Storm machine

Deutscher ready for big season with Edmonton Storm

As the Edmonton Storm prepare for the 2014 season in the Western Women’s Canadian Football League, Sarah Deutscher shall be encompassing a veteran role. Entering her fourth season with the club, she is listed as a running back but brings a versatile game to both sides of the game.

For Deutscher, the opportunity to also contribute on the defense is an aspect of football that she relishes. In discussing her favorite part of playing with the Storm, she mentioned what so many others have also declared and that it was hitting the opposing players.

In fact, that is also a bridge to what Deutscher called the favorite moment of her WWCFL career. Despite her running back duties, being able to participate in her first QB sack clearly stands out as her moment of choice. While a quarterback sack can bring with it an adrenaline rush, it was a moment of gratification for Deutscher.

“When I got my first sack, it was in the first game I played against Calgary, it was more than a wave of relief. It was that feeling of OK, I can do this, and I am not a fraud. I am a freaking football player!”

Like many other women in the WWCFL, her love of the game stems from a strong family connection with the Canadian Football League, a way of life for many Western Canadian families. “My interest in football came from my dad. He was a huge Eskimos fan and season ticket holder. Growing up, we would go years without missing a game.”

With many summer seasons spent cheering for one of the CFL’s signature franchises, there was also a player that Deutscher idolized. “My favorite player was Willie ‘The Terminator’ Pless. When was on the field, I could not look away. He was such a great player. I lost my voice many, many nights screaming away as she destroyed quarterbacks and made these incredible plays.”

Her playing career has run parallel to the existence of the league itself. Starting on the Storm in 2011, the first season for WWCFL play, she has seen the Storm and the league experience tremendous growth. Strapping on the helmet and pads for the first time in 2011 is what Deutscher described as exhilarating and fun.

Of note, 2011 was also the last time that the Storm appeared in a league championship game. As the 2014 season quickly approaches, Deutscher is hoping that the Storm can add another glorious chapter to Edmonton’s legacy as the City of Champions.

“This year, the Edmonton Storm machine rolls on. We have brand new cogs and old sprockets playing new positions; we are well-oiled and ready to go. When we are grinding, no one can stop us. Championship all the way!”

“All quotes obtained first hand unless otherwise indicated”