the players hung their heads, disappointed they had let down about 400 or so of the mostly friends, family members and significant others who had come to see them knock helmets - or have them ripped off by Mister Mom, or whatever alias No. 74 in maroon and gold uses when she's hiding from the authorities.

But Helen Reddy would have been proud. If they have to, these Showgirlz can do anything (with the possible exception of kick a game-winning field goal, which was blocked at the line of scrimmage.)

They are strong.

They are invincible (or at least hard to tackle).

They are women football players.