Girls kicking for football teams is nothing new. It’s been common enough for years in Hawaii.
So, the fact that Allison Chang is drilling field goals and extra points for ‘Iolani this season is not so unusual.
But there’s a couple of things that make her (and some other females on the Raiders intermediate team) worth a story today.
First of all, Chang herself. Despite a COVID-19 postponement of football for nearly two years, she has put every one of her attempts in two games right down the middle.
‘Iolani junior place-kicker Allison Chang.
(Image credit: Nick Abramo / Bedrock Sports Hawaii).
So far, she has been a money kicker. In the season opener, a 28-0 victory over Damien, she kicked four extra points. Then, in ‘Iolani’s second game, a 46-7 victory over PAC-5 on Friday, she kicked five more extra points.
What’s more is that she also made a 34-yard field goal. Right down the middle. It capped ‘Iolani’s first drive just a few minutes into Friday’s game, barely enough time to even get nervous about it.
“That was my first field goal on varsity,” she said after Friday’s game. “In practice, my personal best is 40 yards.”
Chang got interested by seeing another female kicker at ‘Iolani during the few seasons before COVID-19 — the sure-footed Mika Makekau.
“I saw Mika kicking and I thought she was doing awesome and I thought that was super cool and I wanted to try something new in eighth grade instead of playing volleyball,” said Chang, now a junior.
Chang got a taste of playing on defense against PAC-5 in a 7-on-7 intermediate game.
“It was fun, but a little too dangerous,” she said. “I got two tackles.”
The layoff from football and school was tough, just like with many others in this coronavirus, era, but Chang credits ‘Iolani with making things as normal as possible.
“Our school did a great job of handling COVID,” she said. “This school is amazing. They got us back into the classroom as soon as possible and I’m so thankful for that.”
And she’s been getting some extra help from Raiders assistant coach Myles Arakawa, a former high school soccer head coach.
“Coach Myles does his best to coach me and does all the research and he’s really dedicated,” Chang added.
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ALSO AT BedrockSportsHawaii.com:
>> Sharp ‘Iolani Football Team Improves To 2-0 By Steamrolling PAC-5, 46-7
>> Damien Enters The Win Column By Upending Kamehameha II, 25-20
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While Chang was being interviewed Friday, four girls from the intermediate team were practicing kicking extra points in the east end zone at Kozuki Field.
Those four are beginning on the trail started by Makekau and Chang and many other girls statewide and across the nation before them.
‘Iolani’s four intermediate football team kickers with Chang after
the Raiders’ varsity team defeated PAC-5 46-7 on Friday.
(Image credit: Nick Abramo / BedrockSportsHawaii.com).
“They have a lot of confidence,” Chang said about the four intermediate kickers — Katherine Sur, Mia Teramae, Brooke Nakama and Sophia Victorino. “They came out for summer practice and they were willing to put in the work.”
The video below is of one of the intermediate team girl kickers booting an extra point in practice Friday.
