By Dominic Scianna

One player stands 5 foot, 4 inches tall and serves as the team’s starting placekicker. The other is a hulking 6-3, 230 pounds, and plays defensive end and tackle. Both play on the Walter Payton College Prep varsity high school football team. 

The diminutive Isa Katz is one of a handful of girls who play tackle football in the Chicago Public League (CPL). That in itself is a feat, but Katz, and fellow Grizzlies senior defensive standout Nicolas Koutsonicolis, have one thing in common. They both received one of the highest honors in their sport by being named to the end of season Chicago Sun-Times All-Public League Football Second Team, as voted by a group of CPL coaches and administrators in the Chicagoland Area.

“Isa and Nic are great representatives for our program,” said Payton head football coach Craig Knoche, whose Grizzlies finished the regular season as the CPL White West Conference Champions with an undefeated 6-0 record and 9-0 overall mark.

The team entered the IHSA Class 5A state playoffs as a #1 seed only to be defeated by Sterling High School for its only loss of the season.

Katz has a unique story having played on the varsity team as the only female player since her freshman season but that year was cut short by COVID-19. 

In the two-and-a-half years since then, she has had her share of big field goals – like her first game-winner as a sophomore beating Raby High School 3-0. Or making a tackle, which she’s not afraid to do on kickoffs. Or her clutch game-winning field goals – the most recent splitting the uprights with 10 seconds left to beat Phoenix Military Academy 17-16 earlier this season.

All these are reasons that validate the player that Katz has become and the trajectory of her play has paid off to be one of the best 44 Public League players in 2023 in Chicago.

“It’s a huge accomplishment for me and it really solidifies the impact I’ve had. People can’t say that I couldn’t do something that I really wanted to do,” admitted Katz. ”I’ve actually played flag football and rec football since I was super young. I really love football and wanted to play whatever position I could and because of my soccer background kicking ended up being the best role for me.”

As for Koutsonicolis, he is, as Payton Athletic Director and Special Teams Coach Curtis Nunnery calls him, “a self made monster” and praised his dedication and workout regimen as a reason for his vast improvement to earn All-City honors. 

He’s also been there for his teammates and has been one of the leaders on the squad this year.

“Nic is the type of teammate who leads by example and he also takes that extra step with the younger players and helps them out,” said Katz. “I remember after our sophomore year ended Nic would be vocal on our group chat about working and improving.”

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The senior defensive end and tackle had a great year as the anchor and stalwart for Payton’s defense under head coach Knoche, gaining accolades from across the Chicago Public League.

Both student-athletes are not committed to any universities or colleges at the present time. Koutsonicolis is keeping his options open on playing at the next level, and Katz stated she’d like to play club soccer at the school of her choice in her first year.

Nunnery has seen Katz grow each year with her play improving. It didn’t surprise him that the awards and honors would come her way because of her desire and drive to succeed.

“I give Isa all the credit because she puts in the work. She’s very resilient and when she gets  knocked down she’ll come right back in and make a big kick (for us),” said Nunnery. “Isa’s tough and won the job (beating out three others) to become the starting varsity kicker because of her accuracy. She’s been a pleasure to coach.”

The coaches and team members accepted Katz instantly, regardless of her gender. And that example was something that Katz will always cherish in looking back at her high school football career at Payton.

“The coaches set the example right from the start, and once I became kicker they (my teammates) could see that I could contribute to the team,” admitted Katz. “My first year on the team the seniors were great, and I remember the first time I got that tap on the helmet or tap on the back, I knew that they had accepted me.”

Knoche is one of the CPL’s young coaches and the team feeds off his energetic and competitive style along with Nunnery and the other coaches. Their messaging hits home with the team and It’s a big reason why Payton has had success the past few years. Last season they won a post-season IHSA state championship game in Class 5A, and this season they’ve kept the momentum going with a perfect regular season campaign to build on for the future.

“I always prefer coaches who are really clear about what they want.and ready to work with you to do that,” explained Katz. “Coach Nunnery has been great with me and has taught me about kicking and working on my form. And, Coach Knoche is demanding and wants to win, but at the same time he makes it clear that he wants us to grow as a team. At the end of every practice and every chat he always says, ‘I Love You Guys, ‘ and I think that builds a great team environment and it makes me and everyone else want to work harder.”