The football team has a bit of a new look this season. Coach Hirst is in his second season as head coach and has a much smaller depth chart due to a lower number of players. This season, the school only has a varsity and freshman team. This led to many younger players taking the step up to the Friday Night Lights earlier in their careers than usual. One of those young talents is sophomore Mariah Anderson: the only girl on the football team. She plays both sides of the ball as a cornerback and wide receiver. I got the opportunity to talk to Mariah about her life on the field.
Q: What was your motivation to play football?
A: “Growing up I watched my brother play football and I was never very interested in volleyball so I decided football was going to be my sport.”
Q: What is one of the advantages or skills that you have in your game?
A: “I feel like people would look at and not assume me as a hard hitter when in reality my strong suit is talking.”
Q: Describe the feeling of your first game or first time on the field?
A: “It was scary but in a good way if that makes sense, I felt anxious and comfortable at the same time it was a crazy experience.”
Q: Do you feel like there would be more girl football players if it was pushed more to girls at MacArthur high school?
A: “I think most parents would hold their daughter back from playing but I feel like even seeing me on the field would motivate many girls that wanna play Football.”
In this day and age, we are seeing women do more in sports than ever before. In the NBA and NFL, you see Becky Hammond (NBA) and Katie Sowers (NFL) both coaching in the men’s league. NCAA basketball players like Sedona Prince are pushing for the same attention and treatment as the men’s teams. Mariah is one example of the many women proving their sports matter just as much as men.
