Benjamin girls soccer star Lily White steps up as kicker for football team

FORT PIERCE — Benjamin senior Lily White turned some heads after her most recent dominant prep soccer season, which saw her named The Post's Girls Soccer Player of the Year.

Even some heads she did not expect.

Benjamin football coach Eric Kresser was so impressed by her 21-goal, 12-assist campaign that he recruited her to play for the boys football team.

White proved her coach right and shined in her first regular-season football game, nailing all seven of her extra points as Benjamin walked away with a 49-6 win over the John Carroll Catholic Rams on Thursday night.

“It was super nerve-racking but it was a lot of fun,” White said. “There was a good atmosphere and a lot of support so it was definitely a lot of fun.”

The Buccaneers needed depth at kicker after their starter, Luke Kasper, graduated last season, and Kresser knew White was the right person for the job after watching her lead the Buccaneers to a 15-0-1 record on the pitch.

“The best part about it is that she’s not just a regular kid playing football. She is one of the top recruits in the state for her sport,” Kresser said. “We graduated a kicker last year and we have Ford Cash, who also plays other positions, so I recruited Lily because I knew how good she was. We knew that she was really good at kicking the ball.”

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White was hesitant at first, but after some more persuasion from Kresser, she decided to give it a try and earned her way into the lineup.

“Yeah, I’m not going to lie. At first, I was a little hesitant because we already have a super good kicker,” White said “But after some convincing, I said ‘I might as well try.’ I’ve had a lot of good support and the coaches have been super nice and helpful to me.”

After practicing with the team in May, White kept training with the team throughout the summer and now shares the kicking duties with Cash. Her main role is to kick the extra points while Cash serves as the kickoff specialist and kicks the field goals.

It was a split that Cash, who also plays safety and wide receiver for the Buccaneers, openly welcomed.

“We talked about it and whenever the coach decides on who he wants to kick, there is no competition between us,” White said. “We both like and respect each other, so whoever gets to kick gets to kick.”

The mutual respect extends to the rest of the room as well, as the UPenn commit is arguably the most coveted player on the team by college scouts.

“The guys, they respect her because she is an even bigger recruit than all of the football players are,” Kresser said. “It’s not like we are throwing her a bone. She is one of the best athletes in the state and she got instant respect. She didn’t try out for the team, I recruited her to the team so she gets a lot of respect from the guys.”

With high school football being predominantly played by boys, the task seemed daunting at first. But her nerves were immediately calmed as she was welcomed into the locker room with open arms by her teammates.

“It’s honestly such a nice and relieving feeling,” White said. “I was really nervous at first. I didn’t know how the team would respond to me being part of the team but there is just so much support and I am really thankful that they appreciate me and they are all super nice to me.

“It’s unreal. To feel the respect of these guys who are so accomplished, train so hard and work so hard means a lot to me. And it really helps me get over my nerves and get through the whole thing.”

With more girls making breakthroughs in football — including Vanderbilt’s Sarah Fuller, who became the first woman to start in and score a point in a Power Five college football game — it has become more normal for girls to play high school football.

And White wants all girls to know that they can do it, too.

“I would definitely say do it,” she said. “At least give it a try. I was super nervous but with the support of my coaches and my teammates, I’ve been able to make a great experience out of it. I would definitely say give it a shot.”

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Benjamin girls soccer star Lily White steps up as football kicker