Post by Coach Campbell on Mar 17, 2009 17:32:17 GMT
A History of Girls Playing Tackle Football
1939
Luverne "Toad" Wise (c. 1923-1983) kicked six extra points for the Escambia County (Alabama) High School football team.
1947
In the post World War II era, the first girl known to have played high school football was Frankie Groves of Stinnett High School in Texas. Her showcase game was versus Groom High School in November 1947. Soon after the game, Texas' high school sports ruling body formally banned girls from playing high school football--a ban that would not be lifted until 1993.
1971
The Florida High School Activities Association changed its rules to allow girls to compete in predominantly male sports. A seventeen-year-old girl named Jan Coehlo of Florida was allowed to try out for her high school's football team, but she quit after one practice. Ms. Coehlo, who stood sex-feet tall and weighed 157 lbs., sought to be a quarterback
1972
Title IX passed.
Post Title IX, these were among the first girls to try out for and/or win spots on high school, junior high school and little league tackle football teams:
Kim Houlton and Jan Pendleton, both eight years old, became the first modern-day girls to play organized football in the state of Alabama when they joined the Bee League of the Montgomery YMCA's youth football program. Jan played at end and linebacker, while Kim played guard. (From New York Times January 1, 1973: 7)
1973
In 1973, Dugan Wiess was a backup place-kicker for Walton High in Defuniak Springs, FL. She wrote about her experiences in a 1974 Seventeen magazine article.
March 1973: Janet Youngholm, a sophomore at Princeton University, campaigned for women to be allowed to try out for the men's lightweight football club, which was for players weighing less than 150 pounds.
In 1973, California passed a rule making it possible for girls to play with boys on high school athletic teams. That year two fourteen-year-old girls decided to try out for their school's junior varsity football teams: Diane Thompson (5', 90 lbs.) of Yuba City, CA as a split end for Live Oak High School and Toni Ihler (5'4", 130 lbs.) as a lineman at Portola High School. (See "Now the lineperson comes to football," by Jill Gerston. New York Times. Sept. 2, 1973; sec. 5: 3) UPDATE--April 9,2001. Here is some additional information: Toni Ihler played both offensive and defensive guard on the Portola High junior varsity (Portola's in Plumas Co.) and won her letter. (Source: Caen, Herb. "From Here to Absurdity." San Francisco Chronicle. November 12, 1985: 37.)
Offensive guards Carol and Delores Darrin, along with aspiring running back Kathy Tosland of Grays Harbor County, Washington, tried out for and won spots on the Wishkah Valley High School football team. Since there were only twelve boys on the Wishkah Valley High team originally, the Darrins wanted to inspire other boys to go out for football. After participating in several full contact practices, the Darrins and Miss Tosland were barred from playing in any games by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. The Darrins filed a suit on September 21, 1973 seeking a restraining order that would allow them to play football, but the court ruled against them. In 1975, after two years of court battles, the WIAA rule that barred the Darrins from playing high school football was finally overturned, but the Darrins never got to play a regular season football game for Wishkah Valley High.
1974
Twelve-year-old Cynthia Whipple of Rochester, NY, made her Pop Warner debut playing defensive tackle. She was believed to be the only girl playing Pop Warner football in the United States that year.
In Montgomery County, PA, however, ten-year old Suzanne "Suzy" Kolber won a spot on a little league football team, but quit due to strong opposition from parents and other adults.
1975
Brenda Hand of Sarasota, FL played football for a school team. Sarasota Journal photographer Ron Jett's Pictures of her in practice are in the book Best Sports Stories of 1975, page 273.
Sally Gutierrez became the first girl to play high school football in New Mexico when she suited up for Quemado High School. Ms. Gutierrez, 5 feet 6 inches tall and 135 pounds, was a backup guard. The New Mexico Activities Association initially barred Ms. Gutierrez from playing, citing a state regulation. However, Ms. Gutierrez filed suit to get that regulation overturned, and Santa Fe District Court Judge Thomas Donnelly issued a restraining order allowing her to play in the season's remaining games.
1976
Twelve-year-old Tina Muscare of Chicago played for a little league football team called the Kosciuszko Park Browns (team colors: green [!] and white). In a game played on Oct. 16, 1976 (versus the Davis Square Colts), Tina sacked the quarterback for a five-yard loss. Originally the Chicago Park District tried to bar Tina from playing football, claiming that adolescent boys are too rough for girls.
1977
There were two girls playing football at the secondary school level in the state of Massachusetts:
Anne Babson, a 5 feet 7 inch, 150-pound eighth-grader, played on both the offensive and defensive lines for the Ipswich (MA) Junior High School football team. She was believed to be the first girl to play on a school team in Massachusetts.
Also playing was Tammy Lee Mercer, a 5 feet 7 inch, 135 pound defensive tackle for the freshman football team at Amherst (MA) Regional High School. The previous year, Tammy played for the McManus Vikings of the Amherst Youth Football League.
Jackie Morgan, an eighth-grader from Danville, Iowa, won a starting tackle position on her junior high school's football team. (Christian Science Monitor, Oct. 17, 1977: 2).
According to the Washington Post, eight-year-old Lisa Glascock "became the first girl to win permission to play club football in Arlington County [Virginia]."
Eight-year-old Tara King of Selden, NY was possibly the first girl to play little league tackle football in the New York City/Long Island area. Tara played despite a threat by the Middle Island District Youth Association to make her team, the Oilers, forfeit every game she appeared in. (See "A 50-pound tackle skirts regulations," by Jane Snider. Newsday. Sept. 23, 1977: 4)
Lisa Mims, a sophomore at Louisville (Alabama) High School, averaged 40 yards per punt for the football squad.
