By Rich Winter 

605 Sports

PIERRE — Girl kickers in high school football are not unusual, but the Pierre Governors are breaking the mold with two on their football roster this season. 

Soccer players Ryann Barry is handling the point after touchdown (PAT) kicks and field goals, while Brianna Sargent is managing the kickoff duties for Class 11AA No. 1 Pierre (2-0).

While there have been numerous girls kickers in South Dakota high school football, two girls kickers on the same team is unprecedented and something coach Steve Steele encouraged. 

“We’re pretty open here,” Steele said. “We are one of those places where we don’t look at gender, we just look at who the best kickers are.”

For Sargent, a forward on the Pierre soccer team, the opportunity to handle the kickoffs was a dream come true. Having kicked footballs with her father, Barry, for years Sargent had an audition tape ready to show the Pierre coaching staff.

“I showed them a video during the summer and texted coach Steele and asked if I could kick,” Sargent said. “After Rylan Derry graduated I kinda knew that I wanted to kick for the football team this year.” 

Soccer player Brianna Sargent is handling the kickoff duties for the Pierre Governor football team. (Tom Plooster Photography)

Barry, a second-team all-state soccer player, found her niche on the Pierre football team after a summer visit with the coaches. 

“I talked to coach Steele in the summer and told him I was interested,” Barry said. “I went to practice, gave it a couple tries and it went so well I just suited up.”

In addition to being a standout soccer player, Barry was a key player on the Pierre girls basketball team that finished runner-up in last year’s Class AA state tournament. Barry has been in pressure situations before, but the football season opener against Aberdeen Central brought out some new nerves.  

“I was super nervous when the first snap came and only made two-of-five PATs in the first game,” she said. “Coach Steele and our kicking coach came over and told me they had confidence in me and every time I make a PAT the coaches and the players are just as excited as if we scored a touchdown.” 

Barry rebounded this week making seven-of-seven PATs in the Governors win over Brookings. 

When Barry and Sargent first stepped on the field they said the boys were a little unsure at first.

Brianna Sargent kicks off against Aberdeen Central earlier this season. (Tom Plooster Photography)

“Right away they were giving me a lot of crap,” Barry said. “I think I’ve earned their respect and the team is always supportive and right there to tell me they’ve got their back.” 

Sargent had a similar experience but relied on her soccer friend to get through some challenges. 

“I was pretty nervous showing up and didn’t know what the boys were like and they didn’t say much at first,” Sargent said. “It is easier having Ryann there with me to not be the only girl. We ride in the same car with our kicking coach to get to games and it’s been a lot of fun.” 

While having female kickers is unique, make no mistake these girls are good. Steele said Barry made a 46-yard field goal in warmups against Aberdeen Central and he calls Sargent a secret weapon for the kickoff team.

“Brianna doesn’t have the leg to get it into the end zone, but if can’t get it into the end zone, the next best thing is to have a place kicker that has a variety of kicks,” Steele said. “She did an excellent job placing her kicks last week. We recovered two of those kicks and Brookings was only able to field three of the kickoffs cleanly.” 

Sargent is loving the variety of ways she is being used in the kicking game. 

“If I kickoff, I can hit like the 15-yard line but the coaches are having me do a lot of different things,” she said. “I do squib kicks and straight down the middle like 10 feet in the air. It totally depends on how the defense is lining up.”

Pierre's Ryann Barry kicks a PAT earlier this season against Aberdeen Central. (Tom Plooster Photography)

Sargent has some fire in her belly and isn’t afraid at the idea of tackling a runner should the opportunity arise.

“When we played Aberdeen Central I got half a credit on a tackle because I kinda grabbed his shoulder pads and made the runner cut back,” she said. “The coaches don’t want me to get hurt but I tell them I’m going to get a tackle if I need to.” 

Managing a soccer and football schedule is challenging but both girls say the soccer coaches and football coaches have been super flexible. 

“It’s pretty simple, the girls don’t start soccer practice until 4 p.m. so they come out a little after 3 o'clock and warm up,” Steele said. “We normally practice with our special teams on Thursdays but the girls have soccer games so we rearranged our special teams practices to be earlier in the week.”

For Sargent, the opportunity to put on the pads and play with the boys has thrust her into the mode of role model which she readily accepts. 

“I see little girls when I come out of the locker room and they give me a high five or ask for pictures,” she said. “It gives them a little eye opener. I think seeing me kick on a mostly boys team shows them that if I can do it, anything is possible for them.”

Pierre's Brianna Sargent kicks off against Aberdeen Central earlier this season. (Tom Plooster Photography)