Tebow meet your match. Female football quarterback takes her place on the field at South Florida high school



Erin Dimeglio, 17, played in preseason varsity football game last week

Coach expects HS senior to get more field time once the season starts



'She's no weakling,' QB's mom says of her daughter's ability on the field

A South Florida high school could be getting a new quarterback – with a long, blonde ponytail.

High school senior Erin Dimeglio in on track to be one of the first female quarterbacks to take the field in Florida, after strutting her stuff in a preseason game last week.

The 17-year-old is a backup quarterback for the South Plantation High School Paladins, in Sunrise, Florida, near Fort Lauderdale.

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You go girl: Erin Dimeglio was recruited for the flag football team, when her natural talent was spotted and she began to train with the school's varsity football team in May

The Florida teen has been practicing with the team since May and was able to hold her own during the fourth quarter of the Paladins game on August 24, calling plays and completing two passes, a sign that more field time could be in the cards during the upcoming season.



Unfortunately, the game had to be called off early, with 2:43 remaining, due to heavy lightening in the area and the Paladins lost to Seminole Ridge High School, 35-20.

'I couldn't take the smile off my face,' she told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel about her field play last week.

'The other players have been great. After the game, they shook my hand and said it was great I was playing football.'



A basketball star in her own right, Dimeglio was actually recruited to play flag football but as she trained, her natural talent for the sport became evident.

Paladins football coach, Douglas Gatewood, observed her moves and invited her to train with the varsity team - and a star was born.



No special treatment: DiMeglio's coach and fellow team members praise her talent and sportsmanship, insisting that she has to hold her own

Football in Florida is like a religion. The Sunshine State has been a breeding ground for NFL greats like Emmitt Smith, Deion Sanders and current up-and-comer Jets QB Tim Tebow. The state is joined by Texas and California in producing the most NFL players.



Though high school football has seen female participation in the past, most have been in spots like kickers, receivers, defensive backs and offensive linemen (or linewomen).



Rarely has a woman ascended to the high profile position of quarterback on the team.

Logistically speaking, Dimeglio joins the team in pretty much everything - except the locker room.

She changes into her uniform in the empty girls locker room, on the other side of her school.



Off the field: Erin Dimeglio (left) says her older sister Amy (right) thinks she is crazy for playing with the boys

'She doesn't ask for any special treatment,' Coach Gatewood said about his no-nonsense approach to incorporating Dimeglio.

'She's not trying to show anybody up, she really just trying to do her thing and if a boy takes it the wrong way, that's on him, not on her.'

'She's got to walk in the middle of [the football huddle] and tell them what to do and when to do it and they better listen to her ... and they do,' the coach added.

State records show a total of 523 female Floridians have taken to the field in high school football since 1973. In 2011, a total of 36 girls played for teams across the state.

'We've had girls in South Florida that had the ability to [play quarterback], but they never have,' Larry Blustein, a Florida high school football analyst, told the Sun-Sentinel.

'You have to give her credit. I've never seen anything like this before,' he said.

Leader: As QB, Erin has had to earn the respect of her teammates 'they better listen to her ... and they do,' her coach said

Erin said her older sister, Amy, thinks she is crazy, but 'I just think this is so much fun,' she said.



'I've played flag football since the fourth grade. Scoring on boys is really fun, just to see their reactions, see the coaches get mad. I'll be nervous, yeah. But this is like any other game. You just have to get in the zone and play.'

Despite Erin's enthusiasm, her parents are carefully monitoring their daughter in the contact sport known for harrowing injuries.

As a veteran athlete, the high schooler has had her fair share of injuries from her tenure on the basketball team, including a broken nose, a broken finger and multiple concussions.

'I've often joked that I wanted her to play basketball with a helmet on,' Kathleen DiMeglio, Erin's mother, said.

'She's no weakling and I think I have confidence after seeing her strength. But of course my greatest fear is injury,' the concerned mom added.

And her mom isn't the only one concerned for her safety.

Paladin lineman Kevin Avila said that having a girl on the team makes the defensive line feel like they need to step it up.

From the court to the field: The 17-year-old high school senior got her start on the basketball team

'I see her like a sister and you wouldn't want nobody to hurt your sister,' Avila said.

'Since she's a girl, you don't want her to get hurt,' Avila said. 'We want to have more protection for her.'

Coach Gatewood has assured her parents that she'll have minimal field time, and would only be brought in to play when the game is going favorably for the team, to avoid unnecessary roughness.

With all the fanfare surrounding her athletic pursuits, the teenager insists that it isn't all about sports to her.

‘As important as playing basketball is in my life, school and my education are a priority,’ she wrote in her profile on a local sport's recruiting website.

Adding that her motto is ‘work and train hard, both on the court and in the classroom. It is as important to take care of your body as it is your mind.'

Despite her tough-guy approach on the field, Erin isn't afraid to show her girly side.

After her momentous field time last week, her coach encouraged her to take off her helmet to greet the crowd as she exited the field

'Coach, my hair's all messed up,' she said in protest.



'Don't worry,' he said 'You just played football. Get used to it.'









