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April 11, 2010 The next few weeks, I’ll be previewing some Novi High School Spring Sports. It seems that spring sports often get overlooked. With students looking forward to the summer, and unpredictable weather, attendance is usually lower in the spring than in the fall and winter. Come out and support these teams, it looks like many of them are ready to hit the ground running once they return from spring break! This week: Women’s Softball and Men’s Golf. Women’s Softball Preview Coach Bob Lulek has been coaching varsity softball the last 15 years, the last four at Novi, and thinks this team has the potential to be one of his best yet. The team returns all but one starter, and has a plethora of experienced varsity players. In Lulek’s second year with the Novi program, he made an investment in the future, putting six freshman on the varsity squad. Now juniors with plenty of experience, the only question left is whether or not they’ve learned to win. Led by captains Stephanie and Allyson Hrit, this team looks to have the potential to make some waves deep into the spring. If I’ve learned one thing talking to coaches over the years, it’s that they’ll never say their team is going to struggle (even if they expect it to), but replace that thought with coachspeak boilerplate such as “we have a lot to learn, but I’m confident we’ll get there.” It’s a big vote of confidence in the players on a team when a coach comes right out and says he expects his team to be good, without any hemming and hawing, and that’s exactly what Coach Lulek did. With his vast experience that praise shouldn’t go unnoticed. Next game- Monday April 12, 4pm, home Post-season begins- May 29th, 6pm vs. North Farmington High School Men’s Golf Preview The Novi Men’s Golf program has a rich tradition, including a 2002 state championship. It has sent a number of golfers to D1 collegiate programs, including most recently Alex Lyall. Led by Coach Brad Huss, with 13 years of experience under his belt, this Novi team, unlike the softball team, will be dealing with some major attrition. Three leaders from last year’s team which went 5-5, finished 5th in Oakland County and shot a 318 at Districts, including Brent Womack, Nick Hansen and Chuck Mallo are gone, leaving some big shoes to fill. Fitting in the new pieces with some holdovers will be the team’s biggest challenge this year. But the cupboard is far from bare. The team returns now senior Tyler Manning, an all-state player last year who qualified for the US Junior Amateur. One of the top ten players in the state, Manning will be key to the success Huss believes his team will enjoy. By Huss’ estimation, Novi and Northville will be neck and neck in the battle for the KLAA Central Division crown. Also returning with varsity experience is senior Steve Rajkovic along with juniors Sam Palmer, Kyle Edwards, Alex Wilson and sophomore John Walker. Next tournament- Friday April 15, 9 AM, Pinckney Invitational, Rush Lake Golf Club Next home match- Wednesday April 28, 3 PM, Walnut Creek Country Club Post-season begins- Thursday May 27, 9 AM, Dunham Hills (c) 2010 Novi
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