Peters returns to Green Wave sideline
By Ken Powers Contributing writer

Hudson - Hudson Catholic High School decided to reach into its past for a coach to lead its girls basketball team into the future.

Jim Peters, who coached the Green Wave girls hoops teams during the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons, has been hired to lead the team again.

Peters replaced Mike Dube, who was hired over the summer to replace Lou Petrovic, who led the Green Wave girls' basketball program the last two seasons. Dube, however, resigned from the position before ever coaching in a practice or a game, or holding an organizational meeting.

Petrovic cited personal reasons when he resigned from the position following last season. The Green Wave was 12-6 last year under Petrovic and participated in the Central Mass. Division 3 Girls Basketball Tournament.

In addition to having coached at Hudson Catholic, Peters spent a year as girls' basketball coach at Bay Path and three years as boys' basketball coach at Leicester High. He also spent nine years as assistant coach to Bob Vartanian at Worcester Voke.

Peters, who is employed by Saint-Gobain, spent last a year as the junior varsity girls basketball coach at Notre Dame Academy. For the last eight years he has also been the varsity softball coach at West Boylston High School.

Three players who played when Peters pre viously coached the Green Wave - seniors Laura Fleming and Lauren Pollard and junior Erin Drummey - still remain at the school. All three are forwards.

Other players expected to return from last year are Rachael Dylewicz at point guard, and Shauna Geagan at shooting guard. Both are juniors and both started last year, as did Fleming, Pollard and Drummey.

Other expected returnees include juniors Brittany Carne and Emily Barrett and freshmen Nicole Jakubowicz, Sara Drummey and Sara Bowen.

There were no seniors on the Green Wave team last season.

"From what I've been told I'm going to have a very young team," Peters said, "but that's OK, because I'm going to put a new system in and sometimes that's easier when everyone is new to it at the same time. I'm sure Laura and Lauren and Erin will remember parts of it as we install it, but they've been playing under a different system the past two years.

"Part of what I really enjoy about coaching is having young players that you can mold into the kind of players that you want them to be," Peters said. "I guess I'll certainly have plenty of opportunities to do that this year."

Peters said the year will be a learning experience for all involved. Because he didn't know he was going to coach the team he hasn't seen them play, not even in the summer league.

"I didn't find out I was going to be their coach until about three weeks ago," Peters said. "When the job first came open I decided not to apply for it, but when I heard that the guy they hired had left and it was open again, I gave Bob (Raymond, Hudson Catholic's athletic director) and Caroline (Flynn, the school's principal) a call.

"They've been great. They've welcomed me back with open arms," Peters said. "I can't wait to get started."