Female Quarterback Recieves First Snap For Florida High School

Most preseason high school football games do not have many memorable moments in them. However, this was not the case on Friday when South Plantation High School’s third-string quarterback took the field.

Sun Sentinel reports that South Plantation High School’s third-string quarterback took the field with just under 10 minutes left in the game. This was a memorable moment because the quarterback was a 17 year-old girl named Erin DiMeglio.

This was her first time being able to step out onto the field during a game. DiMeglio called the plays and completed two passes against Seminole Ridge.

Many longtime fans of Florida highschool football say that they have never seen a female quarterback take the field during an official game. They’ve seen female kickers, defensive backs, recievers, and even an offensive lineman (linewoman), but they have never seen a female quarterback.

DiMeglio is using her role as a quarterback to catch the eye of college basketball scouts. She hopes that being a quarterback will show them her athletic ability.

“I think schools will see that I can play all sports,” said the 5-foot-6, 160-pound senior. “Maybe being different will help. They’ll remember me as the girl that plays football.”

According to Newser, Florida state records show that, since 1973, there have been 523 females that have played high school football. State officials are unsure if this has happened before; the Florida High School Athletic Association tracks the number of athletes that play each sport, but they do not monitor their positions.

“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 could not have been happier for getting the chance to play during the preseason game.

“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.”