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Janesville native to play in women's football title game

Christina Hutchinson is aching to a make big hit today.

Hutchinson, a Janesville Craig High School graduate, will be playing linebacker for the H’Town Texas Cyclones against the West Michigan Mayhem in the National Women’s Football Association championship game at Millington Central High School, just outside of Memphis, Tenn.

Hutchinson’s team won playoff games in Oklahoma, St. Louis and Los Angeles to reach the title game.

“The playoffs were structured like the NFL,” Hutchinson said from the championship game site. “There were 12 teams.’’

Hutchinson, 24, is a first-year player for the Houston-based women’s team, but has been playing competitive women’s football since she was a 19-year-old undergraduate at the University of New Mexico.

“This team is much more athletic team,” Hutchinson said in comparing the New Mexico team to the Cyclones. “There are more career athletes on the roster, including a former Olympic team sprinter.”

The Cyclones were 8-1 in the regular season.

“We were lucky to win one game in the three years I played in New Mexico,” Hutchinson said.

Since the Cyclones have better athletes, Hutchinson said her game has improved, too.

“I noticed throughout the season that I have stepped up my game,” said the 5-10, 165-pound Hutchinson. “The way that I play is a lot different.

“It’s like a lot of teams play to the level of their opponent. When you play with more skilled people, you get better as well.’’

Hutchinson loves football so much that when she moved to Houston last New Year’s Day, she immediately began seeking women’s team in Houston.

“I looked them up before I even got to Houston,” said Hutchinson, who was named an all-pro in 2006 and 2005 rookie of the year as a wide receiver while playing in New Mexico.

So Hutchinson, who is a sales account manager, hooked up with a winner, and is expecting to capture the ultimate prize—a championship today, despite the odds.

“Throughout the whole playoffs we were not favored to win one game,” Hutchinson said. “It seems odd to me. A lot of the teams we played were undefeated; they blew people out of the water.

“We are a little bit more prepared to go toe-to-toe with teams,’’ Hutchinson added. “When those teams fall behind, they go into panic mode.’’

Hutchinson is confident the Cyclones can handle the Mayhem.

“We have a good team,” she said. “We’ve played close hard-hitting games.’’

Hutchinson wants the hits to just keep on coming.