The turf is laid out, the field is getting set up and players and coaches are ready for the Oregon High Desert Storm arena football team’s home opener at the Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center Saturday night.
“It’s just a faster game,” said Head Coach and GM Keith Evans. “You hear the hits, you hear the collisions, you hear the players talking.”
Arena football here in Redmond.
“It’s a historic moment here in Central Oregon, a pro football team, but we’re ready to go, we have a couple games under our belt and I feel I have the right players in there to be successful tomorrow night,” Evans said.
The Oregon High Desert Storm was supposed to make its home debut on May 22, but due to COVID concerns, it was postponed.
“But it did work out,” Evans said. “I think everything was in timing. I think the timing was right, the timing was right for us to get our field here and to just get things in order. it gave us more time to prepare for this moment.”
The team is currently 1-1 and earned its first victory against the Yakima Canines 40-22 last week.
The Storm lost its season opener in a nail-biter 44-42 to last year’s champions the Idaho Horseman.
“Come on out early, it is going to be a lot of fun,” Evans added. “You will get a really good idea of what this is here. We need that community presence, that community support for our pro football team in the area like this to survive, so come out, tell a friend and let’s fill this place up.”
The Storm has another chance to beat the Horseman on Saturday and get revenge in a rematch
Masks are required for unvaccinated spectators and seating will be limited to about half (2,000) of normal capacity (4,000).
