Blocking the boys

Seventh-grade girl starts as offensive lineman in Decatur

Cameron Shaffer, a seventh-grade student in Decatur, also plays offensive tackle on the football team.
Cameron Shaffer, a seventh-grade student in Decatur, also plays offensive tackle on the football team.

— Not many seventh grade girls are starting offensive linemen on an undefeated junior high football team, but then Cameron Shaffer is not your average seventh grade girl.

Decatur’s head coach Shane Holland said he would never have believed at the beginning of the season that one of the team’s two starting offensive tackles would be a seventh grade girl. The other position is played by Joey Barnes, who, despite his diminutive stature, has proven to be an excellent player thanks to his toughness and competitive spirit, Holland said.

“Cameron is a classy young lady and she’s a pretty good football player. I mean she’s a seventh grade girl and she’s a starting offensive tackle,” Holland said, “If she were a boy and blocked like she blocks, that would be good. I’m pretty proud ofher,” Holland said.

On the field, Shaffer said she loves the aggressiveness of the game and being able to tackle other players, but off the field she has the sweet smile and is an excellent student in the classroom, according to Holland, who believes that the same discipline that makes a good student makes a good football player.

Shaffer said both the guys on her team and competing teams don’t treat her any different because she is a girl.

When asked if players on the opposing team are uncomfortable hitting her because she is a girl, Shaffer replied, “Not at all. Believe me they do whatever it takes to get at the ball.”

Shaffer describes herself as athletic and said that softball is her favorite sport. She also loves swimming.

This is Shaffer’s first year playing junior high football, but she has three years of experience playing on the Decatur Youth Sports team.

She started playing football in second grade when she accompanied her brother to the football sign-ups.

“I decided I wanted to play too,” she said.

The youth sports football team, which was basicallythe same group of kids as the current junior high team, according to Shaffer, went on to have an undefeated season in 2008, beating some of the toughest competition, including Shiloh Christian.

Shaffer is a fan of the Pittsburg Steelers and is also a fan of Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Tony Romo.

“He’s amazing,” she said.

Shaffer said she plans to continue playing in high school and go as far as she can with football.

The junior high Bulldogs have ensured their spot as conference champions with a 7-0 record. The team’s final game of the season will be against Union Christian at Bulldog Stadium this Thursday.

Sports, Pages 8 on 10/26/2011