Strawn kicker is first female to play in, win Texas HS football title game

A 5’2” young woman from the town of Strawn is standing taller after helping her high school football team win a state title.

Senior K-Lani Nava made nine of 10 extra point attempts in Wednesday's game at AT&T Stadium to cap off the historic season. Her team, the Greyhounds, went 15-0.

But Nava also made UIL history being the first female to play, score and win a state championship football game.

“It was just very difficult to earn their trust and to get them to want me to be there,” Nava said of when she first joined the team. “I had to really prove myself to them.”

Dewaine Lee, SHS football coach, said he didn’t think Nava would make the squad at first.

“I wasn’t going to tell her no, so I said sure, come on out. I wanted to see her kick, I didn't want to her to embarrass herself and she did a good job. So I said I'll let you kick JV, low pressure, just have some fun. She did and she really did a good job,” Lee said.

Strawn hadn’t been to the state title game in nearly a decade.

“This was a big deal for this town,” Nava said. “Just the fact that I got this opportunity to kick through that field goal means a lot to me.”

Strawn is about 80 miles west of Fort Worth along I-20.