Quick Hits

GARY KLINGER

quick hits

BY STEVE STEIN

Aaron Herskovic (left) and teammate Brad Friedman.

Herskovic Rewriting B’nai B’rith Golf League Record Book

Aaron Herskovic is making history in the weekly B’nai B’rith golf league.

He shot 35 on back-toback weeks in late June and early July at the Links of Novi, 1 over par and even par, respectively. Those were the lowest rounds ever shot in the league’s nine seasons.

It’s no surprise Herskovic was in first place in the league’s individual standings after the July 1 round with 51½ points. Kerry Chabin (47½), Mike Klinger (46) and Dale Taub (45) were his closest competitors.

The league’s team standings as of July 1 were a different story, although Herskovic was involved in a three-way battle for the title.

Chabin/Klinger led the way with 100 points. Gary Klinger/Taub were in second place with 96 points and Herskovic/Brad Friedman were in third place with 94 points.

Larry Shapiro/Bob Shapiro-Chuck Houmaian were in fourth place with 81 points, one more than fifth-place Ryan Vieder/ Adam Vieder.

The July 8 round was No. 9 in the league’s 17-week season. WWW.CAPITALMORTGAGEFUNDING.COM 1-800-LOW-RATE

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sports HIGHlights

continued from page 28

One of Schon’s passions was making sure every league player received a trophy. Another passion was making sure everyone played regardless of a family’s finances, and whatever money was left over went to charity.

Those passions have continued, although there may not trophies this year because the league season was put together so late.

“My dad always made sure the trophy was something that was popular at the time, like, for example, a bobble head,” Furman said.

Schon took over the league in its second year (1985) when only 20 boys played.

The owner of Schon Packaging in Southfield grew the league to as many as 180 boys and girls, and remained in charge until 2015.

The league was first called the Young Israel Softball League. It had other names until it took on its current name a few years ago.

League games were played for many years at Schoenhals Elementary School in Southfield.

League coaches are all volunteers. Seligson said sponsors play a big role in helping cover league expenses, which include a cap and T-shirt for each player.

DOVID SELIGSON

Caps worn this season by Detroit Jewish Youth Softball League players include the initials “LS” in honor of Larry Schon.

Please send sports news to stevestein502004@yahoo.com.

quick hits

BY STEVE STEIN

Coach Barry Brodsky (back row right with his hand in the air) celebrates a fourth straight Division 2 state championship with his Birmingham Marian High School girls soccer team.

BARRY BRODSKY

Soccer Season Begins with a Quarantine, Ends with Another State Championship

Can anything stop Coach Barry Brodsky and his Birmingham Marian High School girls soccer team when they set their sights on a state championship?

Apparently not.

The Mustangs won their fourth straight state title — and ninth since Brodsky became coach in 2001 — when they defeated Spring Lake 3-0 last month at DeMartin Field at Michigan State University.

No girls soccer team other than Marian has won a Division 2 state championship since 2016.

Marian rolled to three consecutive Division 2 state titles from 2017-19, then didn’t play in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2020 spring season was shut down by the Michigan High School Athletic Association after Marian had four days of tryouts.

This season didn’t start out well for the Mustangs.

They got in only two days of tryouts, then went into quarantine for 10 days because of positive COVID-19 tests.

“Then we had spring break,” Brodsky said. “So we had about a month off and began playing games.”

It showed. Marian had a tie and a loss in its first two games.

But the Mustangs recovered quickly and finished the season 13-3-1, rolling through the postseason without giving up a goal.

Among No. 12-ranked Marian’s state tournament victims were No. 1 DeWitt and No. 6 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood.

The Mustangs had experience on their side this season despite not playing in 2020.

“We were lucky,” Brodsky said. “My four captains all got considerable playing time when they were sophomores in 2019. There were two other seniors who also played a lot when they were sophomores.”

Brodsky also won state titles at Marian in 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010 and 2012 and the Mustangs lost in the state championship game in 2013 and 2014. They’ve made 14 trips to the Final Four since Brodsky became coach.

When he’s not winning state championships, Brodsky is a certified public accountant with an office in Farmington Hills. He’s a 1973 SouthfieldLathrup High School graduate.

Family Campaigns to Enhance Dog Park

On what would have been their parent’s 54th anniversary, Jayson and Marni Raitt launched a fundraising campaign to honor the memory of Jane and Stephen Raitt after they passed away two weeks apart last April from COVID.

The Raitts are in the process of raising $10,000 for West Bloomfield Parks and Recreation to purchase and install a bench and permanent shade structure at the dog park in memory of the couple that was instrumental in the park’s founding. The park is on Halsted Road north of Maple.

“More than 20 years ago, my mom Jane Raitt had a vision, a cadre of volunteers, particularly my dad, Stephen, and the passion for bringing an offleash dog park to West Bloomfield,” says Jayson Raitt. “My Mom led a team of 50 dog lovers through all the hoops necessary to get the township to open the park. When it opened in 2002, my parents rarely missed a day there, and it is debatable who enjoyed the park more, my parents or their bearded collies Mollee, Norman and Emma.”

In their first few days of fundraising, 46 donors contributed nearly $3,000 toward the $10,000 goal.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for people to donate in the memory of Jane and Stephen Raitt. They were integral members of the community that pushed to have the dog park built. The shade structure and bench will be a wonderful addition to the park that will benefit park users for years,” says Joe Ketchum, the township’s parks superintendent.

To make a tax-deductible donation, visit mparks.org/donations/donate. asp?id=17281 and indicate “The Raitt Memorial Fund,” where it says: “I am making this donation in honor of.”

My Name is Sara

Holocaust Center Presents Film

After the Nazis murdered her family, 12-year-old Sara Guralnik flees to the Ukrainian countryside and assumes the identity of her Christian best friend. She lives by her wits as a farmhouse maid, where one slip of her tongue could mean her life.

The award-winning film My Name is Sara tells the true story of her bravery, strength and survival. Watch it on demand from Thursday, July 15-Sunday, July 18, at holocaustcenter.org. Then, on July 18, join a discussion with Sara’s son and executive producer Mickey Shapiro, director Steven Oritt and Detroit Free Press columnist Nancy Kaffer.

Register as holocaustcenter.org/Sara.

HMC

Three Temple Israel Teams Fighting for Greenberg Division Title

Temple Israel No. 6, Temple Beth El and Congregation Shir Tikvah led their divisions in early July as the InterCongregational Men’s Club Summer Softball League headed into the home stretch of the regular season.

The closest race was in the Greenberg Division, where Temple Israel No. 6 (10-2-1) held just a half-game lead over second-place Temple Israel No. 5 (9-2-1) and a onegame lead over third-place Temple Israel No. 2 (10-4-0).

Temple Shir Shalom No. 2 (8-4-1) was in fourth place, but only two games out.

Temple Beth El (10-3-0) was two games in front of second-place Temple Israel No. 3 (8-5-0) in the Koufax Division.

Congregation Shir Tikvah (9-4-0) led second-place Congregation Beth Ahm (7-70) by 2.5 games in the Rosen Division.

Each division has five teams.

League games are played each Sunday at Drake Sports Park and Keith Sports Park in West Bloomfield.

Each of the league’s 15 teams will compete in the double-elimination playoffs, scheduled for Aug. 8 and Aug. 15.