Two of a kind: These Lexington twins have a passion for sports, supporting each other
Alyssa Nagle had a extra reason to cheer during last week’s Meadow Glen Middle School football game.
Nagle, a cheerleader at the school, watched as twin sister Kylie caught a pass from backup quarterback Ashley Powell and raced up the sideline for a first down in the Gators’ win over White Knoll Middle. Kylie is the first female football player in Meadow Glen history.
“It is really exciting and cool that she actually got the ball and exciting to watch,” Alyssa Nagle said. The other cheerleaders “thought it was super cool and screamed her name when she caught it.”
The girls are eighth-graders at Meadlow Glen Middle in Lexington. Kylie, a big Buffalo Bills fan, played Pop Warner and flag football in the past and chose football this fall over soccer. The sisters have played soccer but wanted a new challenge.
This is Kylie’s first season playing football and Alyssa’s first for cheering for Meadow Glen, which is having the best season in school history. The Gators are 5-0 and will play Batesburg-Leesville on Nov. 11 for the championship.
Kylie Nagle has appeared in a few games this year for Meadow Glen but hadn’t caught a pass until last week. Meadow Glen coach Ben Jackson had a goal to get her the ball during a game this season.
“I was actually surprised I caught it and it felt really good,” said Kylie, who had dropped a few passes in pregame warmups. “I am definitely going to remember this. I am pretty sure everyone was screaming harder than when anyone else caught the ball. So I am going to remember that and being the first girl on the MGM football team.”
Meadow Glen’s sideline erupted with cheers after the catch. Alyssa Nagle was about 50 yards away with the other Meadow Glen cheerleaders watching the moment, while parents Carmen and Todd videoed from the stands at River Bluff High School, where Meadow Glen plays their home games.
Carmen Nagle said she was more focused on her daughter making the catch. Her husband, who played high school football in New York, also was excited to watch his daughter take the hit from a White Knoll player.
“We had a good lead so I thought they would be able to get the second string in, and she has been working hard at practice earning her reps,” Todd Nagle said. “So I thought she might get a good shot at it and was able to do it.”
The number of females playing football has increased significantly in the United States since 2014. For the 2018-2019 school year, a record 2,404 girls played 11-man tackle football on the high school level, according to the National Federation of State High Schools Associations participation survey.
California had the most girls playing 11-man high school football with 568, according to the survey, while South Carolina had none. Participation data from the 2019-20 school year is unavailable due to the coronavirus pandemic, an NFHS spokesperson said.
Carmen Nagle had no reservations about Kylie playing football even during COVID-19 as participation levels have dropped across the country and some states opted not to play football until the spring.
“I always told them, find your passion, find what you like to do, try everything and see what sticks. Very proud of both of them,” Carmen Nagle said.
Kylie is undecided yet if she will continue to play next year at River Bluff High School but hopes to give it a try.
With a ponytail that comes through her helmet, Kylie said she hasn’t heard any comments or trash talk from opponents when they realize they are playing against a girl.
Jackson said he treats Kylie as just another member of the team with a few exceptions. She dresses in the women’s locker room before games and practices, and gets her own seat on the bus. All players sit in an assigned seat in 2020 because of social distancing protocols in the COVID-19 era.
This isn’t Jackson’s first experience with a female football player. He had a girl as his teammate when Jackson played at Bates Middle School in Sumter.
“She is doing an amazing job and I am proud of her. She brings a level of toughness to the team,” Jackson said. “Our guys love her and they’ve got her back and it’s so cool to see them rally behind her. She is everything you want in an athlete as far as focus, character.”