1978
Donna Wilborn of Mount Horeb High School became the first Wisconsin girl to play for a high school football team.
Ida Fox, a 5-foot-4, 120 pound sophomore, won a spot on the junior varsity football team at Poolesville High School in the Washington, DC area. Ms. Fox got to be a second-string safety and a No. 5 tailback. (Washington Post. Sept. 17, 1978: E1, E5)
Mia Frederick played football for Fort Pierce (Florida) Central High School this year. (Talley, Scot. "And No. 79 . . .Heather; PB Lakes Koren Plays Football, Just for Kicks." Palm Beach Post. Oct. 1, 1991; Sports: 1C.)
1979
1980
Mary Ellen Wiley became the backup punter for the Coronado (California) High School football team. Said Coronado assistant coach Dave Tupek, "she was pretty talented, and had no trouble holding her own in drills and wasn't afraid to tackle when we had scrimmages." (Warren, Jennifer. "Sophomore Aims to Join Lineup; She's Tackling Ban on Girls Playing Football." Los Angeles Times. Orange County Edition. May 18, 1985; Metro [Part 2]: 1.)
Jodi Sorenson played high school football at Hallock High School in Minnesota. (Grow, Doug. "Female wide receiver isn't about to drop her dream." Star-Tribune Newspaper of the Twin Cities Mpls.-St. Paul.August 31, 1986; Metro: 1C.)
1981
Tami Maida was a quarterback for the Philamath (Oregon) High School football team. Her story became the basis for a 1983 CBS Movie of the Week titled, Quarterback Princess, starring Helen Hunt.
In Tripoli, Iowa, thirteen-year-old Sarah Ambrose was a second-string tight end for her junior high school's football team. ("Co-ed football concerns Iowa athletic officials" by Dan Wilinsky. UPI Newswire May 5, 1984.)
1982
This year saw two more Wisconsin high school girls follow in Donna Wilborn's footsteps. Vicki Smith of Shorewood High School and Judy Jackson of Juneau High School in Milwaukee took to the gridiron.
Beth Bates was the first girl to play high school football in the state of Kentucky. As a kicker for the Williamsburg High School football team, Beth scored five point-after-touchdowns in 1982 and a PAT and a field goal in 1983. By 1990, Ms. Bates had become a high school math teacher and girls' basketball coach ([Louisville] Courier-Journal Oct. 15, 1990: 1B).
1983
Alexandra "Alix" Coulter, age 20, became the first woman to ever play intramural tackle football at Harvard University. (From Boston Globe, Oct. 21, 1983)
Eighth-grader Dawn Anders was given permission by Chickasha, OK school district officials to go out for football. (UPI Aug. 24, 1983)
Thanks to a restraining order obtained by the Oregon branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, a girl named Ellice Stanwick (5'9", 168 lbs.) was allowed to suit up for and play in the last football game of the regular season at her junior high school.
Rose Marie Germana (5'5", 130 lbs.) became the first girl to play varsity football in the Philadelphia Archdiocese's Catholic Youth Organization. She was a fullback/linebacker for the football team at St. Edmond's Parochial School. (see Philadelphia Daily News, Oct. 6, 1983; section 4 (LOCAL): 4.)
1984
Cyndi Bays became one of the first girls to play high school football in Southern California when she suited up as a wide receiver and special teams player on the Royal High School sophomore team.
On April 11, 1984, Douglas County Oregon Judge Donald Sanders ordered the rescinding of a Sutherlin school district policy that barred girls from playing football and other contact sports.
According to statistics from the National Federation of State High School Athletic Associations, eight girls played on varsity high school football teams in the fall of 1984: three in California and five in Mississippi.
As of this year, the Iowa Boys High School Athletic Union received reports of 3 or 4 girls playing junior high school football each year. ("Co-ed football concerns Iowa athletic officials" by Dan Wilinsky. UPI Newswire May 5, 1984.)
1985
Elizabeth Balsley and Charlene Van Brunt became the first two girls to play high school football in the New York City Metropolitan Area. While Ms. Balsley of North Hunterdon Regional High School got most of the media attention, Ms. Van Brunt of Hopatcong High was the first of the two to actually play in a game. She played for the freshman football team on Sept. 20, 1985 versus Sparta High School. Ms. Balsley made her first junior varsity game appearance on October 21, 1985.
Lizzie Luna of Westchester High School became the first girl to try out for and win a spot on a high school football team in the Los Angeles Unified School district. She earned a second string fullback position.
Bridgette Farris scored a Point-after-touchdown kick in the 3rd Quarter of Fresno Hoover High's 9-0 win over Dinuba (CA) High. It was believed to be the first score ever made by a girl in a California varsity football game.
Jacqueline Sumell, age 12, of Oakdale, NY played for the dolphins, a team in the Sachem Youth Advisory Group tackle football program. She was a starting safety on defense. At the time, Ms. Sumell was believed to be the only girl playing competitive tackle football on Long Island.
16-year-old Jacqueline Lantz of Yonkers, New York won a court ruling in October 1985 which enabled her and other girls in New York State to try out for football.
In September, Sheila Gaffney of Toombs Central high School became the first girl to play in a high school football game in Georgia. Miss Gaffney, a 5'8", 135-pound fullback, played in one quarter of Toombs' season opener. ("Girl becomes first to play in Georgia high school football game" Associated Press. Sept. 7, 1985.) A couple weeks later, Shelley Garner (5'2", 100 lbs.) became the first girl to score in a high school football game in Georgia.
