Austin Curtis ’25 / Journal Staff Writer
An Albuquerque Academy senior is headed to college on a scholarship to play flag football.
At a recent showcase in Houston, Emanee Cerda caught the eye of Mars Hill coach Max Switzer, who offered her an opportunity to be on the Division II college’s inaugural women’s team.
Cerda has played flag football on local co-ed and all-girls teams for the past four years, but the opportunity to play at the next level was something the 17-year-old couldn’t have envisioned just a few years ago.
“They (the boys) would say how I wasn’t meant to be out on the field. I heard people say ‘she’s not going to college for this’ so there’s just been a lot of people who have said things and it brings me down, but I’ve just learned to ignore it,” she said.
Cerda’s persistence and grit earned her respect and honors on the field. Now, she’s possibly the first New Mexican to receive a scholarship in flag football, an emerging sport at the college and international levels.
