MARION COUNTY, Ohio – A Marion County High School is fielding their first female coach and wide receiver this season.

"It's really amazing just like all of the energy like the band playing and everyone cheering; it's really cool."

Cool because seventeen-year-old Claire Lust isn't in the stands, but out playing on the field.

Claire tells us, "It's kind of nerve-wracking cause I'm like everyone's watching me since I'm the girl."

She's the third girl in Ridgedale High School's history to suit up and hit the football field.  The tight end receiver says she's wanted to play since Junior High, but it wasn't until another player encouraged her to come out for the team, that she gave it a shot.

Although it was a little scary at first, she believes the pressure and practice make the fear go away.

"It makes me feel good that like I'm letting other girls know that they can play football and that it's not that scary," says Lust.

As Lust and the others condition and run through plays on a sweltering hot day, there's some extra help on the sidelines, in the form of Coach Thiel, Lynnette Thiel.

She's the first female coach the team has ever had.

"I just look at it as being another coach on the sidelines," says Thiel.​ 

Thiel's been around football all of her life.  She played in Junior High, and her brothers played too.

"Growing up with my brothers, it was like I was just one of the guys already," says Thiel.

Since Thiel coached these same kids in Junior High Baseball and has watched them grow up, taking the job as the assistant coach was the next best move to make.

"And I think to see them through this year is kind of one of the reasons why I wanted to come out, and they needed an extra coach," says Thiel.

While it's not often that you see a female coach and player on the field at the same time, it's a fantastic play that'll go down in the record books as other little girls may be inspired.

"And I hope that that inspires them to at least go chase their dreams," concludes Thiel.