sun-sentinel.com/sports/highschool/football/broward/fl-girl-quarterback-south-plantation-0830-20120829,0,6313147.story



Girl quarterback stands tall among the boys
South Plantation's Erin DiMeglio looks for varsity playing time against
Nova on Friday



August 29, 2012


The final minutes of a preseason high school football game aren't always
memorable.

But Friday night, when South Plantation High School's third-string
quarterback took the field with just under 10 minutes remaining, they were.

That's because the quarterback was 17-year-old, ponytail-wearing Erin
DiMeglio, a girl who could make Florida history if she gets a similar
opportunity in a regular-season game this year.

After practicing with the team since May, DiMeglio called the plays and
completed two passes against Seminole Ridge.

Many longtime observers of Florida high school football say they can't
remember seeing a girl play quarterback in an official game. They've
seen female kickers, receivers, defensive backs and even an offensive
lineman, but never a girl in football's most high-profile position.

Part of her motive to play football is to show college basketball scouts
her athletic ability.

"I think schools will see that I can play all sports," said the
5-foot-6, 160-pound senior, whose primary sport is basketball. "Maybe
being different will help. They'll remember me as the girl that plays
football."

Even state officials are unsure if this has happened before. While the
Florida High School Athletic Association tracks the number of athletes
who play each sport, it doesn't keep track of their positions.

To date, state records indicate 523 girls have played high school
football in Florida since 1973. Only 36 played last year.

"We've had girls in South Florida that had the ability to [play
quarterback], but they never have," said Larry Blustein, a high school
football analyst who has covered the state for 42 years. "You have to
give her credit. I've never seen anything like this before."

DiMeglio joined the team at the urging of her flag football coach, Doug
Gatewood, who also coaches the varsity team. He saw her ability and
asked her to help with practice.

"I had a girl try out at wide receiver that couldn't make it through
practice and I had a kicker that really couldn't make a field goal, so I
didn't keep them," Gatewood said. "Erin can actually do what we ask of
her...she completes the passes I ask, she knows the plays. ... Anything
I ask her to do, she does."

But DiMeglio has her critics. She has garnered attention from national
high school football blogs, generating both positive and negative
reactions online.

Tom DiMeglio warned his daughter that she may hear unfavorable comments.
Friday, opponents were respectful.

"I couldn't take the smile off my face," Erin DiMeglio said. "You'd
think the other team would want to know why I'm there, but other players
have been great. After the game, they shook my hand and said it was
great I was playing football."

That reaction could continue if she gets in against Nova High for South
Plantation's opener on Friday. Titans coach Bill Hobbs, who had a female
kicker, Jennifer Synnamon, play for him in the late 1990s, understands
what DiMeglio faces.

"You have to understand, you're going to be treated as everyone else,"
Hobbs said. "You're going to dress in a different locker room, but
you're part of the game."

DiMeglio has yet to get hit or make a tackle, but her parents understand
that's part of football. As the team's third-string quarterback, she
knows she may not get much playing time unless South Plantation is
winning big.

There's also the risk of injury.

After debating whether to let her join the team, her parents relented
after speaking with Gatewood, who promised he would take precautions to
keep DiMeglio as safe as possible.

The team runs plays out of special formations and limits the amount of
time the ball is in her hands.

DiMeglio's physical play in basketball also helped convince her parents
she could handle football. She's already overcome a broken nose, a
broken finger, and concussions.

"I've often joked that I wanted her to play basketball with a helmet
on," her mother, Kathleen DiMeglio said. "She's no weakling and I think
I have confidence after seeing her strength. But of course my greatest
fear is injury."

Erin DiMeglio, who says she tries not to think about getting hurt, jokes
that she's willing to treat her offensive line to lunch for protecting her.

"Since she's a girl, you don't want her to get hurt," said lineman Kevin
Avila. "We want to have more protection for her."

As DiMeglio walked off the field Friday, fans applauded and camera
flashbulbs popped. DiMeglio was unfazed by the commotion. Her coach,
however, understood and urged her to remove the helmet obscuring her face.

"Coach, my hair's all messed up," she hesitated.

"Erin, honey, don't worry," Gatewood replied. "You just played football.
Get used to it."
--

What do the Republican Party of the United States and the Muslim
Brotherhood of the Arab World have in common? They're both faith-based
parties, they both deny science, and they both wage war on women.

On 8/29/12 11:13 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 08:48:54 -0400, X ` Man
wrote:

There's also the risk of injury.

That is a significant risk. If they are playing in a "big school"
division, she will be dodging defensive players that will go well over
200 pounds.


I agree...I only stated it was interesting.

--

What do the Republican Party of the United States and the Muslim
Brotherhood of the Arab World have in common? They're both faith-based
parties, they both deny science, and they both wage war on women.

On Wednesday, August 29, 2012 11:13:25 AM UTC-4, (unknown) wrote:
On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 08:48:54 -0400, X ` Man

wrote:



There's also the risk of injury.



That is a significant risk. If they are playing in a "big school"

division, she will be dodging defensive players that will go well over

200 pounds.

This is "interesting", yet he chastises Scott for his daughter's motocross sport. As good, if not a better chance this girl will get hurt playing football. harry's a two-faced bigot.

On 8/29/12 12:13 PM, wrote:
On Wednesday, August 29, 2012 11:13:25 AM UTC-4, (unknown) wrote:
On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 08:48:54 -0400, X ` Man

wrote:



There's also the risk of injury.



That is a significant risk. If they are playing in a "big school"

division, she will be dodging defensive players that will go well over

200 pounds.

This is "interesting", yet he chastises Scott for his daughter's motocross sport. As good, if not a better chance this girl will get hurt playing football. harry's a two-faced bigot.


Her risk of injury is significant, but that doesn't make the item
uninteresting.
--

What do the Republican Party of the United States and the Muslim
Brotherhood of the Arab World have in common? They're both faith-based
parties, they both deny science, and they both wage war on women.

On 8/29/2012 12:13 PM, wrote:
On Wednesday, August 29, 2012 11:13:25 AM UTC-4, (unknown) wrote:
On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 08:48:54 -0400, X ` Man

wrote:



There's also the risk of injury.



That is a significant risk. If they are playing in a "big school"

division, she will be dodging defensive players that will go well over

200 pounds.

This is "interesting", yet he chastises Scott for his daughter's motocross sport. As good, if not a better chance this girl will get hurt playing football. harry's a two-faced bigot.



Quite frankly, I assume my daughter has a greater risk of serious
injury... but you can bet it won't be because another competitor get's
an ego burst and decides to "take her out"... I have seen this happen in
sports such as Football, and Wrestling/boxing but rarely if ever do you
see that kind of "wounded ego" move between the gate and the checkered
flag... there is just too much at stake.

In article ,
says...

On Wednesday, August 29, 2012 11:13:25 AM UTC-4, (unknown) wrote:
On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 08:48:54 -0400, X ` Man

wrote:



There's also the risk of injury.



That is a significant risk. If they are playing in a "big school"

division, she will be dodging defensive players that will go well over

200 pounds.

This is "interesting", yet he chastises Scott for his daughter's motocross sport. As good, if not a better chance this girl will get hurt playing football. harry's a two-faced bigot.

Yep!