Speaking
of Sports 

by
Lance J. Lilla

 
The better
team lost

October 31, 2010

Last night Novi Wildcats boys Varsity soccer went toe to toe with the Canton Chiefs in an 80-minute clash for the division one regional championship.

Early in the game Canton scored on a free kick putting them ahead 1-0. Though Canton was ahead, the Wildcats did not lose sight of their goal and continued to push forward. The 'Cats had numerous openings to score but it was clear that luck was against them.

Shortly after Canton’s goal, Novi's John DeLeon kicked a powerful ball slightly high of his target and it deflected off the cross bar.

Moments later Novi gained control of the ball and forced it up field. Chase Jabbori managed to beat the Canton defenders and appeared to have a one on one shot against the goalie, but at the last moment a Canton defender caught back up to Jabbori and caused him to lose control of the ball.

The same situation appeared for Jabbori seconds later but this time the Canton goalie got in front of the kicked ball and blocked it.

From observing the Wildcats on that field, one could see the heart and effort being put into this game. The Wildcats never lost hope; their spirits were never brought down. I truly believe the better team lost.

The Novi Wildcats had a great season. When asked how he felt about it overall, Senior Brian Herron reported that he “Couldn’t be more happy about it. We went 20-5 and 3 of the losses were to the same team. It’s the best record I have been apart of in my 3 years on varsity. We achieved our goals on coming first in the KLAA, winning districts, and making it to the regional finals for the second year in a row.”

(c) 2010 Novi Information Network
 www.novi.org

Lance J. Lilla is a Junior at Novi High School and is a member of the school's varsity football and track teams. Lance brings you in-depth coverage you won't find elsewhere, and appears here every other week.

This column is shared by Alex Prasad, Lance J. Lilla and Bernie Fratto on alternating weeks.