From the backyard of my two-family Astoria home I can hear the roars of fans at the Long Island City H.S. football field, situated a convenient block away. Most weeks the games are sparsely attended but recently there has been a heightened attraction to the LIC Bulldogs.
A new player has been added to the LIC roster, sparking the interest of many Astoria residents as well as LIC alumni. Irene Gjoka, 17, has become one of just a handful of girls to ever suit up and play high school ball in the PSAL.
After an article in last Sunday’s Daily News put Gjoka’s story on the radar, the five-foot, 105-pounder has garnered a lot of buzz from Astoria residents.
A recent run-in with a former LIC alum quickly turned into a conversation about the new tailback. “Did you see LIC has a chick playing for them now?” said Sal Brucerleri. “How is she going to take a hit? I wish I had been around to see that.”
Even an innocent nod given to a fellow shopper at the newsstand in the local supermarket led to a mention of Gjoka. “Did you see the article about the girl playing for LIC? I’m going to the game next week, I need to see this for myself,” said the chatty shopper.
Whether the reception that Gjoka has been receiving is positive or not, it has definitely been constant. With a consistent buzz about town focusing on her LIC debut, Gjoka seems to have given the town a new subject of gossip, at least for the time being.
This is interesting. I’m proud of her. I wonder what her thoughts are about making the team and about basically being the talk of the town.