Girl, 14, Makes High School Team--and the Game : Now Playing Nose Tackle, Lizzie Luna

Like any good fullback, Lizzie Luna has been breaking new ground and hurtling past the opposition.

Last month, the 14-year-old Westchester High School freshman persuaded the Los Angeles Unified School District to revoke a policy that prevented girls from playing contact sports like football. This month she tried out for the Westchester team and, overcoming the skepticism of Coach Bill Gino, won a second-string fullback spot on the B squad.

And Friday, after surviving 10 days of full-contact drills, she suited up for her first game, although she did not expect to play.

But she did.

The home team Comets beat the John H. Francis Polytechnic Parrots, 10-7. It was not clear precisely how much her playing had to do with the outcome.

When Lizzie went in the game to play in the third quarter as nose tackle, rather than fullback, the crowd went crazy. People in the stands chanted, “Go, Lizzie, go!” Her parents, Bob and Gretchen Luna, were jumping up and down like game show contestants.

Wearing jersey No. 1, she played five defensive downs, but was credited with no tackles. She was called for holding on her fourth play.

“Of course I’m worried about my daughter playing football,” her father said. “But she’s as tough as she is smart. All I can say is, I’m glad I don’t have a weak heart.”

At one point in the game, assistant coach William Berry told a hot-headed player not to “act like a little girl.” When asked later what she thought about such comments, Lizzie said: “I don’t care when they say that. I’m not a little girl.”

Before the game, Lizzie said: “I can’t expect the coach to let me play right away because there are so many people on the team who are better than me.” The B squad has about 60 players, a quarter of whom have warmed the bench during the first four games.

After she came out, Lizzie said the opposing center made faces at her and snorted derisively. But he made no comment.

‘Laugh in His Face’

“He was trying to intimidate me, but I just wanted to laugh in his face,” Lizzie said.

The game attracted twice the number of spectators who normally attend the B squad games, which are played before the varsity games. Many brought signs reading: “Let Lizzie Play” or “Go Ahead Lizzie.”

“They brought all these signs out here for Lizzie,” she said, “but they should have been rooting for the whole team. I’m not the whole team. I’m just a portion of it.”

Once considered an attention-seeker by her teammates, Lizzie is described by her coach as a “serious, if not talented, athlete” who has earned their respect.

First One On and Off

“At first, we didn’t think she would make it,” Gino said. “But she’s usually the first one on and off the field.”

At first, boys on the team would stand by with crossed arms during practices to see if the 5-foot-4, 140-pound Lizzie could withstand the body blows and flying tackles.

“Sometimes she would get up slow after the guards knocked her down. But she’d always get up, and she never complains,” Gino said.

“That’s the one thing I admire. When she’s out there, she’s all business,” Gino said, kind words from the coach who once called her bid to play football “ridiculous.”

Not Altogether New

Although Lizzie has never played organized football before, she has played in softball and basketball leagues and played football with youngsters in her Westchester neighborhood.

When school district officials revoked their unofficial policy barring girls from contact sports in late September, Lizzie was allowed to join the team on the condition that she make it through 10 days of full-contact practice, which she did.

She is not the first girl in California to play on a high school team. Bridget Farris, 15, of Fresno’s Hoover High School is the team’s field goal and point-after kicker.

Being a female fullback presents special problems. While her male teammates are snapping wet towels and ribbing each other while suiting up, Lizzie is alone in the girls’ locker room, strapping down her bosom with yards of Ace bandages. She also uses a special chest pad, like a catcher in baseball.

‘Afraid to Hit Me’

“I think the guys were afraid to hit me at first,” she said.

“After she has taken a whap or two, they back off,” Gino acknowledged. “Once she catches her breath, they’re back to business.”

Gino said he is in a no-win situation.

“If she doesn’t play, they’ll point fingers at the coach,” he said. “And if she gets hurt, the blame will be on the coach.”

Having completed her first game, Lizzie said she knows what she needs to work on. “I was so psyched that I think it might have affected my playing,” she said. “I’m ready for the next game. In fact, I can’t wait for the next one.”