Sydney Alloco: Should've been Hilton's pride and joy

11/7/2018

The little girl ran up to Sydney. She was clad in her red padded pants and black jersey-- her big number 87 displayed on the back--and helmet in hand. The girl gave her a high five and smiled. Then quickly ran away.

Of course, I “aww-ed.” It was one of the cutest things I’ve seen. And now, the fall sports season has come to an end.

Everyone should know, by now, that Sydney Alloco, a Hilton senior, joined the football team. A team that was once all males, now had a girl on it. Sydney was the first girl ever to join the varsity team here at Hilton High School.

Her mother, a Hilton Staff member, was approached by Tah-jae Hill, one of the team’s wide receivers. He told Mrs. Alloco that Sydney should go for the position of kicker. Sydney participated in Powderpuff last year, and revealed to all watchers that she has a cannon for a foot. I, of course, told her to go for it - as did her other friends.

Sydney tried out for the team and, with a record field goal from 48 yards, she obviously made the team. Title IX allows for equal treatment of females and males on a sports team making it a clear yes for Hilton High. Sydney was granted a spot on the team. Accommodations had never been made to address having both genders representing the Cadets on the football field, because Sydney was the first girl to make the roster. One of the accommodations included that Sydney wouldn’t sit with her teammates and watch game film. Oddly, an accommodation that left Sydney feeling like she was missing out was something her teammates felt jealous of because they wished to go home.

The games passed and Sydney never played. She dressed each game and stood there alongside everyone else waiting for her chance. The community waited too - why we waited on the edge of our seats! Opportunities came and went and she still stood on the sidelines. Then it happened, she was put into a game and kicked her first extra point. Hilton supporters outnumbered the home team’s at Monroe High School and we were grateful to be there to support Sydney. The kick was perfect. It sailed right down the middle with the perfect amount of height. If you didn’t see it live, you definitely were one of almost 9,000 who saw it on Twitter.

And that was the only time Sydney ever kicked during league play as a Hilton Cadet.