1986
On October 20, Texas' University Interscholastic League voted 12 to 6 in favor of allowing girls to play football in junior high school. This rules change allowed 14 year old Tina Trejo of Austin to play for Bedichek Junior High School.
After the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association decided to allow girl to try out for contact sports such as football, Jessica Leverett a Sparks High School became the first girl to play in a Nevada high school football game.
Girls in high school football became a reality on Long Island, New York this year. At Glen Cove High School, gymnasts Pamela Graham, a 5'1", 101-pound senior, and Lisa Massago, a sophomore, decided to give junior varsity football a try. They took part in their first scrimmage on October 19. Meanwhile, Central Islip High School sophomore Patricia English joined her school's junior varsity football team. She was eligible to see game action for the first time on October 25 versus Bellport. (See "For 3 Girls, A New Field of Study," by Edna Negron and Anemona Hartocollis. Newsday. Oct. 16, 1986: 6)
Christine Tinglin (5'10", 135 pounds) of West Humber Collegiate High School and Alison Irving (185 pounds) of Silverthorn High School were among the first girls to play high school football in Toronto, Canada. Ms. Tinglin was a wide receiver for the West Humber Collegiate senior team while Ms. Irving was on Silverthorn's junior team. ("Two girls tackling gridiron wars; Another male bastion crumbles," by David Grossman. Toronto Star. Oct. 10, 1986: F6.)
1987
Heidi Kaiser of New Smyrna Beach High School was believed to be the first female to score in a Florida high school football game. Heidi's first score was a point after kick in the first quarter of the New Smyrna Beach Tornadoes 0-6 win over Daytona Beach Mainland High School.
Kari McCallum of Roosevelt High School became the first female to play football in the Seattle, Washington area Metro League. (From Seattle Times. January 7, 1988; Zone: B3.)
1988
Vicky DeHaan of Stuart-Menlo High School caught a two-point conversion pass in her team's 36-14 victory over Adair Casey. With that catch, Ms. DeHaan became the first girl to score in an Iowa high school football game.
Mindy Levitt, a sophomore at the Moses Brown Prep School in Providence, RI, played at wide receiver in a Sept. 24 game versus St. Thomas More Prep of Oakdale, CT. Mindy is believed to be the first girl to play high school football in Rhode Island.
In January, the Louisiana High School Athletic Association voted to allow girls to play "boys sports that aren't offered for girls." The following fall, Kristy Dunham of Metarie High School became the first girl to play high school football in Louisiana.
Barb Koenig of Northglenn High School became the first girl to score--and maybe also the first girl to play, in a Colorado high school football game. She kicked the winning point-after-touchdown in Northglenn's 7-6 win over Poudre High School
Stacey Hoffman (5'5", 135 lbs.), a junior at Lincoln High School, joined the football team as an offensive tackle. She was the first girl to play high school football in Lincoln, Nebraska.
1989
Christel Winston, a kicker at Hermitage High School, became the first girl to score in a Virginia high school varsity football game.
Leanne Bollinger kicked two point-after-touchdowns for the Long Branch High School football team in its 28-8 win over Monmouth Regional High School. Leanne was the first girl to play on, and score for, a main varsity football team in New Jersey.
Kathleen Trumbo, a 5-feet-8, 150 pound senior at Corydon Central High School, became the first Indiana girl to play an entire season for a high school varsity football team.
Veronica Pruneda of Alisal High in Salinas, CA, was trying out for guard on the freshman football team and was the first girl to participate in football in that school. (Source: Devine, John. Article for Gannett News Service. August 29, 1989.)
1990
Britt Chastain of Greensboro Dudley High School became the first girl to score in a North Carolina varsity football game when she kicked a point-after-touchdown in her team's 29-0 victory over South Rowan High School.
1991
Susan Price and Jacqueline Gainer, both seniors at Valley Stream Central High School, earned spots on the varsity football team as kickers. On September 28, Jacqueline Gainer converted on an extra point kick to become the first girl to ever score in a varsity football game in New York State.
Danielle Schurr (5'6", 147 lbs.), age 17, was a wide receiver for the varsity football team at Irvington High School in Fremont, California. She joined the team on a dare from an established football player. Here is what Ms. Schurr told the San Jose Mercury News about playing football: "I'm not a great player. I do not play very well. when I play, I play my hardest and do what I'm supposed to do." (Vigallon, Scott. "Danielle Schurr Draws Attention as a Girl Playing Football But Just Wants to be . . .One of the Guys." San Jose Mercury News. Oct.9, 1991: 1C.)
1992
Amy Mercer, a tenth-grader at Markham District High School, was one of the first girls to play high school football in Canada. She was a defensive back and special teams player for the Markham Marauders junior squad.
1993
On October 15, Jennifer Brezinski of the Indiana School for the Deaf ran the ball four yards for a touchdown in her school's football game versus Edinburgh High School. Ms. Brezinski became the first girl to score in varsity football game in Indiana.
Katie Tribble, a kicker for Flagstaff High School, was the first girl to score in a high school football game in Arizona. Her kicking exploits earned her a spot on the Arizona Republic's Class 4A All State Team.
1994
Three years after Jacqueline Gainer and Susan Price made headlines with their gridiron exploits at Valley Stream Central High School, Jami DeProspo was a kicker for a Nassau County championship contender at Valley Stream High School South.
Mary Reynolds, a 5-foot-11, 215-pound freshman Central High School in Peoria, Illinois, became the Peoria metro area's first female high school football player. (Source: Leavitt, Bob. "She's learning who to hit; So far, Mary Reynolds has been on wrong end of hits as rookie lineman." Peoria Journal Star. September 8, 1994: D1.)
