She Won a Championship on the Basketball Court. Now She’s Playing Quarterback with the Boys
Anwar Stetson
Daisy Throws Dimes
Daisy Thockmorton isn’t your ordinary high school athlete. The Sacramento, California native is a three-sport star and the first female varsity quarterback in the history of her high school.
The 5’11” QB has played in two games this season, throwing for a total of 169 yards. But Daisy is also the starting quarterback and safety on McClatchy’s girls flag football team. Her Lions are currently 18-5 this season with her at the helm. And in the winter, she’s a star on the girls basketball team; during the 2024-25 season, she helped lead the McClatchy girls basketball squad to the San Joaquin Division 1 Section Championship. Not to mention she’s doing it all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA in the classroom.
The Toughness to Take on the Boys
Now, the rest of the nation is beginning to take notice as Thockmorton’s highlights make the rounds on social media. According to her tackle football head coach, though, the rest of the world is discovering something he already knew.
“I’ve never seen a player of Daisy’s caliber out on the football field with the boys,” Quantrell Jackson Sr. told ABC 10 in September.
And she’s not scared, either.
“My dad was pretty concerned about me getting injured and all that stuff,” Thockmorton told ABC 10’s Kevin John. “But I’ve played football before. I’ve been hit before so it’s nothing new.”
Talk about tough as nails.
The Future is Female
We’re currently in the golden age of women’s sports, and investors are following the money. Forbes reported in March that “women’s sport sponsorship is growing 50% faster than men’s major leagues,” and that “86% of sponsors said their investment in women’s sports met or exceeded expectations.”
And as the money flows, the athletes grow. Female players at the high school level are more athletic than ever. This year we’ve highlighted 6’2” prep basketball star Mattie Francis becoming one of the few girls to dunk in-game. Not too long after, 6’3” high school senior Oliviyah Edwards threw one down in an AAU game. And with sports like flag football also growing at a tremendous pace, there’s more room for female athletes to shine.
Keep up with all the rising stars in girls sports, as Prep Network continues to highlight the nation’s best players.