‘Can’t believe I didn’t do it sooner’: Prep football coach hires female assistants

Morgan Amarante rubbed her fingers together the way a bookie might on collection day, signaling formation and play to the Hilmar High offense.

Seconds later, quarterback Tristan Crowley floated a pass into the end zone, leading the wide receiver into a tight window between the defender and the sideline.

Money ball.

Money call.

The Modesto Junior College Passing Tournament showcased the next wave of talent in the Stanislaus District, but it also highlighted a unique set of assistants.

In a game pumped full of testosterone, shows of strength and daring, the Hilmar football program draws strengths from its…

Daughters?

Alexa Casey, Amanda Lopes and Amarante don’t carry water bottles, kicking tees or pom-poms. They carry the playbook, every play and formation committed to memory.

They won’t don a helmet and pads, like kickers Annika Blom of Modesto and Rachel Smith of Modesto Christian did last season, but they play a pivotal role in the success of the Yellowjackets.

They are the conduits, the bridge that connects player and coach.

“She’s not another girl carrying a water jug,” junior quarterback Ryan Teixeira said of Amarante. “She’s out here with us as a team, and she’s been a big benefit.

“There’s more of an opportunity for girls to be in the sport of football. ... We’re like one big beehive here in Hilmar. All for one, one for all.”

Picture this: It’s third-and-6 from the Hilmar 40. Head coach Frank Marques studies the play sheet and whispers the call to Amarante and Casey, both of whom flash different hand signals to the players on the field. One relays the actual play, while the other is a decoy.

Think you’ve deciphered their hand signals? Well, guess again. Marques says the roles change quarter to quarter, sometimes series to series.

The system, as unorthodox as it may be, works, and it works because of Marques, a father to three daughters. He isn’t on a crusade to break down barriers, trumpeting gender equality. He fills every position, from linebacker to special teams coach, using one measurement: Who is the best man for the job?

In this case, it was a woman. Three, actually.

“I can’t believe I didn’t do it sooner,” said Marques, who adopted the system in 2014. “They’re so much more efficient and there’s nothing else to distract them. It’s their priority and they’re always on the ball.

“If I’m using another player or a coach, they’ve got other jobs, too.”

The girls are as invested as the boys. They keep the same competition schedule through the summer, traveling to 7-on-7 events, like the MJC Passing Tournament. They have earned Marques’ trust, memorizing every last X and O in his playbook, which amounts to approximately 15 formations and 60 plays.

“Some latched on instantly, while others have taken a little longer,” Marques said. “For the most part, though, we’ve been very lucky.”

Amarante figured, “Why not?” She was raised around the game of football, loves the fire of competition and her older brother Tyler Amarante is a senior running back and linebacker.

It seemed like perfect marriage, and it has been.

In the last three seasons, Hilmar is 21-13 with back-to-back Trans-Valley League titles and nine-win campaigns. In 2015, Hilmar reached the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V final.

“This is my team, too. I’m a part of this,” said Morgan Amarante, a junior. “Girls are about more than just holding water bottles or cheering on the sideline. We can do a lot more and contribute a lot more.”

No understands that more than Marques, whose family and football team are powered by women.

“Having three daughters,” he said, “you get used to having girls do things.”

This story was originally published July 12, 2017 at 11:58 AM with the headline "‘Can’t believe I didn’t do it sooner’: Prep football coach hires female assistants."