1995
Snow Brenner, a kicker for High Point Central High School, became the first girl to play in a North Carolina high school football championship game. She saw action in her team's Class 3A championship game versus Bertie High School.
Ali Nicolle, a 5-foot-5, 120-pound kicker for Illinois Valley Central High School in Chillichothe, Illinois, became the "first girl in the Journal Star area to score a point in a varsity football game." In a game versus Canton, which Illinois Valley Central won 33-18, Ali was 3 for 5 on point-after kicks. (Source: Leavitt, Bob. "Here's the kicker: He's a she." Peoria Journal Star. September 15, 1995: C1.)
1996
On Saturday, Oct. 26, 1996 at Honolulu's Aloha Stadium, 16-year-old Angela Ichnose (5'5', 135 lbs.) kicked a 27-yard field goal for Iolani High School to become the first girl to successfully kick a field goal in Hawaiian Interscholastic Football League history.(Yukihiro-Chang, Diane. "Changing Hawaii: A teen girl who gets a kick out of football." Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Nov. 1, 1996. accessed via starbulletin.com/96/11/01/editorial/chang.html.)
1997
On October 18, Liz Heaston kicked two point-after-touchdowns for Salem, Oregon's Willamette University. She became the first woman to play in a college football game in the United States.
The following link, homepages.lycos.com/pre...lypersonal/girlqb.html, features a story about Samantha Grisafe, a quarterback for a little league football team in Redlands, California. ("An Open Field: Story of a girl quarterback," by Obrey Brown. Redlands Daily Facts. November 9, 1998)
1998
1999
On Sept. 17, 1999, Breann Smith, a senior at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, MI, became the first girl to score a touchdown in a Michigan high school football game. With 2:21 remaining in the third quarter, Breann took a hand-off from the quarterback and ran it in for the score against Traverse City.
Sierra Belk, a kicker for Clay High School and Jamie Garside of Providence High are believed to be the first girls to play varsity-level high school football in the Jacksonville, Florida area. (Check out the following link: www.jacksonville.com/tu...11299/hig_1212251.html ).
Seventeen magazine did a story about Kristen Boyle, a 6'1", 195-pound offensive and defensive lineman for Gig Harbor (Washington) High School. ('True grit: girl meets football - and loves it" by Carmen Renee Thompson. Seventeen. Sept. 1999 v58 i9 p142.) She was a junior this year.
Another physically big girl who took to the gridiron this year was 6'1", 215-pound senior Erin White of Grimsley High School in North Carolina. She played on the defensive line.
2000
This year 16-year-old Holly Taylor was a 5'9", 175-pound right guard/linebacker for Morley (Michigan) Stanwood High School's varsity football team. ("High School Player Enjoying Varsity Status." Associated Press Oct. 3, 2000)
KaLena "Beanie" Barnes got off a 35-yard punt in the fourth quarter of Nebraska's annual Red-White spring game. She's the first woman to work out with the Nebraska University football team. (Sherman, Mitch and Pivovar, Steve. "Woman Makes History with Punt." Omaha World-Herald. Apr. 16, 2000; Sports: 5C.)
Natalie Davy and Natalie Bell were defensive halfbacks for the football team at Pickering High School in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Ms. Bell had two years of football experience with the Pickering Dolphins community team. ("Gridiron is a girl's best friend--Two Natalies tackle football's gender barrier," by David Grossman (Michael Stuparyk). Toronto Star. Oct. 13, 2000: SP11.)
Kati Jo Spisak was a kicker for Parkway South High School in the St. Louis, Missouri area. At 6'2" and 160 pounds, Ms. Spisak, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "appears big enough to pl;ay most other positions. there were other girls in the St. Louis area playing football as well: Lisa Schweppe (5'5") of St. Charles West High School, who was 5 for 5 on PATs through the first few games of the season; Ashley Knepper of Belleville High School East, who kicked a PAT in the fourth quarter of a game played Sept. 8; and Jackie Ohmes of Fort Zumwalt High School, who kicked a Pat in a Sept. 16 game versus Ms. Schweppe's St. Charles West team. ("More girls are making a mark kicking for prep team." St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Sept. 27, 2000; Sports: D3.)
Via a LEXIS-NEXIS search, I just came across the story of one Kimberly "Kim" Sanders, a 6'+, 290-pound freshman who played for the Althoff Catholic High School (Belleville, Illinois) football team this year. The story aired on the local news shows of WJW of Cleveland, Ohio; WGHP of Jacksonville, Florida; and KSAZ of Scottsdale, Arizona in September 2000. If anyone has taped this story off the air or has any photos of Kim Sanders in uniform, please let me know.
According to a report on airing on WVBT-TV on Sept. 23, 2000, Kathy Aldridge, a football player at Patrice County High School in Stuart, Virginia, was named homecoming queen. She accepted her crown in a mud-spattered football uniform at half time.
On Sept. 15, Chelsey-Ann Kaimi of Nanakuli High School scored on a one-yard run versus Moanalua, making her the first girl to score a touchdown in a Hawaiian high school football game. I found the article covering this feat at HighWiredSports.com at the address: www.highwired.net/HWS/A...9-0-102-284810,00.html. The link is, unfortunately, no longer active. ("Former Beaverton player scores historic touchdown," by Dave Reardon, Honolulu Star-Bulletin prep coordinator, HighWired Sports correspondent) Ms. Kaimi played on Nanakuli's junior varsity football team in 1999 and scored several touchdowns; she also played freshman football for Sunset High School in Beaverton, Oregon.
Jenn Benton of Portland (Oregon) Christian High School made headlines by playing as a starting offensive guard and defensive tackle for the football team. She was also named Homecoming Queen.
