Young women in Guelph are breaking new ground on the gridiron.
It's the first season for the Guelph Jr. Gryphons U19 team, the city's first-ever all-female tackle football team. The upstart Gryphons is one of six teams in the under-19 division in the Ontario Women's Football League (OWFL).
There is also a U16 division with three teams based in London, Cumberland and Peel.
For Gryphons head coach Taylor MacIntyre, it's an important step forward for girls and gender minorities who want to play football.
"For me personally, it's about creating that opportunity that I didn't have when I was 15, 16, 17, 18 years old," said MacIntyre, who is also a receivers coach for the OUA's McMaster Marauders.
"I played high school football, but after my two years of junior, I didn't have anywhere to play. And if there was a program like this in place, my football journey may have been a little bit different, and could've been much more rewarding with additional years of playing."
She said it's an honour to be the first head coach of this team, and getting to share her passion for the game with other females and help them along their football journey.
MacIntyre leads a coaching staff that also features fellow OUA coach Kyle Cole, who will move over from Waterloo to the Toronto Varsity Blues this fall as the tight ends and fullbacks coach.
She also recruited four coaches from Team Ontario to help grow the women's tackle game in the area.
The OWFL is a six-on-six league, said to be a well-established alternative to the traditional 12-on-12 in Canada and 11-on-11 in the United States.
Isabelle Hillen, a 15-year-old student at John F. Ross was the first commit to the program and is one of the team captains.
"It fills me with so much pride," the Guelph native said. "I'm just so happy to wear this jersey and represent my city with a bunch of other women who want to just hit people and have a good time doing it."
The all-situations player jumped at the opportunity to sign on, and meet other females passionate about the sport.
"I've played with guys before, and it's a great experience, but it's so nice to have other women doing this and being able to be aggressive with them," she said. "It's nice to be with people like me."
It also opened the window for other recruits to come on board, which coach MacIntyre made particular note of. The coach said once Hillen stepped up, everyone else followed, including those outside of Guelph like Gabi Stewart.
The 15-year-old from Cambridge is another captain, and an all-situations type player.
"Everyone here is very dedicated and everyone wants (the) best for every individual player, not just your best ones," she said. "You're trying to work through everybody."
She said she's learned a lot from coaches, and has gained a lot of knowledge and stamina by playing in all situations.
Wide receiver Francesca Fazzari is the third of the three captains on the team.
"When I was about 10, I started playing flag football, and I got really into it, and then I just kind of wanted to take it to the next level (in Ancaster) and play real football," she said. "In Grade 9, I tried out for the tackle team for my school. Ever since then, it just kind of took off from there."
Not only does she play for her high school team, Fazzari is on the roster for Team Ontario, who compete at the U18 women's tackle national championship in Ottawa in July.
The Gryphons are in search of its first win when the Peel Panthers come to town Sunday morning at 10 a.m. It's the team's home opener, and will take place at Alumni Stadium at the University of Guelph.
But while the team prepares for that, they're also still in recruiting mode, and want more players to join the team.
Girls born between 2005 and 2008 are eligible to participate.
"It's an amazing culture here," MacIntyre said. "We have athletes from all different school levels. Some of them have never played a contact sport before, and some of them play high school football. It's a real mix of skill and diverse passions, but we all have the same common goal."
MacIntyre said anyone looking for information, or wanting to join, can reach her at [email protected]. You can also follow the team on Instagram.
"We're just trying to let everyone know that there's a place for women and gender minorities in football," she said.