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a state high-school Syracuse University and Lopez is prepar-
lacrosse championship ing to go to Western Michigan Universi-
added recently to their ty, where they both will pursue degrees in
.
resumes, Greg Sobel and music and likely play club lacrosse.
\
Mark Lopez of Novi and
Eddleston, 18, is going to play intercol-
Bloomfield Hills Cran- legiate football and lacrosse at the Uni-
w
'VAi brook Kingswood's Jason versity of Pennsylvania, where he will
Eddleston are moving on to college to pur- study business.
sue other dreams.
The Bloomfield Hills resident played
Sobel, 18, and Lopez, 18, became part a major role in Cranbrook Kingswood's
STEVE STEIN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
of Novi's first sports state championship stunning 10-8 victory over top-ranked
team when they helped the Wildcats beat Birmingham Brother Rice in the Division
East Grand Rapids 7-5 for the Division A AAA lacrosse state title battle. Eddleston, three points (one goal and two assists), less
sical and jazz percussion during the sum-
crown.
a defenseman, held fellow first-team All- than half of his per-game average.
mer of 1994 at Northwestern Universi-
Now Sobel is getting ready to head to State selection Adam Michaels to just
"I didn't do anything fancy against ty; and he has been a Midwest regional
Adam," said Eddleston, a 6-foot-5 1/2, 240- champion and national runnerup on
pounder who also was a football and bas- drumset in the American Guild of Music
ketball star at Cranbrook Kingswood. "I competition.
just tried to outmuscle him and deny him
Lopez, whose forte is snare drum, was
from getting passes. Beating Rice was a member of the marching band, jazz band
great. I was dumbfounded afterward. I and symphony band at Novi.
didn't know how to celebrate."
At Cranbrook, seniors David Nachman,
At Novi, Sobel and Lopez are friends Jeff Bluestein, Stephen Shapiro and Drew
and neighbors who first met several years Taub also were members of the champi-
ago when they discovered they had a com- onship lacrosse team, which ended up with
mon interest — playing the drums. They a 15-4 record.
both joined the Novi lacrosse team when
First-year coach Aps Kinnan said Nach-
it was formed three years ago and even- man, a second-team All-State defenseman,
tually helped the Wildcats snare the his- abandoned his cautious style of play in
toric state title.
both the state championship game against
A backup defender this past season who
also started several games, Sobel earned
Kensington Valley Conference All-Acad-
emic honors.
Lopez was a co-captain and a second
team All-Stater. He played a Dino Cic-
carelli-type role for Novi as a crease at- Rice and Cranbrook Kingswood's 11-7
tackman, scoring 20 goals and adding five state semifinal win over Detroit Country
assists in 17 games.
Day.
The Wildcats finished 14-3 after getting
"David was relentless, like a man pos-
off to a 5-3 start. Two of sessed," Kinnan said.
Novi's Greg Sobel
their victories came
Shapiro was a second-team All-State
and Mark Lopez.
against Division AA choice and Cranbrook Kingswood's most-
state champion Troy improved player. He scored twice against
and runnerup Troy Rice in the title game, including the
Athens. Lopez had four goals in Novi's 13- Cranes' final goal with 42 seconds left
8 triumph over Athens.
which made the score 10-8.
The lacrosse crown wasn't the only state
"Lots of coaches would have shaken
title Sobel and Lopez won as seniors. They their heads when Stephen took that shot
also were members of Novi's marching on his second goal, but not me," Kinnan
band drum line which captured state said. "Sure, it was late in the game, but
crowns in both the fall and winter.
Stephen took his time, aimed, and put the
In addition, Sobel was presented the ball right into the net. It was exactly what
school's Louis Armstrong Award as the he should have done."
top senior jazz musician. He was a mem-
For the season, Shapiro had 13 goals
ber of Novi's jazz band, marching band, and 21 assists from his midfield position.
symphony band, pep band and pit or- His 34 points ranked sixth on the team.
chestra. He also dressed as the high school
Bluestein scored one of Cranbrook
mascot at away football games, was a dee- Kingswood's goals against Rice. The mid-
jay on the school radio station and served fielder had eight goals and five assists dur-
as a student council representative.
ing the season and Kinnan cited him for
Outside of school, Sobel was the prin- his "uncanny knack of being able to come
cipal timpanist for the Michigan Youth up with loose balls."
Symphony and a member of the Detroit
Taub, another midfielder, didn't see
Symphony Civic Orchestra during the much action but Kinnan praised him for
1994-95 season; he attended the National his team spirit and hard work during
High School Music Institute to study clas- practice. Li1

• N,S

High-school lacrosse stars
win state titles,
now move on to college.

Mixing music and sports.

