Along with football, Perry also plays lacrosse, but she said football has a special feeling that no other sport can match.

“I wanted to hit someone; I wanted to tackle people and be rough without getting a call,” Perry said. “In lacrosse, you aren’t able to hit people; you aren’t able to tackle people; you aren’t able to trip people, but in football, it’s like an open field. You’re able to be aggressive and be dominant in showing the other player that you’re going to take them out and that you are the best. That’s what I crave from a sport.”

Michael Perry said he has noticed his daughter isn’t treated differently from the boys on the team and both players and coaches view her the same as other players.

“Isabelle is treated equally by her teammates and coaching staff,” Michael Perry said. “I have faith that the coaches are making the best player personnel decisions by placing the best player in each position for every circumstance to help Midtown make every defensive stop, make every first down and win every game.”

Assistant coach Tony Howell and the rest of the coaching staff extend the same courtesy to Perry as her teammates do.

“They treat her like a football player when she’s out there; they don’t take it easy on her; they’ll take her down on the field; she’ll get up and keep competing until it’s time to go,” Howell said.

Perry said if she were a guy on the team, she doesn’t think she would be treated any differently from how she is now. However, she said if she were a guy, her experience on the football team wouldn’t be as “special.”

“I have to work just as hard as the guys,” Perry said. “I push myself to not only compete with them, but work to try to be better than them. That’s what makes it worth it. I chose to be on the team because I wanted to challenge myself that much more, and imagining myself as someone else, who I’m not, would make the experience warped and not true to who I am.”

Despite being hesitant at first, Michael Perry said he is proud of her determination and hopes she motivates others to achieve their goals.

“When the time came for her first game, I had completely changed my mind and perspective over time, and now I am one of her biggest fans,” Michael Perry said. “What she is doing is groundbreaking. She [is] so driven, and she worked very hard to make the team, and she continues to work hard to try to get better and get as much playing time as possible.”

Sophomore Alexia Davis, who isn’t a football player, said Perry is an inspiration, and it is empowering to have a girl on the team.

“It’s absolutely amazing to have a girl on the football team,” Davis said. “I’m so happy I can say that my school has a girl on their football team. Being able to support a girl athlete in football is really cool, and it also provides many opportunities for other girls to pursue sports that aren’t as popular with female athletes.”

Throughout the season, Perry said she has started to feel more comfortable.

“In the beginning, I felt a bit out of place,” Perry said. “However, as time has gone on, and I’ve stayed committed to the team, I have gelled and have become close with the guys and have never looked back. We have a good time no matter what the practice plan is because we’re there for each other at the end of the day; we’re there for the team, regardless of the work we have to put in for the day.”

Junior defensive end Micah Whiskey agrees Perry has become closer with other players.

“Having a girl on the team doesn’t really feel like anything; it just feels like she’s one of us,” Whiskey said. “I compliment her for coming out to play and actually sticking around through the spring and summer and through the regular season and continuing to get better and better.”

Initially, Perry did not get very much playing time, but she gradually has started to earn more time on the field.

“She’s a go-getter,” Howell said. “Anytime you need somebody, she’ll be the first one to volunteer; she’ll be the first one to come out and play no matter if it’s her position or not, she’ll always volunteer to be out there.”

Perry hopes her hard work will pay off so she can continue to prove herself.

“I want to work harder than everyone there, and I want to show that I have what it takes to compete with anyone,” Perry said. “For my future in football, I want to get better, get more playing time and learn more technique.”