Modesto (California) Christian High School kicker Rachel Smith (Photo via modbee.com)

As football participation numbers continue to be a hot topic, there’s one demographic where high school participation has undoubtedly increased: girls.

According to 2016-17 school year statistics, the latest that are currently available, The National Federation of State High School Associations reports that 2,017 girls played high school football that fall, a 17.06 percent increase from the 2013-14 school year, and a 3.76 percent rise over the 2015-16 school year. It’s also the highest number since the NFHS began tracking girls’ football participation in 1974, and the numbers have increased each of the last three school years.

Girls have affected high school football games by more than just appearing on the roster. They’ve been the determining factor in several contests.

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Modesto (California) High School senior Annika Blom scored 88 points in two seasons as a kicker for the Panthers, making 77 of 88 extra-point tries and a pair of field goals, according to the Modesto Bee.

Blom was one of several girls in the Modesto area to make key contributions for their high school teams in recent seasons, the Bee reported. In 2014, Sierra High School’s Marissa Laquaglia connected on 64 extra points, helping her team to a share of a conference championship. In 2015, Modesto High’s Kyndra Gonzalez, a wide receiver, caught an eight-yard pass in a game. In 2016, Modesto Christian’s Rachel Smith hit 27 of her 33 extra-point attempts and averaged 31.3 yards per kickoff for the playoff-qualifying Crusaders.

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That trend wasn’t confined to the Modesto area, either. Hollywood Hills (Florida) junior Holly Neher became the first known girl in state history to start a game at quarterback last fall. She earned that start in part by throwing a touchdown pass in a backup role earlier in the season.

In the 2017 Texas 6-Man 1A D2 state title game, Strawn’s K-lani Nava kicked nine extra points in her team’s 78-42 win over Balmorhea, becoming the first girl to play and score in a Texas high school state final.

Meanwhile, Bethany (Kansas) College, an NAIA school, offered East Los Angeles College safety Antoinette Harris a scholarship, making her the first girl who’s not a kicker to earn a college football scholarship.

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