Cleveland Fusion 2006
Real Women. Real Football

To be sure, until the last few years, girls could dream, but not actually play, other than the occasional scrimmage-or overgrown squabble-usually with brothers or neighborhood kids.

But, did you know, there were a few women's tackle football teams in the 1930s and 1940s, before they drifted away? Then, along came flag football, and although played by guys, too, women took to it in droves, demonstrating aptitude and attitude galore!

Even before the official launch of Flag Football in Ohio in 1971, girls were playing it: here, there and everywhere! It seems only natural then, that finally in the late 1990s, a real effort at organized women's tackle football was made, playing their first season in 2001, and in 2002, Cleveland fielded a team-the Fusion.

Five women who were on that first year's team are returning this year, as well. Returning veterans are the core strength of the team, aided and abetted by the newer members. It takes grit and determination and no little skill to play tackle football.

For these five women-and the hundreds of others who have in the past or will this year don pads and helmets and take to the field-it is a dream come true!

Lisa Heinl-#28-heard about the formation of the Fusion on her car radio, as she was driving on I-77 one very early fall day in 2001. She nearly ran her car off the road in her anxiety to catch the phone number so she could call and say, "Me, me! I want to play football!"

Fortunately, she kept the car under control, managing to write down the number to call. She made the call the next day, and thinks she was the first person to respond to Kelly Antal's request for interested women to come for tryouts.

A natural athlete, Lisa played basketball and softball, and ran track & cross country while attending Nordonia High School. When she went on to college, she did continue sports, but only intramurals, while earning her degree at Miami University in math education with a minor in coaching.

Her first teaching-and coaching-job was at Hawken Upper School, and shortly thereafter discovered herself to be the "Softball Coach of the Year" by the Plain Dealer, and received the same honor from the News Herald. Currently, Lisa is a math teacher at Mayfield High School.

Since she's been playing for the Fusion, she's had to give up coaching. But some day she'll go back to it. If Lisa had a personal highlight film, it would certainly include the touchdown pass she threw in April, 2004, when the Fusion played the Columbus Comets at Browns Stadium.

"I'll always remember being a female football player throwing a touchdown pass at an NFL stadium. It was awesome," she says, the pride-and awe-identifiable in her voice. Usually, for the Fusion, Lisa has been a Tailback or Fullback, so although she'd mostly played quarterback in flag football, the experience came in handy when the Fusion's quarterback was temporarily unable to play in that game.

This year, she'll be a Tight End. Two years ago, she was the Fusion's MVP. Watch a game and you'll see why.

At 38, Lisa isn't sure how many more years she'll play. "When your body tells you it's time, it's time," she says. She's been injured a couple of times, but keeps picking herself up to go at it again. Her ten-year-old niece thinks she she'll play football someday, too, 'just like aunt Lisa'.

In the meantime, Lisa just continues to give it her all, bathed in the loving support of her family: parents, brother, two sisters, three nieces and a new nephew. And her appreciative team-mates.

Growing up in a family of thirteen kids, Martina Latessa-#24-had plenty of opportunities to observe the concept of competitiveness, first hand. Had she not, however, her Dad would still have made sure she understood it.

"My parents are my biggest supporters," she says with a grin. "Mom (who's a minister) tells everyone I'm a policeman, and Dad tells them I'm a tackle football player."

Really, she's both. Martina works out of the 6th District for the Cleveland Police Department, where she's one of a team assigned to basic patrol in a zone car. After graduating from Central Catholic High School, she decided to go the Police Academy rather than college, because she'd made up her mind when she was 8 that she wanted to be a policeman.

A horrendous crime happened at the house next door to where her family lived, and one of the policemen who investigated comforted the little girl. She never forgot his kindness and decided she wanted the chance to do the same for other people. Had she not been able to be a policeman, she thinks she might have been a social worker. Logical Martina.

For whatever reason, Martina didn't play much of any kind of ballgames with her brothers, but got into flag football after she joined the police force. She excelled, naturally, being the athlete that she is, but says, "I knew nothing about tackle, I had to learn everything."

She'd heard about the new League in 2001, but thought, "Cleveland never gets anything like this. I know I'm an athlete, I can compete!"

When the Fusion made a presentation to Martina's flag team, she knew that was it for her! "It was so hard. I had no confidence." She started as a wide receiver and switched to running back in her second year. That brought her the 'Most Improved Player' Award for the year, ironic because her first touchdown came on a 22 yard catch.

A coaching change last year brought Keith Jonson in as Offensive Coordinator, and he's convinced Martina that she can now play almost any position. He encouraged her to run, and last year she ran away with the team's MVP Trophy!

Martina loves to play ball-any kind-loves to compete, or watch movies. Her best friend came through the Fusion. "Shannon Anderson will probably be my bridesmaid-whenever I get married-and be godmother to my kids."

Mom and Dad Latessa always come to the games. "When I made that 86 yard touchdown run, Mom started crying." It's safe to say she wasn't the only one!

It's like son, like Mother. Wanda Ross-#56-chose that number because that's the number her older son (now 22) wore when he played football at Shaker High a few years back. (Her younger son, at 18, doesn't do sports; he keeps her up to date on computers, though.)

Another of Cleveland's Finest-for the last 17 years now, Wanda was recruited to the Fusion by the first coach of the new team, in early 2001.

She was one of three women on a Police flag team-the other 15 members were guys-plus she'd competed in 4 x 4 relays at the Police Olympics in 1993 & 94, leading then coach Tim Clark to suggest that she come try out for the Fusion.