1939
Luverne "Toad" Wise (c. 1923-1983) kicked six extra points for the Escambia County (Alabama) High School football team.
1947
In the post World War II era, the first girl known to have played high school football was Frankie Groves of Stinnett High School in Texas. Her showcase game was versus Groom High School in November 1947. Soon after the game, Texas' high school sports ruling body formally banned girls from playing high school football--a ban that would not be lifted until 1993.
1971
The Florida High School Activities Association changed its rules to allow girls to compete in predominantly male sports. A seventeen-year-old girl named Jan Coehlo of Florida was allowed to try out for her high school's football team, but she quit after one practice. Ms. Coehlo, who stood sex-feet tall and weighed 157 lbs., sought to be a quarterback
1972
Title IX passed.
Post Title IX, these were among the first girls to try out for and/or win spots on high school, junior high school and little league tackle football teams:
Kim Houlton and Jan Pendleton, both eight years old, became the first modern-day girls to play organized football in the state of Alabama when they joined the Bee League of the Montgomery YMCA's youth football program. Jan played at end and linebacker, while Kim played guard. (From New York Times January 1, 1973: 7)
1973
In 1973, Dugan Wiess was a backup place-kicker for Walton High in Defuniak Springs, FL. She wrote about her experiences in a 1974 Seventeen magazine article.
March 1973: Janet Youngholm, a sophomore at Princeton University, campaigned for women to be allowed to try out for the men's lightweight football club, which was for players weighing less than 150 pounds.
In 1973, California passed a rule making it possible for girls to play with boys on high school athletic teams. That year two fourteen-year-old girls decided to try out for their school's junior varsity football teams: Diane Thompson (5', 90 lbs.) of Yuba City, CA as a split end for Live Oak High School and Toni Ihler (5'4", 130 lbs.) as a lineman at Portola High School. (See "Now the lineperson comes to football," by Jill Gerston. New York Times. Sept. 2, 1973; sec. 5: 3) UPDATE--April 9,2001. Here is some additional information: Toni Ihler played both offensive and defensive guard on the Portola High junior varsity (Portola's in Plumas Co.) and won her letter. (Source: Caen, Herb. "From Here to Absurdity." San Francisco Chronicle. November 12, 1985: 37.)
Offensive guards Carol and Delores Darrin, along with aspiring running back Kathy Tosland of Grays Harbor County, Washington, tried out for and won spots on the Wishkah Valley High School football team. Since there were only twelve boys on the Wishkah Valley High team originally, the Darrins wanted to inspire other boys to go out for football. After participating in several full contact practices, the Darrins and Miss Tosland were barred from playing in any games by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. The Darrins filed a suit on September 21, 1973 seeking a restraining order that would allow them to play football, but the court ruled against them. In 1975, after two years of court battles, the WIAA rule that barred the Darrins from playing high school football was finally overturned, but the Darrins never got to play a regular season football game for Wishkah Valley High.
1974
Twelve-year-old Cynthia Whipple of Rochester, NY, made her Pop Warner debut playing defensive tackle. She was believed to be the only girl playing Pop Warner football in the United States that year.
In Montgomery County, PA, however, ten-year old Suzanne "Suzy" Kolber won a spot on a little league football team, but quit due to strong opposition from parents and other adults.
1975
Brenda Hand of Sarasota, FL played football for a school team. Sarasota Journal photographer Ron Jett's Pictures of her in practice are in the book Best Sports Stories of 1975, page 273.
Sally Gutierrez became the first girl to play high school football in New Mexico when she suited up for Quemado High School. Ms. Gutierrez, 5 feet 6 inches tall and 135 pounds, was a backup guard. The New Mexico Activities Association initially barred Ms. Gutierrez from playing, citing a state regulation. However, Ms. Gutierrez filed suit to get that regulation overturned, and Santa Fe District Court Judge Thomas Donnelly issued a restraining order allowing her to play in the season's remaining games.
1976
Twelve-year-old Tina Muscare of Chicago played for a little league football team called the Kosciuszko Park Browns (team colors: green [!] and white). In a game played on Oct. 16, 1976 (versus the Davis Square Colts), Tina sacked the quarterback for a five-yard loss. Originally the Chicago Park District tried to bar Tina from playing football, claiming that adolescent boys are too rough for girls.
1977
There were two girls playing football at the secondary school level in the state of Massachusetts:
Anne Babson, a 5 feet 7 inch, 150-pound eighth-grader, played on both the offensive and defensive lines for the Ipswich (MA) Junior High School football team. She was believed to be the first girl to play on a school team in Massachusetts.
Also playing was Tammy Lee Mercer, a 5 feet 7 inch, 135 pound defensive tackle for the freshman football team at Amherst (MA) Regional High School. The previous year, Tammy played for the McManus Vikings of the Amherst Youth Football League.
Jackie Morgan, an eighth-grader from Danville, Iowa, won a starting tackle position on her junior high school's football team. (Christian Science Monitor, Oct. 17, 1977: 2).
According to the Washington Post, eight-year-old Lisa Glascock "became the first girl to win permission to play club football in Arlington County [Virginia]."
Eight-year-old Tara King of Selden, NY was possibly the first girl to play little league tackle football in the New York City/Long Island area. Tara played despite a threat by the Middle Island District Youth Association to make her team, the Oilers, forfeit every game she appeared in. (See "A 50-pound tackle skirts regulations," by Jane Snider. Newsday. Sept. 23, 1977: 4)
Lisa Mims, a sophomore at Louisville (Alabama) High School, averaged 40 yards per punt for the football squad.
