Merced High’s only female football player has earned the respect of coaches and players
Sunshine DeAnda isn’t hard to find on the football field on Friday nights. At 5-feet-1-inches tall and 115 pounds, the junior kicker sticks out from the rest of the Merced High football players.
Her teammates tower over her as they line up on the sideline, but she has earned their respect and the right to stand in uniform beside them.
“You can’t be scared,” DeAnda said. “Being small isn’t going to stop me.”
During his 25 years of coaching football at Merced High, Rob Scheidt has had girls try out for football before. They’ve just never stuck it out. They end up quitting before the start of the season.
DeAnda is different. Not only has the Bears junior stuck it out on the football field, she did so while also find time to play on the Merced tennis team during the same season. That meant she would often have tennis matches and then come out to football practice in the same day.
“Every girl who has come out, I’ve told them we’re going to coach you like you’re one of the guys,” Scheidt said. “I tell them you can do it if you stick with it. It’s going to be hard at first, but it gets easier. Sunshine has never missed.
“Even when she played tennis she put in the time. She didn’t want to miss workouts or practice. She almost didn’t play tennis because she didn’t want to miss football.”
DeAnda reached out to Scheidt with an email last spring, letting the Merced coach know she was interested in playing.
She had never played football before, but she was an athlete. DeAnda has played varsity soccer, run track and played tennis during her time at Merced High.
She was curious if she could play football
“I just thought of it as a challenge,” she said. “I don’t have older brothers, but I do have older cousins who played. I just thought I bet I could do that. I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been mentally a challenge more than physically. I’m a serious athlete. I play competitive sports. I know they are all guys and I’m not as fast or as strong.
“I kick, run with the (defensive backs) and receivers. They know I’m going to do anything they do.”
Scheidt said he’s been impressed with her willingness to try everything and her work ethic.
“It’s been a success,” Scheidt said. “It feels like she’s part of the team, she’s part of the group. Today she lined up on our scout team at linebacker for seven on seven. She’s helping us get better. Our first hitting drill and I asked if she feels ready. She said yeah and she held her own.”
Scheidt has told his players they can’t hold back when going up against DeAnda either. They’re goal out on the practice field has to be to get better.
At the same time, Scheidt says his players are protective of DeAnda. You’re not going to see any players taking cheap shots.
“It’s been a great experience as a coach,” Scheidt said. “Not just because she’s a girl, but because of who she is and her character.”
DeAnda says her parents were supportive when she told them she wanted to try playing football. She said her mom was all for it. Her dad was a little worried, but she said he was careful not to discourage her.
“For my first year, I think I’m doing OK,” she said. “With my experience and my size, I’m showing I can do it.”
DeAnda hasn’t played in either of Merced’s first two games, but Scheidt said she’ll get her chance. Possibly this week against Hilmar.
“She’s going to get an opportunity to kick an extra point,” Scheidt said. “It may be this game. (Merced kicker) Dom (Mallari) has done a good job too. It’s tough because he’s a senior and she’s a junior. Her opportunity to kick for us goes beyond this year.”
DeAnda says she hopes she may inspire other girls to play football.
“Of course a lot of girls think it’s crazy,” DeAnda said. “Other girls think it’s cool and they’ll say I wish I could do that. I tell them go for it. Don’t let anything stop you.”
Friday’s Schedule
Hilmar at Merced
Atwater at Hughson
Golden Valley at Buhach Colony
El Capitan at Gustine
Le Grand at Mariposa
Livingston at Delhi
Beyer at Los Banos
Pacheco at Johnasen
Yosemite at Chowchilla
This story was originally published April 2, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
