SACRAMENTO, Calif. — While many know football to be a male-dominated sport, apparently Bradshaw Christian High School didn't receive the memo. The football program has two female football players who are blazing their own trails and showing the boys who's boss.
"We get to the campuses and they'll go 'Oh, there's a girl on the team,'" said Hanneh Little, a senior kicker on Bradshaw Christian. "And usually they'll like, 'Oh, they'll probably not be that good.' Well, I'm not biased or anything but Bradshaw is pretty good."
Little is used to the looks that come her way from opposing teams when she takes the field.
"I was definitely a little intimidated," said Little. "I didn't know know anyone, and coming into this I didn't know how I would do. But this is a very, very welcoming team."
And it's safe to say, Hannah quickly earned the respect of her teammates and coaches.
"She goes out and kicks as well as well as any kid we have out here out so it's awesome to see. and she's very consistent," said Head Coach Drew Rickert.
While female kickers are nothing new for the Bradshaw Christian football program, what is a "first of its kind" is a female starting on the offensive line. Sophomore guard Maggie Stephens is up for the challenge.
"Being able to smack people... it's just a lot of fun because you get to knock people on their butt, and the next play they can do it to you," said Stephens. "It's fun because its a competition environment."
Stephens is a captain on the Junior Varsity team and has thrived in her role this year.
"She came up to me as a freshman and said 'Coach, I want to play in a real position. I don't want to kick,'" said Coach Rickert. "And I said let's go for it. This year, she's the starting guard for our JV team and she's a captain."
"It feels good," said Stephens. "I've had different girls come up to me who realize who I am. And it just makes you feel happy inside because it shows them you can do anything whether you're a girl or a boy."
Little also has some inspiring words for young girls who may be thinking of getting into football.
"Go for it. Go have fun," said Little. "Don't care what they say. Even if you're not the best at it at first, keep trying and you'll get better and better."
Up next for Bradshaw Christian, they play Pachecho Friday in Los Banos.
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