Cheyenne female QB shows toughness in lopsided loss to Clark

On her archetypal drop-back walk effort connected Saturday, Cheyenne backmost Kaleigha Plett was leveled by Clark linebacker Reyes Reynaga.

Later connected a third-and-8, Plett ran a keeper to the close broadside and was smothered, leaving her connected the Cheyenne tract for a mates of minutes earlier she got backmost connected her feet.

Plett wanted to beryllium treated similar conscionable different shot player, and Clark obliged by doing conscionable that, taking vantage of shaky Cheyenne blocking to springiness her small clip to operate. Clark was relentless successful its 51-0 victory, forcing a moving timepiece for astir of the 2nd half.

That effect astir apt was wherefore neither Plett nor her coach, Jared Bennett, was each that funny successful making a large woody of the past made. She is believed to beryllium the archetypal pistillate to commencement astatine backmost successful Nevada precocious schoolhouse history.

“It wasn’t truly connected my mind,” Plett said. “I was conscionable trying to get the win. It didn’t crook retired that way, but we’re going to get it adjacent time.”

Plett did much than conscionable play quarterback. With her teammates cramping arsenic temperatures flirted with 100 degree, Plett besides played cornerback for overmuch of the 2nd half.

“She played her process disconnected everyplace she got connected the field,” Bennett said. “She’s been 1 of those that’s been a agleam spot. ”

But backmost is wherever Plett has received the astir attention. She completed her lone authoritative walk effort for a yard. She spent astir of the clip handing disconnected successful the run-oriented offense.

Neither she nor her teammates recovered overmuch moving room. Clark’s larger and much carnal antiaircraft beforehand dominated the enactment of scrimmage. Cheyenne ne'er precocious beyond Clark’s 31-yard line.

For the game, Plett mislaid 24 yards connected a operation of 5 rushes and sacks. Plett besides was called for intentional grounding successful the extremity zone, giving Clark a safety.

Given the small assistance she had successful beforehand of her, this crippled wasn’t the astir perfect mode to gauge however effectual Plett — a erstwhile emblem shot subordinate — tin beryllium erstwhile fixed clip to pass.

Either way, Bennett promises to people Plett similar helium would immoderate different player. She is the 1 who wanted this opportunity, raising her manus to play backmost connected a roster depleted due to the fact that of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

During much emblematic times, the inferior would beryllium learning astatine the inferior varsity level earlier getting her changeable astatine varsity.

“I told her erstwhile she came retired for football, I’m going to dainty her similar anybody else, and she doesn’t expect thing different,” Bennett said. “She came retired and did her occupation and knew her assignments. She played tough. She’s a shot player.”

No 1 tin question her toughness. Plett is 5 feet 5 inches and 120 pounds, and she missed lone 1 play astatine backmost contempt taking a beating.

“I conscionable kept getting up,” Plett said. “I didn’t truly deliberation thing of it. That’s what I’ve been doing my full life, truthful it wasn’t anything. really.”

Contact newsman Mark Anderson astatine manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 connected Twitter.