Jeff Chaney
Sports Scene
There is something about the little town of New Lothrop, and it’s high school sports teams.
It’s a small town, northeast of Flint, with a small high school of around 250 students. But boy, does it crank out some good teams and athletes in sports like football, volleyball, girls’ basketball, and wrestling.
This fall, the football team has posted a 9-0 record, is the top seed in its Division 8 district, and will host 6-3 Mayville this weekend.
The volleyball team is 42-5-4 and 8-0 in the Genesee Area Conference Blue Division.
Long-time volleyball coach Sheri Warner, who has coached at the school for 18 years, knows the reason for the athletic success.
“Our school is the hub of our community, and our community supports its athletics,” Warner said. “So to me, I think it’s our community, and the reason our kids are so good, is because it starts at home. They are taught a positive work ethic at home, and when to they come to us as a student/athlete, you can lean on the morals and work ethic they learned at home.”
One New Lothrop family that has produced many student/athletes with this kind of work ethic and morals is the Severn family, and this year is no different. Cousins Brittany and Emily Severn have led the volleyball team to its great season.
Brittany Severn is a middle hitter and Emily Severn is an outside hitter.
“We do well in sports, because I really think we work hard,” Brittany said. “It’s not just because we have outstanding athletes; we just give 100%. We go out for every game and play whole-hardheartedly.”
That’s the case with the volleyball team, and Warner, who led the Hornets to state titles in 2000, 2002, and 2004, believes that this team has what it takes to make a nice run in the postseason. “Right now we are cautiously optimistic,” she said. “We are in a tough district and a very tough regional. We know we have our work cut out for ourselves, but we never run away from a challenge.”
Brittany Severn is excited.
“We are having a really good year and have a Hall of Fame coach, so this is awesome,” she said. “She knows how to prepare us, and I really think we have a good chance to go far. I don’t want to count our chickens before they are hatched, but I’m excited.”
With the football team and volleyball team, it could be another happy fall at the hub of New Lothrop.