Gagliano Tries to Carve Her Niche as Monroe Kicker

The football is resting on the 10-yard line and time is running out.

Monroe High needs only a field goal to win its opening game against Chatsworth.

And, of course, Monroe Coach Dave Lertzman turns to his kicker.

“Rachel,” he screams, “get in there!”

Rachel?

You bet. Rachel Gagliano, who has a habit of booting stereotypes, has earned the job as Monroe’s kicker, booting field goals and extra points for the Vikings.

And the above scenario could become reality this Friday night at Chatsworth when the Vikings kick off their season.

“She’s one of the top female athletes at the school,” Lertzman said. “And she’s extremely popular.”

Gagliano, a senior, also is no stranger to competing with her male classmates. She played last year on the Monroe boys’ soccer team and earned the respect of teammates and coaches with her soccer savvy. In fact, Coach Les Sasvary called her “the best penalty shooter on the team.”

Gagliano’s talent also earned her a position on the girls’ Junior National soccer team.

All of which bodes well for Lertzman. He likes her accuracy from 30 yards and in and says that she should be a fixture this fall for the Vikings “if we can get close enough to score.”

Lertzman’s levity aside, Gagliano, who stands 5-foot-3 and weighs 120 pounds, says she is up to the task.

“When I play football with my brothers and dad, I’m always the kicker,” she said. “So why not?”

Good question--and a question she was asking her father last year, too.

“I kinda wanted to play last year, but my dad wouldn’t let me. He didn’t want me to get hurt and ruin my soccer career,” Gagliano said. “I finally begged him to sign the papers and he did (on Monday night.)”

The fear of injury is well-founded, Lertzman says.

“Any placekicker or punter is playing a pretty tenuous position with one leg in the air,” Lertzman said. “Which is why they have rules guarding those players. And players are coached not to rough the kicker. I don’t think we’re going to play any teams who are coached to do that.”

Gagliano had tried kicking in the spring for the football team and did quite well, according to Lertzman. But then, because of soccer commitments, she wasn’t around in the summer.

And when the fall came, she went out for girls’ volleyball.

Lertzman said that some players had told him she had left the school. Gagliano said she thought that Lertzman just wasn’t interested in getting her on the team.

Through a conversation with his volleyball counterpart, Lertzman learned that Gagliano was playing volleyball this fall and sought her out.

And the rest, one might say, is Monroe football history.

“My one concern is for us to get close enough to score,” Lertzman said jokingly. “So let’s put it this way: If Rachel is kicking a lot for us, we’re doing pretty well.”