Modesto High’s Gonzales takes her place under football’s hallowed lights

The ball came out of the Modesto High offensive coordinator Scott Vincent’s hand on time and on target, spiraling down the field on a line.

The intended receiver was late to the spot, though, resulting in a messy incompletion. Vincent met the first-year football player 10 yards down the field, turning the broken play into a teaching moment.

“Kendra,” he said, “you got to get your hands around.”

Kendra Gonzales is faced with a steep learning curve, but the challenge is what drives the junior wide receiver. Gonzales is believed to be the school’s first female football player in more than a decade, according to athletic director and first-year head football coach Donnie Wallace.

“Each day she’s getting better, from Day One and all summer, working out in the weight room with the guys doing the same workouts we have on the board,” Wallace said. “She’s getting better each day. Running routes, blocking, getting in there and getting physical with the guys. You hardly know that she’s out here as a girl. She blends in, does everything and wants to be treated like the other ones.”

Gonzales played the final series in the Panthers’ season-opening game, a 42-21 triumph over Ceres. Though Wallace and Vincent kept the ball on the ground with their team up 21 points, the play-calling did little to diminish the significance of Gonzales’ appearance under those hallowed lights.

She had earned her place in an arena historically dominated by the boys.

“I was nervous at first,” she said, “but it was amazing. It really was.”

Gonzales insists she’s not carrying the torch for girls with a passion for football, or those seeking to break down other barriers or redefine “normal.”

She’s simply carrying out a lifelong dream. Gonzales inherited her stepfather Edward Taylor’s love for the game, tagging along on game days, studying the nuances and demands from the ground floor. Taylor was also a wide receiver.

“I’m just playing a game that I love. I mean, if girls take what I’m doing and put it in their own lives, that’s great,” said Gonzales, whose other athletic exploits include basketball, volleyball, softball and track. “But I’m mostly doing it for me.”

She isn’t alone.

Girls, past and present, have left a lasting impression on the football landscape in the Stanislaus District.

Alora Garcia plays three positions for the Central Catholic freshman team. Garcia is a wide receiver, defensive back and kicker for the Raiders, who opened the season at Atwater on Thursday.

“She is tough,” said varsity defensive coordinator Billy Hylla, also the school’s athletic director.

Last season, Sierra’s Marissa LaQuaglia connected on 64 of 70 extra points for the Valley Oak League co-champions, finishing tied for 22nd in the state in conversions.

Gonzales’ expectations aren’t nearly as high. She is undersized and slower than most of the 11 receivers on the Panthers’ roster.

She realizes her greatest impact – her imprint on this program and the season – will likely come Monday through Thursday on the practice field.

“Honestly, I want to give it my all,” she said. “That’s all I can really do.”

Wallace likes her tenacity and commitment, though, and he believes those traits will serve her well as she adjusts to the speed of the varsity game.

Gonzales was a steady presence during a rocky offseason for the Panthers program. Wallace took control of the program in July after Richie Alkire left to be close to his ailing mother in Michigan.

As Wallace scrambled to order equipment and meet with staff, Gonzales, among others, provided a measure of consistency and dependability in the weight room.

“She catches the ball when she’s open. In our Red-White scrimmage, she had two nice blocks, including one on a bubble route that the kid scored on,” Wallace said. “She knows her job, and she’s doing a great job.”

The Panthers have welcomed her into their football family.

Quarterback Max McCabe admits it was “weird” at first, but those feelings were vanquished by Gonzales’ work ethic.

“At the beginning, it was different and weird having a girl out here,” McCabe said. “As time went on, during 7-on-7s and through the summer, we got used to it. She’s developed into a good football player.”

While Wallace said Gonzales changes in a closed locker room before and after games, no concessions have been made for her on the practice field. She appreciates that.

“The first time I got hit, it hurt. I got the wind knocked out of me. I wasn’t prepared for it at all,” Gonzales said with a smile. “It made me want to try harder. No matter what, there’s always going to be a challenge in this sport. It gets easier with time, I guess.”

This story was originally published September 4, 2015 at 5:58 PM with the headline "Modesto High’s Gonzales takes her place under football’s hallowed lights."