Coupeville Sports

Raechel Kundert

Raechel Kundert is a young woman of many passions.

The Coupeville Middle School eighth grader loves walruses, Fall Out Boy, the splendid zombie romantic comedy “Warm Bodies” and playing percussion in the school band.

Oh, and smacking people on the football field.

Standing out from the crowd, Kundert straps on a helmet and pads and lines up at right tackle each day for the Wolves. Not quite a week into her first year on the gridiron, the converted volleyball player is already looking forward to stepping up when the team starts to practice defense.

“I started playing football because I thought it looked fun,” Kundert said. “I’m looking forward to when we start tackling.”

She’s following in the footsteps of Mary Massengale, a 2013 grad who played on the line for the Coupeville High School gridiron gang. And while some opposing players may be surprised to see a girl line up opposite them this season, Kundert says her new team has welcomed her presence.

“My teammates, friends, and family have all been really supportive,” Kundert said. “My mom really didn’t want me to play at first, but because she played football in the 8th grade, too, I was able to convince her to let me play.”

A brown belt in karate, Kundert has the strength to work the line (“I think I’m pretty strong physically”), but wants to get quicker (“I’d like to work on my speed”). In the end, though, her goals are simple and straight forward — “To have fun and to help my team win.”

Away from the field, she credits her family with always providing support (“My parents, my grandparents, and my best friends, here and in Okanogan, have all had a big impact on me”) and has a wide variety of interests.

Musically, she bounces from deadmau5 to Fall Out Boy, with stops along the way for Colton Dixon, Stellar Kart and Alan Jackson. A fan of video games, reading and art, she enjoyed the summer movie “Pacific Rim” and is a dedicated friend to animals of all stripes.

“I love animals, especially walruses, which prompted me to become a vegetarian halfway through my 2nd grade year,” Kundert said.

She did take one small step back, though, when changing her diet, admitting she couldn’t go all the way and commit to a totally hard-core existence.

“I love cheese too much to be vegan!” she said with a laugh.