More Top Picks Best Reptile Heat Lamps For Terrariums
Holly Deutsch remembers her older brother Noah’s experience in the Deerfield boys basketball program.
There were ups and downs.
“He got cut his junior year,” she recalled.
But Noah Deutsch made the team for his senior season in 2015-16, when the Warriors won 28 games and reached a sectional final.
“I watched him work ridiculously hard to have the senior year he wanted,” Holly Deutsch said. “I was in seventh grade at the time, and I looked up to him for his work ethic and the way he handled everything.
“I realize now what a role model he was for me then. That’s also why it was valuable that I ended my senior year with a successful run.”
Deutsch certainly did that. The senior midfielder’s ability to see the field, connect passes and score helped Deerfield earn the Class 2A third-place trophy this season. It was the second-highest finish in program history.
Deutsch, the 2022 News-Sun Girls Soccer Player of the Year, displayed a rare gift for finding teammates. On the way to setting Deerfield’s career record for assists, she tallied a single-season record of 31 and also scored 14 goals.
Playing alongside her, sophomore Emily Fox scored 27 goals, and senior Riley Schimanski added 18.
“I like to consider myself a team player,” Deutsch said. “I feel as though there are times that I can shoot and I looked to pass instead. On the field, my head is always up scanning for open options. I’ve always been this way. I find it fun when I set people up. It makes me happy.
“Three years ago, I spent an entire summer with my club coach working on different crossing techniques, and ever since then it’s really paid off, almost to the point where I forget to shoot because I’m hyper-focused on assisting.”
But when presented with a quality shot or a free kick, Deutsch will go for it.
“When I don’t see anyone, I try to create a shooting opportunity for myself,” she said. “The notion of finding my teammates goes hand in hand with my personality because I always try to find a way to see other points of view.”
Deerfield coach Rich Grady said Deutsch, who doesn’t plan to play at Florida next season, is a next-level athlete with her foot skills and vision and that she can influence a game without scoring a point.
“Holly was a game-changer for us because the threat of her getting in behind the other team’s defense was always there, which opened things up for other players,” Grady said. “To go along with her work on the wing, Holly also took many of our longer free kicks and was always a threat to either score or put a dangerous ball into the box.
“Holly was always willing to do what was necessary to help the team, including dropping back to play as an outside back when we needed that.”
Deutsch said she realized she had a knack for playmaking after earning praise in a local newspaper “for scoring six goals at the age of eight.” She credited her club coach, Greg Bowers, for shaping her development.
More Top Picks Best Gaming Glasses For Eye Strain
Deutsch said leading the Warriors to the program’s second state trophy trumps any individual accolades.
“The energy and community that us seniors built on this team is unmatched,” she said. “We wanted to go far and had talked about it for months, but the reality of it was the best part about it. … Being a captain on this team was very important to me.
“I enjoyed mentoring and helping younger players because it makes me feel good. I loved seeing my teammates grow as players and people, and I feel that really helped me to push myself. At the end of the day, it was my job to lead our players to their highest potential to the best of my ability. We set the standard, and our team followed suit.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.