Spartan Girl Continues Gridiron Legacy

The first Glenbrook North football game of the year was about to start and the players were loosening up. It was the usual routine, except something was different.

The kicker had a ponytail.

Montana Paley, the Spartans’ junior field goal kicker, was knocking 30-yarders through the uprights one after the other and most of them had distance to spare.

Paley was the leading scorer on the girls soccer team last spring, but she divides her attention between the soccer field and the gridiron in the fall. The 16-year-old plays club soccer on the weekends, then uses her powerful leg to help the football team during the week—something she’s done since entering high school.

This season is her first on varsity, where she kicks field goals and extra points. The Spartan coaching staff and players consider her an integral part of the team, though she is the lone girl on the squad.

“She’s a very good soccer player with a good leg and she’s always enjoyed football, so she wanted to kick,” football coach Bob Pieper said. “She’s a good kicker.”

Pieper views Paley's role nonchalantly, and it doesn't seem to matter that she's a girl. In fact, female field goal kickers have a precedence in Spartan football history, if not on neighboring teams. (Paley is the only female field goal kicker in the Central Suburban League North.)  

In 2002 and 2003, Sarah Stockslager, who was also on the girls soccer team, kicked extra points for the Spartans varsity squad. Paley is continuing that legacy.

Soccer Star Learned The Moves In Flag Football

Paley said she played flag football when she was younger and that’s when she got her first taste of kicking.

“The coach had me kick off and my dad told me to try kicking field goals, and it just kind of snowballed from there,” Paley said.

She wasn’t sure if she would kick in high school, but her dad surprised her before her freshman year.

“He comes home one day and he’s like ‘OK, you’ve got football practice in a week.’ ” Paley recalled. “I’m glad I kept with it.”

While some parents might worry that their daughters would get hurt on the field, Paley said her parents are supportive whether she plays or not.

She did kickoffs during her freshman year, but has only kicked field goals and extra points since.

Paley was mostly self-taught during her first year of kicking in high school football games. She said the requirements differed from soccer, where players want to kick so the ball curls, which would not generally work in football.

The last two years, varsity assistant coach Justin Georgacakis has worked with Paley to improve her form and the results have been impressive. Paley said her accuracy was more than 90 percent last season.

“I’m pretty consistent from about 40 [yards] and in,” the teenager said. “The longest is like 43.”

Paley said the kicking skills have even helped her soccer game. A starter on varsity soccer since her freshman year, she has noticed more height on her corner kicks.

Playing both soccer and football has made for a busy fall for Paley, who is entering the heart of recruiting season for soccer. She plays club soccer for FC United and is competing in fall soccer showcases and tournaments, most of which take place on the weekend, during the football season.

Gender Aside, She Gets The Job Done

Despite all the practice time spent on the two sports and positive results to boost her confidence, Paley said she was still nervous entering the season opener against Hersey. The Spartans went 8-1 last season and won the .

“Obviously I was a little nervous,” she said. “It was our first game, but that doesn’t affect me that much. I got through that freshman year.

“I just needed to get the first one, then I was all right,” she added.

Paley made both of her extra point attempts in  during the game last week and even received a “We want Paley!” chant from the student section during the game.

There was no mass celebration or hysteria surrounding Paley after she made her points. That’s because she did her job as she usually does.

“The guys are used to it; we’re all used to it,” Paley said. “I mean, it’s been three years. Even freshman year, they were fine. They’re just a great group of guys that don’t mind either way. Neither do I.”

After the game, Paley goes to the girl's locker room to clean up and change. She then comes out dressed like any other girl. The only difference is on Fridays she suits up with pads and a helmet just like one of the guys.