1978
Donna Wilborn of Mount Horeb High School became the first Wisconsin girl to play for a high school football team.
Ida Fox, a 5-foot-4, 120 pound sophomore, won a spot on the junior varsity football team at Poolesville High School in the Washington, DC area. Ms. Fox got to be a second-string safety and a No. 5 tailback. (Washington Post. Sept. 17, 1978: E1, E5)
Mia Frederick played football for Fort Pierce (Florida) Central High School this year. (Talley, Scot. "And No. 79 . . .Heather; PB Lakes Koren Plays Football, Just for Kicks." Palm Beach Post. Oct. 1, 1991; Sports: 1C.)
1979
1980
Mary Ellen Wiley became the backup punter for the Coronado (California) High School football team. Said Coronado assistant coach Dave Tupek, "she was pretty talented, and had no trouble holding her own in drills and wasn't afraid to tackle when we had scrimmages." (Warren, Jennifer. "Sophomore Aims to Join Lineup; She's Tackling Ban on Girls Playing Football." Los Angeles Times. Orange County Edition. May 18, 1985; Metro [Part 2]: 1.)
Jodi Sorenson played high school football at Hallock High School in Minnesota. (Grow, Doug. "Female wide receiver isn't about to drop her dream." Star-Tribune Newspaper of the Twin Cities Mpls.-St. Paul.August 31, 1986; Metro: 1C.)
1981
Tami Maida was a quarterback for the Philamath (Oregon) High School football team. Her story became the basis for a 1983 CBS Movie of the Week titled, Quarterback Princess, starring Helen Hunt.
In Tripoli, Iowa, thirteen-year-old Sarah Ambrose was a second-string tight end for her junior high school's football team. ("Co-ed football concerns Iowa athletic officials" by Dan Wilinsky. UPI Newswire May 5, 1984.)
1982
This year saw two more Wisconsin high school girls follow in Donna Wilborn's footsteps. Vicki Smith of Shorewood High School and Judy Jackson of Juneau High School in Milwaukee took to the gridiron.
Beth Bates was the first girl to play high school football in the state of Kentucky. As a kicker for the Williamsburg High School football team, Beth scored five point-after-touchdowns in 1982 and a PAT and a field goal in 1983. By 1990, Ms. Bates had become a high school math teacher and girls' basketball coach ([Louisville] Courier-Journal Oct. 15, 1990: 1B).
1983
Alexandra "Alix" Coulter, age 20, became the first woman to ever play intramural tackle football at Harvard University. (From Boston Globe, Oct. 21, 1983)
Eighth-grader Dawn Anders was given permission by Chickasha, OK school district officials to go out for football. (UPI Aug. 24, 1983)
Thanks to a restraining order obtained by the Oregon branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, a girl named Ellice Stanwick (5'9", 168 lbs.) was allowed to suit up for and play in the last football game of the regular season at her junior high school.
Rose Marie Germana (5'5", 130 lbs.) became the first girl to play varsity football in the Philadelphia Archdiocese's Catholic Youth Organization. She was a fullback/linebacker for the football team at St. Edmond's Parochial School. (see Philadelphia Daily News, Oct. 6, 1983; section 4 (LOCAL): 4.)
1984
Cyndi Bays became one of the first girls to play high school football in Southern California when she suited up as a wide receiver and special teams player on the Royal High School sophomore team.
On April 11, 1984, Douglas County Oregon Judge Donald Sanders ordered the rescinding of a Sutherlin school district policy that barred girls from playing football and other contact sports.
According to statistics from the National Federation of State High School Athletic Associations, eight girls played on varsity high school football teams in the fall of 1984: three in California and five in Mississippi.
As of this year, the Iowa Boys High School Athletic Union received reports of 3 or 4 girls playing junior high school football each year. ("Co-ed football concerns Iowa athletic officials" by Dan Wilinsky. UPI Newswire May 5, 1984.)
1985
Elizabeth Balsley and Charlene Van Brunt became the first two girls to play high school football in the New York City Metropolitan Area. While Ms. Balsley of North Hunterdon Regional High School got most of the media attention, Ms. Van Brunt of Hopatcong High was the first of the two to actually play in a game. She played for the freshman football team on Sept. 20, 1985 versus Sparta High School. Ms. Balsley made her first junior varsity game appearance on October 21, 1985.
Lizzie Luna of Westchester High School became the first girl to try out for and win a spot on a high school football team in the Los Angeles Unified School district. She earned a second string fullback position.
Bridgette Farris scored a Point-after-touchdown kick in the 3rd Quarter of Fresno Hoover High's 9-0 win over Dinuba (CA) High. It was believed to be the first score ever made by a girl in a California varsity football game.
Jacqueline Sumell, age 12, of Oakdale, NY played for the dolphins, a team in the Sachem Youth Advisory Group tackle football program. She was a starting safety on defense. At the time, Ms. Sumell was believed to be the only girl playing competitive tackle football on Long Island.
16-year-old Jacqueline Lantz of Yonkers, New York won a court ruling in October 1985 which enabled her and other girls in New York State to try out for football.
In September, Sheila Gaffney of Toombs Central high School became the first girl to play in a high school football game in Georgia. Miss Gaffney, a 5'8", 135-pound fullback, played in one quarter of Toombs' season opener. ("Girl becomes first to play in Georgia high school football game" Associated Press. Sept. 7, 1985.) A couple weeks later, Shelley Garner (5'2", 100 lbs.) became the first girl to score in a high school football game in Georgia.
1986
On October 20, Texas' University Interscholastic League voted 12 to 6 in favor of allowing girls to play football in junior high school. This rules change allowed 14 year old Tina Trejo of Austin to play for Bedichek Junior High School.