She hasn't looked back, since then, either. "I love playing football," she says with a grin. "It keeps me in shape, keeps me young. It helps me on my job." This from one of the two 'senior' ladies on the team.

Wanda was a military brat-the youngest of ten kids, and the only girl! No need to even ask if she played ball when she was a kid. She always loved track, but played baseball, basketball and occasionally, pickup football. Splitting time between Muskegon, Michigan and Portsmouth, Virginia, she graduated from high school in Muskegon. She attended Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA, where she played some basketball.

Assigned to Cleveland's 6th District, Wanda just recently returned to patrol car duty, having spent the last six years as a Vice Detective. Hubby Eric, to whom she's been happily married for 23 years, is a mechanic for RTA and goes to all the Fusion games in his capacity as Game Day Coordinator.

Her highlight film would certainly include the last game of the 2002 season which led them to the playoffs. The game, which the Fusion won handily over the Indiana Golden Hawks, was televised locally on Adelphia. She's nowhere near ready to retire, either. "I love the sport! Age doesn't matter. I can keep up with the 20 year olds!"

Wide receiver Shannon Anderson-#1-scored the very first touchdown for the Fusion in their first game in 2002. It was a 22 yard reception from quarterback Mary Dietrick. At that point, both of them knew this was real. They were both actually playing professional women's tackle football-and making it work, just like it was supposed to!

Unfortunately, although Shannon played most of the rest of the game, she missed the next two or three because in all the celebration of the touchdown, she broke her hand. Well, football is football, no matter who plays it! Of course, her hand was unprotected.

It came as a major surprise to her to learn that once she had all her equipment on, and took a hit, it didn't hurt! But even if it had, she'd probably have played anyway, she was so excited at being chosen for the Fusion.

Growing up in Youngstown, Shannon readily admits she was a tomboy-a very competitive person who was never so happy as when she was playing ball. Neither of her older brothers was athletic, so it was her Grandfather who willingly encouraged her, playing catch and throwing to her. In high school (South Range) she lettered for four years in volleyball, basketball and softball, and later was inducted into their Hall of Fame.

When she went on to Baldwin-Wallace, majoring in Sports Management and Business Administration, she cut back to just two sports, basketball and softball, lettering in each of them for four years. She also has a Masters in Education with emphasis in Sports Management from Cleveland State University.

Prior to the Fusion, her only football experience was in flag football for the Hennie Homes team, here in Cleveland. They play in the traditional fall football season, and their National championship game is held every January in Florida. Shannon's team has been to each championship game for the last seven years, emerging each time with the top trophy!

She's determined to bring some of that competitive spirit to the Fusion this year. "I just want to win," she states. "That's the ultimate goal. I was very disappointed last year when we just missed the playoffs." Focused on winning, Shannon and best bud Martina (who is also on the Hennie team) have been working with a personal trainer during the off-season, building their strength, flexibility and agility.

Off the field, Shannon works part-time at the Q, for the Cleveland Cavaliers, or when other sporting events are held there. She's in charge of coordinating on-court appearances of the color guards or the anthem performer(s) or folks other than athletes who need to be on the floor during a break in the action.

Growing up in East Cleveland, Shauna Nevel-#82-was always a great athlete. Attending Shaw High School, she lettered in volleyball, softball, and basketball. It was the latter sport that took her to college, just across the state line to Edinboro, Pennsylvania. And why not? Any time you're offered a four-year scholarship you should take it, and she did. She paid the school back by becoming the third highest all-time scorer, as well as ninth in rebounds and tenth in assists.

Because she always loved working with children, Shauna's degree is in Criminal Justice, with a minor in child psychology. This fits perfectly with her 'day job' for the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center. She is the only female Unit Manager working on an all male unit, where she supervises a staff of twelve employees who care for 25 boys, ages 13-15 on a 24/7 basis.

Logically enough, Shauna had hopes of playing in the WNBA, and tried out for the Cleveland Rockers in their inaugural season. That didn't work out, but she didn't give up and returned the following year to try out for the Washington Mystics. This time the 5'11" shooting guard made it to the final cut before losing out to an all-star guard from Purdue.

Sometimes she thinks she missed some opportunities by playing Division II ball, rather than Division I. But she did get her share of stardom by appearing in a series of nine commercials for NIKE, called The Championship Season. Naturally, it was our heroine who shot the winning freethrow to win the game!

After thinking things over a bit, Shauna decided it was time to have a child, and is now the proud and happy Mama of a 6 year-old 'honor-roll' daughter. The two of them go on vacations together and experience a wide variety of activities.

Shauna wants her little girl to know about everything and all the opportunities that are available to her. "Without pushing her into anything, we're preparing her for work and for life," says the proud Mom.

So, Shauna had a good job and a lovely daughter. Basketball beckoned once again, this time in Akron. One of her team-mates there was Michelle Scotch, who suggested she should try out for the new Fusion football team. "I'd played football on the street; I knew how to throw and catch-I'm an athlete!"

The coaches recognized her ability and she found herself on the team as a tight end. The next year, she was moved to wide receiver, and now two years later, she's the number one receiver for the Fusion with 62 catches to her credit. Last season, in only six games, she was the number three receiver in the League, with 32 receptions for 284 yards and 7 TDs!

She has high expectations for this season, with a good nucleus of players returning, as well as coaches. "We had to learn to play together," she says, "and having the same coaches return helps us, too. But they can't play for us. We have to do that-offense and defense playing together. We're a team!" Indeed.