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Bella Rasmussen, a running back with the Laguna Beach varsity team, made history Friday night. (Photos courtesy Doug Franz, Laguna Beach football).
Laguna Beach High School senior Bella Rasmussen, a member of the Breakers varsity football team, made history Friday night and accomplished a dream she’s set out to do since she started playing the sport at the age of 7.
Rasmussen scored on touchdown runs of 4 and 1 yards in the second quarter of the Breakers 48-0 Pac-4 League victory over Godinez at Santa Ana Valley and according to Cal-Hi Sports, she became the first girl in California to score two touchdowns in a varsity game.
Rasmussen, in her second year playing varsity football, had 21 yards rushing on the night, 12 yards coming to set up her first TD as the Breakers improved their overall record to 5-3.
The two touchdowns were her first in her two-year varsity career. She had scored two touchdowns previously as a freshman and sophomore. According to Cal-Hi Sports, seven other girls in the state have scored one touchdown in a game.
“The first one, I couldn’t believe it, it was something that I’ve been thinking about and hoping for for so many years since I was 6 years old and have it finally come true was overwhelming,” Rasmussen said in an interview with OC Sports Zone Saturday. “I was crying, I just couldn’t believe and I was super, super excited that my whole team was so excited for me.
“I was already so happy for the fact that I had scored the first one, so when the second one happened, I was in complete disbelief. Not only did I complete a dream tonight, but I did it twice. It was everything I had hoped for.”
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Later Friday night, she found out she was the first girl to score two TDs in a game in the state.
“It just double-downed on the shock,” she said. “I was on cloud nine last night.”
Rasmussen, who stands 5-9, said her teammates were excited for her.
“They were super excited for me, I think some of them were almost more excited than I was. You could tell there was genuine happiness for me,” she said. “I woke up this morning and my phone’s been blowing up all day.”
Laguna Beach Coach John Shanahan was thrilled too.
“She is a great kid, a tough, physical player who deserved her opportunity and made the most of it,” Shanahan said. “We are extremely proud of her.”
Rasmussen’s family also shared in the excitement.
“Her dad and I were ecstatic,” said her mother Annette. “This has been years in the making. The courage and toughness she has displayed over eight seasons as the only female on any of her teams has been nothing short of inspiring and amazing. She has been an ambitious trailblazer her entire life, so this was definitely par for the course. What an incredible addition to an already record breaking football career. We could not be more proud.”
Bella Rasmussen was glad that her uncle, Nate Ball, who is receivers coach on the team and the Breakers’ running back coach Alex Hutch, were there to share in the exciting night. Her aunt and cousin were also there to cheer her on.
“It’s really important that Coach Hutch saw it happen because he’s been leading me as a running back since I started at Laguna and I attribute a lot of my successes to his coaching,” she said.
Bella Rasmussen started playing football with the Irvine Chargers youth football program and started to enjoy the sport. She then played for the South Cardinals based in Costa Mesa.
She was a receiver and cornerback her first two years with the Chargers, but the last seven seasons she’s been a running back.
“My brothers and my cousins had played football when I was little and I always used to go and watch them practice,” she said. “So one day I kind of decided I want to play football and it started from there. At the time, they didn’t have any flag football teams for my age group so I just went straight to tackle.”
Rasmussen said she doesn’t experience fear when playing football.
“If I had just started my freshman year, I probably would have been pretty scared,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve been scared more than once or twice walking onto a football field. I don’t think I’ve ever really been scared of people on the other side of the ball because footbal is a physical sport but at the end of the day if I do my job right and protect myself the way I’m supposed to, I’m not going to get hurt.
“I have to believe in myself, you can’t go out onto a football field scared.”
Rasmussen said she isn’t thinking about football in the future.
“I’m not really sure where I want to go to school yet,” she said. “I have a couple of ideas like the University of Utah and CU Boulder, but I don’t think I’ll be going into football or anything like that. I kind of want to study interior design.”
For now, she hopes to inspire other girls to participate in football.
—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com
