The all-women Corpus Christi Divas football team held their final practice Wednesday night before their season opening game against the Laredo Warhawks on Saturday.
“I think we’re going to shock a lot of people with all the rookies we have,” Head Coach George Quiroz said. “These girls really picked it up real quick.”
Willow Andrus, 21, is one of 15 rookies on the 20-player team.
“I’m learning still,” Andrus said. “Some of the other girls are more experienced and better than I am about taking hits and stuff like that, but I’m learning. And it’s super fun.”
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Angelina Flores Carvajal, has five years of competitive football experience. She’s the oldest player on the Divas at 49, but she’s not letting that slow her down.
“For any women that’s out there that think that you’re too old to do anything trust me, I’m 49,” Carvajal said. “I’m going to be 50 this year. And if you put your mind to it, you can do it.”
Like Andrus, it’s 39-year-old Anna Aguirre’s first year playing football. Already she’s out with an injured shoulder, but she’s itching to return to action.
“You think the guys are competitive,” Aguirre said. “A bunch of women on the field, we’re like a hundred-percent more competitive. We get angry. We get out there and we play just as hard as the guys, if not harder.”
That passion is not lost on their coach.
“You’d be surprised,” Coach Quiroz said. “At first when we got into this, I didn’t expect to see them hit this hard, but they let out some aggression out there.”
The Divas take on the Warhawks Saturday at the South Texas Youth Football League Field in Annaville. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m.
