Richard Obert

azcentral sports

The Foothills Academy College Prep boys soccer team played without its two female players the first time a team objected to the sisters' presence.

Foothills had driven an hour to play Our Lady of Sorrows, which said it wouldn't take the field because of the female players.

Foothills lost that game, its first of the season, in overtime.

This time, when Mesa's Faith Christian told the Scottsdale high school the same thing, citing religious beliefs, the male players had the sisters' back.

The players voted not to play unless midfielders Alyssa and Colette Hocking were allowed to play.

"Actually, it was the team's decision," Foothills coach Steven Rains said. "They would not play without their team. They felt the girls earned the right to be on the team. And they won't play without them."

So, on Friday, Faith Christian forfeited the Canyon Athletic Association high school game.

"I know it appears to fly in the face of what everyone is wanting to promote today, and that is equality," said Dick Buckingham, administrative leader of Faith Christian. "It is based on a religious perspective that God created guys and girls differently. The difference physically, there is a strength advantage that men have over women. We want to teach our men that honor of ladies is just not in sports. We struggle how to teach that if we're allowing them to play against young ladies in a competitive game.

"We're the ones harmed because we're giving up a game. We think it's better to do that than give a mixed message."

On Monday against Our Lady of Sorrows, the decision to hold the girls out was made by their mother, Noelle Avey.

"I was like, 'I don't want this stuff to hurt the boys,' '' Avey said. "When it happened again, things changed.

"I would like to stress the outstanding character the boys on this team have shown by standing with their female teammates. I can't say enough about these boys, this team, the team parents, our coach, and our athletic director for supporting our female athletes. I believe one aspect of sport is that it brings different religions, races and genders together.

"This incident has brought our Foothills team together even more and made it even stronger. This team has shown they respect female athletes and don't discriminate against them."

This wasn't the first time this has happened in the CAA.

In May 2012, Our Lady of Sorrows forfeited the state championship baseball game instead of taking the field against Mesa Prep and its female player. Paige Sultzbach, a second baseman on the Mesa Prep team, sat out two earlier meetings against Our Lady of Sorrows out of respect for its beliefs. Our Lady of Sorrows, not part of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Phoenix, centers on Latin Mass and traditions of faith, according to its web site. The athletic director did not return a message on Friday.

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In a 2012 report, Our Lady of Sorrows had the same stance as Faith Christian.

"You can't disrespect their religion," said junior striker Dallas Fox, Foothills' leading scorer. "That's their beliefs. I have my own beliefs. I am not one to judge that. But, personally, I think we're all humans. Even though it's a boys league, it doesn't say girls can't play. Girls can play, in my opinion."

Randy Baum, executive director of the CAA, said because the schools that are part of the association are so small, it allows for girls to play on the boys teams if that school doesn't have a girls team.

He said the executive board will rule Friday's game a forfeit because it is a violation of the bylaws.

Because it didn't have enough girls to field a soccer team, Foothills (6-1-1) only has a boys soccer team. The sisters had been playing intramural and club soccer before joining the high school team this year.

Alyssa Hocking said she is happy "the whole team supported us."

"They made us proud to be part of this team," Colette Hocking said. "We're happy we were part of the decision. They included us. It made us feel like we were part of the team."

Faith Christian, in its second year in the CAA, took the field earlier this season against a CAA member school that had a girl member on the team.

"I was only aware of it after the fact," Buckingham said about playing a team earlier this season that had a girl. "I decided what to do in the future. I understand the league rules allow it. That's fine. We're trying to be consistent in our training of our young men."

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-460-1710. Follow him at twitter.com/azc_obert. Listen to Richard Obert with Dan Manucci on the Which Wich Arizona High School Football Preview Show on Friday night 6-7 on NBC Sports Radio AM 1060.