Mepham's Sofia LaSpina will quarterback girls flag football team
Mepham wide receiver Sofia LaSpina looks on during a Nassau Conference II high school football game against Baldwin on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Sofia LaSpina made history catching a football.
The Mepham junior was the first female football player to score a touchdown in Long Island high school history, catching a 4-yard TD pass in a 49-21 win over Roslyn last fall.
She has her sights set on another historic mark as Bellmore JFK takes the field for the new girls flag football initiative on Long Island, but this time she’ll be throwing the football. LaSpina will quarterback the Bellmore JFK District team, composed of players from Mepham, Cahoun and Bellmore JFK.
“It’s going to be really fun because now I have the ball in my hands on every play,” the lefthander said. “We have some really talented players. Our plays are similar to the ones we used in the fall and that makes it a little easier for me.”
Mepham football coach Anthony Cracco will oversee the team, which has 23 members.
“We’re a Bellmore-Merrick team and our district opted not to allow girls to play flag football as a second sport,” he said. “This is the girls’ primary sport in Year One. And it was the right decision to grow this sport, tap into our diverse community and into a player pool with the right skill set to succeed. This is exciting.”
Cracco thinks LaSpina’s presence will give his team an advantage early on. “Sofia has a very good understanding of the game, and using our offense plays in her favor,” he said. “She has a working knowledge of football and has been involved in our seven-on-seven workouts. And three of our football players are excited to be student coaches and haven’t missed a single practice helping us running drills.”
LaSpina thinks this experience could lead to an option pass in the fall. “I like the idea of a wide receiver option pass,” she said, laughing.
Bellmore-Merrick will play at Plainview JFK on Monday at 5 p.m.
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