After the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association decided to allow girl to try out for contact sports such as football, Jessica Leverett a Sparks High School became the first girl to play in a Nevada high school football game.
Girls in high school football became a reality on Long Island, New York this year. At Glen Cove High School, gymnasts Pamela Graham, a 5'1", 101-pound senior, and Lisa Massago, a sophomore, decided to give junior varsity football a try. They took part in their first scrimmage on October 19. Meanwhile, Central Islip High School sophomore Patricia English joined her school's junior varsity football team. She was eligible to see game action for the first time on October 25 versus Bellport. (See "For 3 Girls, A New Field of Study," by Edna Negron and Anemona Hartocollis. Newsday. Oct. 16, 1986: 6)
Christine Tinglin (5'10", 135 pounds) of West Humber Collegiate High School and Alison Irving (185 pounds) of Silverthorn High School were among the first girls to play high school football in Toronto, Canada. Ms. Tinglin was a wide receiver for the West Humber Collegiate senior team while Ms. Irving was on Silverthorn's junior team. ("Two girls tackling gridiron wars; Another male bastion crumbles," by David Grossman. Toronto Star. Oct. 10, 1986: F6.)
1987
Heidi Kaiser of New Smyrna Beach High School was believed to be the first female to score in a Florida high school football game. Heidi's first score was a point after kick in the first quarter of the New Smyrna Beach Tornadoes 0-6 win over Daytona Beach Mainland High School.
Kari McCallum of Roosevelt High School became the first female to play football in the Seattle, Washington area Metro League. (From Seattle Times. January 7, 1988; Zone: B3.)
1988
Vicky DeHaan of Stuart-Menlo High School caught a two-point conversion pass in her team's 36-14 victory over Adair Casey. With that catch, Ms. DeHaan became the first girl to score in an Iowa high school football game.
Mindy Levitt, a sophomore at the Moses Brown Prep School in Providence, RI, played at wide receiver in a Sept. 24 game versus St. Thomas More Prep of Oakdale, CT. Mindy is believed to be the first girl to play high school football in Rhode Island.
In January, the Louisiana High School Athletic Association voted to allow girls to play "boys sports that aren't offered for girls." The following fall, Kristy Dunham of Metarie High School became the first girl to play high school football in Louisiana.
Barb Koenig of Northglenn High School became the first girl to score--and maybe also the first girl to play, in a Colorado high school football game. She kicked the winning point-after-touchdown in Northglenn's 7-6 win over Poudre High School
Stacey Hoffman (5'5", 135 lbs.), a junior at Lincoln High School, joined the football team as an offensive tackle. She was the first girl to play high school football in Lincoln, Nebraska.
1989
Christel Winston, a kicker at Hermitage High School, became the first girl to score in a Virginia high school varsity football game.
Leanne Bollinger kicked two point-after-touchdowns for the Long Branch High School football team in its 28-8 win over Monmouth Regional High School. Leanne was the first girl to play on, and score for, a main varsity football team in New Jersey.
Kathleen Trumbo, a 5-feet-8, 150 pound senior at Corydon Central High School, became the first Indiana girl to play an entire season for a high school varsity football team.
Veronica Pruneda of Alisal High in Salinas, CA, was trying out for guard on the freshman football team and was the first girl to participate in football in that school. (Source: Devine, John. Article for Gannett News Service. August 29, 1989.)
1990
Britt Chastain of Greensboro Dudley High School became the first girl to score in a North Carolina varsity football game when she kicked a point-after-touchdown in her team's 29-0 victory over South Rowan High School.
1991
Susan Price and Jacqueline Gainer, both seniors at Valley Stream Central High School, earned spots on the varsity football team as kickers. On September 28, Jacqueline Gainer converted on an extra point kick to become the first girl to ever score in a varsity football game in New York State.
Danielle Schurr (5'6", 147 lbs.), age 17, was a wide receiver for the varsity football team at Irvington High School in Fremont, California. She joined the team on a dare from an established football player. Here is what Ms. Schurr told the San Jose Mercury News about playing football: "I'm not a great player. I do not play very well. when I play, I play my hardest and do what I'm supposed to do." (Vigallon, Scott. "Danielle Schurr Draws Attention as a Girl Playing Football But Just Wants to be . . .One of the Guys." San Jose Mercury News. Oct.9, 1991: 1C.)
1992
Amy Mercer, a tenth-grader at Markham District High School, was one of the first girls to play high school football in Canada. She was a defensive back and special teams player for the Markham Marauders junior squad.
1993
On October 15, Jennifer Brezinski of the Indiana School for the Deaf ran the ball four yards for a touchdown in her school's football game versus Edinburgh High School. Ms. Brezinski became the first girl to score in varsity football game in Indiana.
Katie Tribble, a kicker for Flagstaff High School, was the first girl to score in a high school football game in Arizona. Her kicking exploits earned her a spot on the Arizona Republic's Class 4A All State Team.
1994
Three years after Jacqueline Gainer and Susan Price made headlines with their gridiron exploits at Valley Stream Central High School, Jami DeProspo was a kicker for a Nassau County championship contender at Valley Stream High School South.
Mary Reynolds, a 5-foot-11, 215-pound freshman Central High School in Peoria, Illinois, became the Peoria metro area's first female high school football player. (Source: Leavitt, Bob. "She's learning who to hit; So far, Mary Reynolds has been on wrong end of hits as rookie lineman." Peoria Journal Star. September 8, 1994: D1.)
