At first glance, you won’t spot a girl on their team.

But upon closer look, you’ll see long blonde hair protruding from the back of Samantha Janner’s Panther Valley football helmet.

Janner’s a defensive cornerback and special teams player for the Panthers, with an occasional minute at wide receiver.

Now in her third and final year, Janner plays for the love of the game, but she is fully aware that her presence in an all-male sport has transformed her into a role model for younger girls, and even for older women.

“I don’t mind showing girls younger than me that you can do anything you want to do, and that there should be no restrictions for males or females to play whatever sports they like,” Janner said.

Janner began playing Panther football three years ago after she had observed their workouts as a freshman. She grew up in what she calls “a football family.”

Her father, Mark, who played the game for many years, fully supports his daughter’s non-traditional desire to put on the shoulder pads used in basically an all-male sport.

“I was cool with it right from the start,” he said. “I knew she could handle herself. Sam had earned a black belt in karate and nothing intimidates her.”

Samantha was a five-time tournament grand karate champion and finished fourth in a Fearless Dragon Tournament in which she competed against only men.

“The discipline you need in karate and the discipline I learned at home help me a lot with playing football,” she said.

Panther Valley coach, Scott Price, remarked that Janner is often the first one on the practice field and the last one off, and she’s one of the hardest workers on the team when it comes to putting in the effort.

“Sam did at first worry that when she joined our team, she might not be accepted, but she immediately became one of us and was accepted by all the players and the coaching staff as a player on our team,” he said.

Price recalls a summer weightlifting workout session when Janner was failing to lift 225 pounds. After several attempts, she was showing her frustration.

“We took off 25 pounds and I told Sam to close her eyes and see herself lifting the weight. With her eyes still closed, she did the lift.

“When she opened her eyes again, she realized that we had put the extra 25 pounds back on just before she lifted the bar. That helped her believe she can do anything she wants as long as she never quits.”

Janner loves the adrenaline rush she gets from playing football, and according to Price, she backs away from no one. In fact, she’s the first one to jump into contact drills at their practices.

“Whether we lose a game, or I have a bad day, I just focus on what’s in front of me,” she said. “I never give up on anything, and I love the challenge of having to prove myself.”

In the classroom, Janner has certainly proven herself. Her lowest grade to date is a 95. She aspires to be a physician assistant, and to possibly become an evangelist for the Assembly of God Church.

“I was told once by a teacher that girls are not chemically built to play football,” she said. “I used what he said to me as further motivation, and I’ve earned that teacher’s respect.”

When asked if he believed that any girl should play football if she wants to do so, Price — who trusts Janner as the last line of defense on his kickoff team — didn’t hesitate with his answer.

“Absolutely, as long as they take out a page from Sam’s book and read it,” he said, “and take note that she’s always happy and carries a great personality. She’s never a hassle, and we love to coach her.”

“I like being an inspiration for anyone who wants to do something, but might be afraid to try,” she said.

Samantha Janner has many more chapters to write in the story of her life after football, but she will be remembered at Panther Valley for setting an example to anyone who has the courage and the will to step outside the lines of conventional expectation.

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FOR A CAUSE ... On Oct. 12, the Palmerton girls volleyball team and boys basketball team will be hosting a benefit volleyball match to help the family of Mark Stetler of Palmerton, who is battling head and neck cancer. The JV game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., with the varsity contest to follow at 7.

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DIG IT ... In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Marian Fillies volleyball team, along with Tamaqua, will host a Dig Pink event at the Marian Catholic High School gymnasium. Girls in grades four through eight will be admitted free of charge, and each girl will receive a complimentary gift courtesy of the Marian Fillies Volleyball Booster Club. Those interested are encouraged to participate in the T-shirt fundraiser for Breast Cancer Awareness by ordering a 2018 Dig Pink T-shirt before Sept. 12 to wear it at the game.

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MILESTONE ... Pleasant Valley’s Cameron Caffrey recorded 12 assists, including the 1,000th of her career, in the Bears’ volleyball match against Freedom on Monday.

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RAIDERS ROLLING ... The Tamaqua girls soccer team picked up its fifth straight win with a 5-0 Schuylkill League shutout of North Schuykill on Monday. Emma Kuczynski and Kayla Sherry each scored two goals for the Raiders. Sophia Boyle also had a goal for Tamaqua. Baylee Reinhardt made one save to post the shutout. The run comes after the Raiders started the season 2-3.

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CLOSING IN ... Northern Lehigh head cross country coach Dave Oertner sits at 997 career wins — boys and girls combined. He goes for No. 1,000 in today’s meet at Northwestern.

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CLINCHED ... Several area teams have secured their place in the District 11 playoffs. In field hockey, Lehighton (9-3-1) and Northern Lehigh (9-4) currently sit second and third, respectively, in the Class 1A standings. The Tamaqua boys soccer team is 10-1 and occupies the top spot in the Class 2A standings, while Northwestern is first in Class 3A at 12-1. The Pleasant Valley boys soccer team is 10-3 and has clinched a spot in the Class 4A tournament. The Northwestern girls soccer team is 12-2 and first in the Class 2A standings. In volleyball, Panther Valley (11-0) and Jim Thorpe (9-2) occupy the top two spots in Class 2A.

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STRONG IN THE NET ... Tamaqua goalkeeper Luke Verta leads the Schuylkill League with an .882 save percentage. He has posted three shutouts and has 75 saves. Jim Thorpe’s Kingsley Ehling is second in save percentage with a mark of .863, and also has three shutouts (as of Sept. 30).

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YOU LOOK FAMILIAR ... Tamaqua and Lehighton squared off last week on back-to-back days. Tamaqua won last Tuesday’s game by a 2-1 margin, and Wednesday’s contest by a 6-1 final.

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LUCKY 13 ... Jim Thorpe’s girls tennis team closed out its best regular season ever Saturday, finishing with a 13-2 record. The Olympians currently sit in fourth place in the District 11 Class 2A team standings, and should get a home match in the team tournament, which begins on Monday.