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Lordy,
Lordy,
Look Who’s 40
8/22/2006
On September 30, 2006, Novi
Wildcat Football will achieve yet another Milestone.
Yes, the program will turn the ripe young age… of 40!
In other words, when the
Cat’s kicked off their inaugural game back in 1966,
Lyndon B. Johnson was president, the Beatles were still
a team, and gas was a whopping $19 cents per gallon.
By any standard, it’s
been a highly successful history for the Green and
White. During that period, Novi has played in 348 games
and accomplished an impressive record of 216-132, good
enough for a .621 winning percentage.
They are 10-10 in playoff
games and they’ve been on the verge of a State
Championship twice. Interestingly enough, the MHSAA
playoff system didn’t begin until the late ‘70’s, but if
it had been in place earlier, it’s fair to assume that
Novi would have garnered at least one or maybe two State
titles. I say that because in the 1972 and 1973 seasons,
the Cats marched through their entire campaign without
losing a single game! After going 9-0 in ’72, they
roared back with a sensational 8-0 record in 1973.
And amazingly, during
that stretch, Novi outscored their opponents by an
average game score of 39-6! Additionally, in that same
timeframe, Coach Osborne’s troops pitched 8 shutouts,
while scoring over 40 points a game 7 times, 50 points a
game 4 times, and 60 points a game twice! And did I
mention that just for fun, Novi’s two undefeated seasons
were preceded by the 1971 schedule in which they
compiled a nifty 8-1 record?
1971 was also the year
the Novi/Northville rivalry began. For the archive, Novi
won the initial contest 22-7, and the series has grown
to become one of the more storied matchups in the State,
as the Little Brown Jug has developed into a source of
pride and recognition among the ranks of MHSAA schools.
Novi joined the
Kensington Valley Conference in 1979, and to this day
the KVC remains their home conference. Except for
Lakeland and Milford, the rest of the conference has
been the same original group that Novi has been
competing against since its inception.
As we look forward to
another successful pigskin fall, I think most would
agree, that at 40, the Novi Wildcats have not only aged
gracefully, but they’ve maintained their youthful
enthusiasm and a real bounce in their step.
And along the way,
they’ve created lifetime memories…
(C) 2006 Novi Information
Network
All rights reserved.
Bernie
Fratto's
column appears right here each
week during the football season.
Bernie is a member of the Minor League Baseball Alumni Association
and in his former life, he spent time in the Cincinnati Reds Farm
System. He is an accomplished Freelance writer, and sought after keynote
speaker, appearing often at Award Ceremonies, Athletic Banquets, and
Company functions.
He is passionate about sports and the life-lessons
they teach. "Behind every sports story lies the hearts and minds of real
human beings," Fratto said..."And these athletic endeavors often serve
as a metaphor for the game we call life."
Bernie is also on the broadcast team at Live 97.1FM talk-radio, and is a
frequent
co-host on the popular "Parker &
The Man Show," a nightly sportstalk show which airs Monday-Friday from
7-11pm.
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photo by Alex Prasad
Wildcats in Action
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