Good Sports: Girl makes CTEC High School's boys basketball team

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- CTEC High School in Fresno doesn't have a girl's basketball team, but that hasn't stopped freshman Zaire Woodruff from making the boy's team.

"I've been playing basketball for a while now," she said. "I think I started when I was younger."

Zaire, or "Z" as they call her, started playing in 4th grade.

She got some inspiration from her older brother, Judah.

You'll still find those two in layup lines together with mom and dad looking on.

Judah is starting as a junior for the Titans.

"I haven't played on a team since 6th grade because we didn't have a girls' team, so I'm glad I get this opportunity to play," Zaire said.

It's an opportunity her head coach, Rick Martinez, is more than happy to be part of.

"I had the pleasure of looking up her profile and just looking at her overall academics, how she's able to be a student first and then an athlete, and she comes out here and makes these boys compete at practice," he said.

Coach Martinez respects her hustle - knowing it's no easy task to step up and play with the boys.

"It's a lot more aggressive and fast-paced than I'm used to, so I have to try and keep up," are said.

Z can and has kept up, hoping to inspire other girls to follow suit.

"It's pretty amazing to be able to coach her, see how much better she's getting and how she's able to make others around her better as well, especially her teammates," Martinez said.

For now, Z stays humble, focused on getting better every day.