The stadium lights shine bright, beating down on freshmen Maddie Kerrigan as she steps into Burger Stadium for her first high school football game. The crowd roars, buzzing in everyone’s ears, and the energy is high. Heart pounding, Kerrigan takes a deep breath, focusing on the play ahead, the warm, bright lights blind her, making the moment feel larger than life.
Kerrigan currently starts as right tackle on the freshmen red team. The right tackle blocks opposing defensive players to protect the quarterback during passing plays, and works to create openings for the running backs during offensive plays. This often requires a lot of physical contact.
“We started out playing Maddie on the defensive line,” coach Brandon Pittman said. “She was so good that we moved her to offensive line to start the season.”
Kerrigan has taken over this job and is part of the team’s regular lineup. She practices her plays constantly to learn her position more in depth and works closely with her teammates to ensure perfection during games.
“My interest for football was first sparked by watching games with my dad,” Kerrigan said. “Football is such a major part of Texas, so I have always been interested in it. I loved seeing the different plays and runs football players would make, it always kept me interested.”
Kerrigan has been playing football since the 7th grade when she joined the team at Gorzycki Middle School. Although Kerrigan has always loved football, she is now able to put her passion to use on the field. Tryouts began during the summer, and the teams have continued to practice in the Texas heat through the beginning of school. These are formatted more like practices so players are able to adjust their positions and develop relationships with their soon to be teammates.
“During tryouts, I was really scared,” Kerrigan said. “Especially since it’s freshman year, I was extra anxious but I ended up having a good time.”
Despite starting tryouts with nerves, Kerrigan was able to shake them off and show off her skills to the coaches. One of her teammates, freshmen Kenyon Ybarra also tried out for the football team during the summer with her.
“Maddie is very athletic and determined which shows on the field,” Ybarra said. “She focuses hard at practice which is what makes her a good football player.”
So far, the team is undefeated and plans to continue their winning streak. Kerrigan believes that the team can achieve this with hard work and the drive to succeed.
“I am really excited for the upcoming season,” Kerrigan said. “I think we are really good this year and I am excited to see the whole team work hard for it.”
Ybarra points out that Kerrigan’s concentration on the game helps her stand out on and off the field. The coaches and players on the team admire her consistent effort and fixation on perfection at practice has been essential to the team’s success this year.
“I want to continue to play football in the coming years,” Kerrigan said. “I love playing and I think that it would be really fun to keep doing it”
Kerrigan started out playing tight end but transitioned to playing right tackle in high school. Pittman has observed Kerrigan play and has watched her grow as the season progresses.
“Maddie is very determined, she always wants to play and do her best,” Pittman said. “She is a great player to have on the field because of her intelligence, especially with football.”
Pittman expressed his admiration for Kerrigan and respects the many qualities she holds that impact the group. During games, players need to follow planned plays, adjust to changes that may happen during the game and work together. This season, the coaches and players goal is completing the year undefeated throughout conference play.
“The freshmen red team has a really good chance of staying undefeated throughout the season,” Pittman said. “They have been working hard and really focusing at practice to achieve this goal.”
According to Pittman, the team is determined and plans to work together to achieve their goal. The players need to stay consistent and focused during the season in order to succeed during the moments that matter. The team has pushed each other to be better which raised the team’s standard of play, contributing to their success.
“The team is a support group,” Kerrigan said. “We lift each other up and that’s what has made us such a good team this year.”
Kerrigan emphasizes beyond the field, team culture is another key part of their success this season. She describes how the team environment is crucial to their victories on the field but it also provides a fostering environment off the field.
“Maddie is definitely a key player on our team,” Ybarra said. “She helps us win by staying concentrated during games.”
Players like Ybarra expressed that Maddie has earned her spot as a reliable player on the team. They note that her dedication and positive attitude sets examples for others. The coaches think that Maddie’s talent goes beyond skill, but discipline in the works she puts in at practices.
“Maddie is a very good player because she is so unselfish,” Pittman said. “She does a really good job because she puts the team first which is what we need to win.”
