By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Mary Sargent will retire as an assistant principal at Conner High School in a few weeks, but she doesn’t plan to kick back and take it easy this summer.
On Saturday, Sargent begins her 15th season as an offensive lineman for the Cincinnati Sizzle women’s football team. She’s looking forward to spending the first summer of her retirement knocking heads with defensive players on other teams in the Women’s Football Alliance.
Sargent, 55, is one of the seasoned veterans on the Sizzle roster. She has been on the team since it was established in 2003. There have been a few injuries along the way, but she doesn’t want to quit playing her favorite sport.
“I’ve had my share of bumps and bruises, but I guess you could say the passion is overruling the body,” Sargent said with a chuckle.
Her passion for football began when her family lived in Columbus, Ohio, and she became an avid fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes. But all she could do then was play football in the backyard with her brothers.
Sargent did become a high school football official while teaching at Conner. She didn’t get a chance to actually play on a football team until she was 40 years old.
“I’ve played guard, tackle, center and for one very short season I actually played quarterback,” she said of her career with the Sizzle.
Sargent will be playing on the offensive line when the Sizzle begins its 15th season with a home game against the Music City Mizfits at 7 p.m. Saturday at Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati. Tickets at the gate are $5 with children under 5 years old admitted free.
Students with a 3.8 grade-point average or higher can get two free tickets to a Sizzle home game on the team website. Sargent said several Conner students took advantage of that offer for Saturday’s season opener.
“Our team shows great potential for this season,” Sargent said. “We picked up some rookies that have brought a lot to the table and the players we picked up over the last couple years have gained some experience now, so I’m really optimistic on how we might do.”
Two years ago, the Sizzle won the United States Women’s Football League national championship. The team switched to the Women’s Football Alliance last year and lost in the first round of the playoffs to finish with a 5-4 record.
Sargent was named second-team All-America in the WFA last season. She received a ring that she proudly wears at work.
“I was very happy and very surprised when I found out,” she said of her All-America listing. “When you’re a veteran such as I am there’s a lot of younger and more capable players out there.”
On her team, Sargent said veteran players pay $375 and rookies pay $500 to cover the league fees and travel expenses. They solicit sponsors on the Cincinnati Sizzle website and conduct fund-raisers to raise additional money.
Sargent said her husband, Rob, has totally supported her football playing career. In fact, he has become the team photographer.
“I am very thankful and appreciate all the sacrifices he has made to to allow me to tackle my dreams,” Sargent said. “He is my strength.”
This season, the Sizzle team is associated with Dohn Community School, a dropout recovery program focusing on continuing education with at-risk learners. The female football players want to be positive role models for women in that program.
“We hope that the young ladies in the community will see that it is possible to reach your dreams and think outside the box,” Sargent said.