Female Kicker Makes Football History At Fort Worth High School
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FORT WORTH (CBS11) — A Fort Worth high school junior made history on the football field Saturday night when she became the first girl to play varsity football for R.L. Paschal High School, according to Fort Worth ISD.
Reilly Fox's debut on this field was a huge success when she became the district's first female player in 15 years, and her performance shows she could be a game-changer.
Paschal's team made its way onto the field for the third game of the season, but Fox has been ready for her first play since joining the team last Saturday.
"Since I was little, I always liked playing football," Fox said. "I was always a tomboy, so I would always want to go play with the boys. And I wouldn't want to play with the girls."
When she proved she could consistently make field goals from more than 40 yards out, her coach knew he had found his new kicker.
"At some point in time, there's a big 'ol body going to be coming flying back there, and you just have to be fearless," coach Matt Miracle said. "And I think she's fearless."
When the time came for her first extra point, no one was a bigger fan than her little brother.
"It's really cool, and it feels really good to know that she can actually do it, which I knew she could, but it's really awesome," Paschal freshman Ryan Fox said.
Fox's friends were there, too.
"It was kind of exciting, seeing my friend out there," Paschal senior Cristal Porjon said. "That's really good."
Further back in the stands, Fox's parents took pride not only in her athletic skills but her ability to inspire other girls.
"Maybe things are changing somewhat," Karen Vermaire Fox said about her daughter. "You know it's easier for women to lean in and come and do things that they normally wouldn't have been able to do."
"I have a daughter who's in seventh grade, and she's really excited," family friend Laurie Hill added. "She made me come tonight, so we could watch Reilly kick."
Reilly Fox said she just feels like part of the team.
"It hasn't hit me that much that I'm like, 'Oh yeah, I'm a girl on a football team,'" she said. "It's just like, 'Oh, I'm a kicker on a football team. I just happen to be a girl.'"
Paschal beat Dallas Molina on Saturday 76-8.
As for the future, Reilly says her goal is to play Division I soccer, but she's open to college football if she gets the opportunity to do both.
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