BROCKTON, Mass. — In Brockton, Friday night lights shone especially bright. A girl on the varsity high school football team became the first female in the program’s 125-year history to score a touchdown.
Whoever said girls can’t play football hasn’t seen Mckenzie Quinn.
“She is one of the hardest workers that we have ever had,” says assistant Coach Matthew Campbell.
The high school senior suits up as a wide receiver for the Brockton Boxers and her teammates don’t cut her any slack.
“We just look at her as one of the guys. No breaks. She probably outworks us if anything” says Joey Cappiello, Quinn’s teammate.
“Kind of just have to be twice as good to be half as recognized,” says Quinn.
Being girly never appealed to Quinn. For her, the more physical the activity, the better. So when lacrosse became a contactless sport, she turned to the next best thing-football.
“I’ve always been like gritty if that makes sense like I have always been down in the dirt playing around like I work on a farm.” Says Quinn.
From the farm, to the football field, all the hard work led to a historic moment in a game against Dartmouth.
“The linemen were like ‘yep Mckenize we are going to create the hole and you are going to just run through’’ says Quinn.
And run through she did. Quinn became the first girl to score a touchdown since the start of the varsity football program in 1897.
“I ran in and the team went crazy and everyone is slapping my helmet when I run back and I was ecstatic, it was just great,” says Quinn.
“Probably one of the best moments that I have had in my football career,” says Cappiello.
“It was absolutely awesome,” says assistant Coach Campbell.
And the touchdowns don’t stop on the field. She makes it to the endzone with her studies too. The senior leads her class of more than 800 students with a 5.0 GPA.
“With her academics and her athleticism and her competitiveness I think she could pretty much do what she wants and I think colleges are going to be lining up to try and have her attend their school,” says assistant Coach Campbell.
Until then, Quinn will continue inspiring other girls following in her history making footsteps, but she dismisses the idea that she’s paved the way.
“I think I’ve taken the first step. I think that a lot of it will definitely be left up to the next girls who will take the mantle,” says Quinn.
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