Tough cookie

Dorcus Angilau does not fit any stereotypes. She's not the "girl next door," but she's not exactly the tomboy her reputation would suggest, either.

Basically, she is a walking dichotomy. She is intelligent but intuitive, tough but also sweet, and frankly, she looks strong enough to break a person in half.

As a starting lineman on offense and starting linebacker on defense for the Kearns High sophomore team, it's Angilau's toughness that is on display most often.

"She doesn't get favoritism from any boys on the team during hitting drills. If they don't go hard at her, she will knock them down," her coach, Justin Spencer, said.

Angilau has never had a problem fitting in with the guys on her team. She has been playing football with many of these same kids since she was 8 years old, so they have all been friends and teammates for years.

"Honestly, no one treats her any different at all.

The only time I think of her being a girl is when I have to unlock the girls' locker room for her," Spencer said.

In her uniform and pads, Angilau blends in, looking like any other player on the field. If players on the opposing team don't see her with her helmet off, then they often don't even know there is a girl on the field. They also wouldn't be able to tell by the quality of her tackles.

"I think she surprises a lot of people with her play," said Bill Cosper, the Kearns head football coach. "She's very intelligent and can anticipate as well as anyone, so she gets in on a lot of hits."

Besides football, Angilau also plays basketball. Last year, as a freshman, she started on the sophomore basketball team and sat on the bench for junior varsity. She has set high goals for herself and wants to play both football and basketball as long as possible.

"I thought she would turn to volleyball in high school, but football is her favorite," her mother, Teresa Angilau, said. "Her dream is to play through college. Kids say that when they are young, but she is sticking to it."

Angilau is also fortunate enough to have strong family support. Her mother is her biggest fan, coming to every game to cheer for her. On the field, her brother Lui Angilau and her cousin Sione Angilau both play on the varsity team.

"It's good because they (Lui and Sione) support me, but they just treat me like any other player," Angilau said.