When the Lawrence High football team lost, 22-6, to Shawnee Mission West in the Class 6A state playoffs Nov. 10, senior kicker Abby Vestal figured her football career had closed.

But another window opened when a team she had not heard of – a Topeka-based American Professional Football League franchise called the Kansas Koyotes – became interested.

“They came to me,” Vestal said. “I had no idea there was a team in Topeka.”

The Koyotes saw clippings, raving about Vestal’s success, and team owner Ralph Adams called Abby’s father.

Abby then impressed the coaching staff during a tryout Jan. 28.

“I’m so excited about this,” Vestal said. “I didn’t think I’d ever get to kick again.”

Vestal has not officially made the team, but Koyotes coach Jim Green said such an announcement likely would occur March 1, shortly before the team is scheduled to check out equipment.

“I can tell you right now,” Green said, “I am really confident in putting her as part of this team.”

The Koyotes will bring Vestal in for a Feb. 20 conditioning camp and play their first game April 7. If she does make the team, the APFL team would pay her a fee – the exact sum of which Vestal did not know.

Receiving that money does not interfere with Vestal participating in high school sports. Both LHS football coach Dirk Wedd and athletic director Ron Commons studied the by-laws of the Kansas State High School Athletics Association to make sure of that.

“She would lose her eligibility in that particular sport,” Commons said. “Being a senior, she’s already completed her eligibility for football.”

Vestal, a key contributor on the girls basketball and girls soccer teams, plans on continuing those sports at LHS. And the Koyotes’ game schedule should allow that. Finding practice time for both, though, could become difficult.

“We’ll figure that out when it gets there,” Vestal said.

During the tryout at Washburn University’s Lee Arena, Vestal began by performing agility, vertical-jump and strength drills. She then progressed to kicking drills, attempting three kickoffs and nailing three extra-point attempts. Vestal, who has previously kicked a 47-yard field goal, attempted kicks from 10, 20 and 35 yards.

“Abby had that consistency,” Green said. “She kept it right down the middle.”

Other LHS athletes have played for various arena leagues, but Vestal would break ground by becoming the first to do so while still in high school.