ROYAL OAK, Mich. (WXYZ) — Elly Finch is a senior at Royal Oak High School. She's a 4.0 GPA student, an All-State track and field student, and school record holder for the discus. On top of that all, she serves as a captain for the Ravens football team as a left guard and linebacker. At halftime of one of her recent football games, she was surprised by being crowned homecoming queen as voted on by her classmates.
She won the title queen alongside her best friend and teammate Mekhi Jenkins, which made it all the sweeter for them both.
"I was happier for her than myself," said Jenkins. "When I saw that she won it with me, she had a big smile on her face and I thought she was going to cry."
"It's mutual! They called his name first and I was like 'Oh my God! He did it!' And then they called my name and it was even better," said Finch.
Her coach Dustyn Truitt said it doesn't feel like he has a girl playing on a guys' football team.
"Everyone comes in here and they're like 'oh you have a girl playing football,'" said Truitt. "And it's like no, we have Elly playing football."
Elly says nothing makes her happier than the way the sun sets on a night of football. She credits her coaching and her teammates to being able to be where she is today. She said her dream one day, no matter how long it takes, is to become an NFL coach.
"This is my home," said Finch. "The football field is where I belong. It's where I feel the most me."