1995
Snow Brenner, a kicker for High Point Central High School, became the first girl to play in a North Carolina high school football championship game. She saw action in her team's Class 3A championship game versus Bertie High School.
Ali Nicolle, a 5-foot-5, 120-pound kicker for Illinois Valley Central High School in Chillichothe, Illinois, became the "first girl in the Journal Star area to score a point in a varsity football game." In a game versus Canton, which Illinois Valley Central won 33-18, Ali was 3 for 5 on point-after kicks. (Source: Leavitt, Bob. "Here's the kicker: He's a she." Peoria Journal Star. September 15, 1995: C1.)
1996
On Saturday, Oct. 26, 1996 at Honolulu's Aloha Stadium, 16-year-old Angela Ichnose (5'5', 135 lbs.) kicked a 27-yard field goal for Iolani High School to become the first girl to successfully kick a field goal in Hawaiian Interscholastic Football League history.(Yukihiro-Chang, Diane. "Changing Hawaii: A teen girl who gets a kick out of football." Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Nov. 1, 1996. accessed via starbulletin.com/96/11/01/editorial/chang.html.)
1997
On October 18, Liz Heaston kicked two point-after-touchdowns for Salem, Oregon's Willamette University. She became the first woman to play in a college football game in the United States.
The following link, homepages.lycos.com/pre...lypersonal/girlqb.html, features a story about Samantha Grisafe, a quarterback for a little league football team in Redlands, California. ("An Open Field: Story of a girl quarterback," by Obrey Brown. Redlands Daily Facts. November 9, 1998)
1998
1999
On Sept. 17, 1999, Breann Smith, a senior at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, MI, became the first girl to score a touchdown in a Michigan high school football game. With 2:21 remaining in the third quarter, Breann took a hand-off from the quarterback and ran it in for the score against Traverse City.
Sierra Belk, a kicker for Clay High School and Jamie Garside of Providence High are believed to be the first girls to play varsity-level high school football in the Jacksonville, Florida area. (Check out the following link: www.jacksonville.com/tu...11299/hig_1212251.html ).
Seventeen magazine did a story about Kristen Boyle, a 6'1", 195-pound offensive and defensive lineman for Gig Harbor (Washington) High School. ('True grit: girl meets football - and loves it" by Carmen Renee Thompson. Seventeen. Sept. 1999 v58 i9 p142.) She was a junior this year.
Another physically big girl who took to the gridiron this year was 6'1", 215-pound senior Erin White of Grimsley High School in North Carolina. She played on the defensive line.
2000
This year 16-year-old Holly Taylor was a 5'9", 175-pound right guard/linebacker for Morley (Michigan) Stanwood High School's varsity football team. ("High School Player Enjoying Varsity Status." Associated Press Oct. 3, 2000)
KaLena "Beanie" Barnes got off a 35-yard punt in the fourth quarter of Nebraska's annual Red-White spring game. She's the first woman to work out with the Nebraska University football team. (Sherman, Mitch and Pivovar, Steve. "Woman Makes History with Punt." Omaha World-Herald. Apr. 16, 2000; Sports: 5C.)
Natalie Davy and Natalie Bell were defensive halfbacks for the football team at Pickering High School in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Ms. Bell had two years of football experience with the Pickering Dolphins community team. ("Gridiron is a girl's best friend--Two Natalies tackle football's gender barrier," by David Grossman (Michael Stuparyk). Toronto Star. Oct. 13, 2000: SP11.)
Kati Jo Spisak was a kicker for Parkway South High School in the St. Louis, Missouri area. At 6'2" and 160 pounds, Ms. Spisak, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "appears big enough to pl;ay most other positions. there were other girls in the St. Louis area playing football as well: Lisa Schweppe (5'5") of St. Charles West High School, who was 5 for 5 on PATs through the first few games of the season; Ashley Knepper of Belleville High School East, who kicked a PAT in the fourth quarter of a game played Sept. 8; and Jackie Ohmes of Fort Zumwalt High School, who kicked a Pat in a Sept. 16 game versus Ms. Schweppe's St. Charles West team. ("More girls are making a mark kicking for prep team." St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Sept. 27, 2000; Sports: D3.)
Via a LEXIS-NEXIS search, I just came across the story of one Kimberly "Kim" Sanders, a 6'+, 290-pound freshman who played for the Althoff Catholic High School (Belleville, Illinois) football team this year. The story aired on the local news shows of WJW of Cleveland, Ohio; WGHP of Jacksonville, Florida; and KSAZ of Scottsdale, Arizona in September 2000. If anyone has taped this story off the air or has any photos of Kim Sanders in uniform, please let me know.
According to a report on airing on WVBT-TV on Sept. 23, 2000, Kathy Aldridge, a football player at Patrice County High School in Stuart, Virginia, was named homecoming queen. She accepted her crown in a mud-spattered football uniform at half time.
On Sept. 15, Chelsey-Ann Kaimi of Nanakuli High School scored on a one-yard run versus Moanalua, making her the first girl to score a touchdown in a Hawaiian high school football game. I found the article covering this feat at HighWiredSports.com at the address: www.highwired.net/HWS/A...9-0-102-284810,00.html. The link is, unfortunately, no longer active. ("Former Beaverton player scores historic touchdown," by Dave Reardon, Honolulu Star-Bulletin prep coordinator, HighWired Sports correspondent) Ms. Kaimi played on Nanakuli's junior varsity football team in 1999 and scored several touchdowns; she also played freshman football for Sunset High School in Beaverton, Oregon.
Jenn Benton of Portland (Oregon) Christian High School made headlines by playing as a starting offensive guard and defensive tackle for the football team. She was also named Homecoming Queen.
