Forced to unite, two women's football teams find success as one

Kimi Boyd was a three-sport athlete at Watertown High, a captain on the softball diamond and for the school's perennial field hockey power. Raxan English was a versatile track performer at Waltham High.

This spring, their stellar play on the defensive front helped propel the Boston Militia to a 6-2 record in their inaugural season in the Independent Women's Football League.

The Militia, who competed in the league's top tier, finished second in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. The team was formed through a merger of the Boston Rampage of the IWFL and the Mass Mutiny of the National Women's Football Association.

Boyd recorded 32 tackles, five fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, and two pass deflections. English added two dozen tackles and led the team in tackles for losses. She had one fumble recovery.

"Boyd was like another coach on the field and probably the strongest defensive lineman in our league who always drew a double-team," said Militia head coach Derrick Beasley, a defensive back for the Patriots from 1987 to 1990 who is also an assistant coach for the Andover High football program.

Beasley, who guided the Mutiny to an 8-1 mark and a playoff berth in 2007, has former Patriots Robert Perryman and Vernon Crawford on his Militia staff.

"English is a favorite of mine because of her raw talent," Beasley said. No one could handle her one on one. Working with all the women has been special for our staff because they're coachable athletes who are eager to learn a sport that is pretty new to them."

A 1992 graduate of Watertown High, Boyd is the junior varsity field hockey coach at her alma mater and works as a special education instructional assistant in the school system.

"I still play in a women's flag football league in Jamaica Plain, which was my original introduction to football, and I've never been afraid to get down and dirty, so the women's football league has been a great fit," said Boyd, who played soccer at Northeastern University and spent seven seasons with the Mutiny.

"This season was incredible and playing for a staff that included coaches from Mass Mutiny made it a smooth transition. Defeating the D.C. Divas in our opening game at home was a great memory because we had never beaten them before."

The Militia, owned by car dealership owner Ernie Boch Jr., played its home games at Dilboy Stadium in Somerville. Players paid $500 to help cover travel expenses, meals, lodging on the road, and equipment. Home attendance averaged about 300 fans.

English, a 1997 Waltham High grad who played soccer at Bunker Hill Community College, read a promotional flier about the women's football league three years ago and played one season for the Bay State Warriors (later named the Rampage). She was out of football two years after tearing an anterior cruciate ligament, but tried out for the Militia last fall. Her two older brothers, Rupert (Boston College) and Royston (Maine) played college football after starring at Waltham High.

"Combining the two teams was a great blend of newcomers and veterans and it was a privilege to be coached by people who really know football," said English, who works as an insurance coordinator. "Coach Beasley and his staff really know the game. I'm a perfectionist so I get satisfaction when a play goes smoothly. I'm a pretty quiet person, but when someone pushes my button on the field, I'm not so quiet anymore. I'll be working hard in the off-season and perhaps I'll get a chance to play some offense next year."

Two other players with local college ties suited up for the Militia this season: Kim Hickey, who attended Framingham State College, and Bentley College alum Kimberly Boroyan. Hickey played defensive end and linebacker and had 20 tackles and a pass deflection. Boroyan was a two-way threat, rushing for 42 yards on 15 carries (with two touchdowns) and catching eight passes for 71 yards. Boroyan also returned punts and kickoffs and filled in at defensive back.

The roster also included Watertown residents Patty Heffernan and Heidi Epstein. Heffernan, a defensive MVP for the Rampage last year, had 15 tackles and a pair of pass deflections at linebacker and was a Militia captain. Epstein, a defensive tackle, had 11 tackles and a pair of sacks.

"At first, we were a little anxious because we were two separate teams last year, but we bonded pretty quickly," said Heffernan, a Connecticut native who played rugby as a Boston University junior and senior and teaches math at Belmont High School. "Rugby got me interested in women's football and I'm now in my eighth season. I've made a lot of great friends playing the game."

For information about the team, go to bostonmilitia.com.

Marvin Pave can be reached at 508-820-4223 or marvin.pave@rcn.com.