I SPORTS
Leaders Of The Pack
Rochester Adams point guard
David Rothstein leads the fist-place
Highlanders toward a league championship
stein averages 9.2 points and 6.1
assists per game.
Rothstein, a team co-captain, en-
t the end of February, Michi- joys his leadership responsibilities. "I
gan high school basketball fol- like it a lot, being in a demanding
lowers begin to think about role. I think it helps me perform?'
March Madness, the upcoming
Dillon says Rothstein has done
state tournament. League races are "more than expected" this season.
almost over, and the also-rans get new "David's the guts and the glue of our
basketball team as far as I'm con-
hope each March.
At Rochester Adams, though, they cerned. He's our leader?'
Rothstein did not expect the
are trying not to look ahead to March.
The Highlanders are attempting to Highlanders to fly quite this high this
complete an unbeaten run through season. "To tell you the truth, no. Me
the tough Metro Suburban Activities and a lot of the other guys worked real
Association. They entered this week hard over the summer, every day.
Playing, lifting weights, jumping, run-
11-0 in league play, 14-1 overall.
Among Adams' key leaders is ning." In the fall, he adds, "While
senior point guard David Rothstein. everyone else was going to football
The Highlanders have several scoring games, we were lifting weights, play-
threats in their lineup and it is Roth- ing ball whenever we got a chance. It's
stein's job to put the ball in the hands paying off!'
So far it has paid off in an un-
of the right player in the right place
at the right time. Adams coach Mike beaten league season. Their im-
Dillon calls Rothstein his "coach on mediate goal is an outright MSAA ti-
tle. "I feel that if we're gonna win the
the floor."
Additionally, Rothstein must league outright," says Rothstein,
shoot enough to prevent defenses from "there's a good chance we'll have to
laying back and playing the pass go undefeated in the league. And we'd
whenever he has the ball-. Rothstein love to break the record of most vic-
has handled that role as well, emerg- tories (16 in 1974), when coach Dillon
ing this season as one of Adams' top played. So far we're on track. We'd
outside shooters. He and his High- very much like to go on and win the
lander teammates make good use of district, but we're gonna take one
Michigan's three-point shot. Roth- game at a time?' Adams can clinch a
MIKE ROSENBAUM
Sports Writer
A
David Rothstein prepares for action.
tie for the league crown tonight
against Rochester. The Highlanders
conclude their MSAA season next
week, meeting Southfield-Lathrup on
Tuesday and Bloomfield Hills Lahser
on Thursday.
Part of Rothstein's ability to be a
"coach on the floor," he says, comes
naturally. His father is Ron Roth-
stein, a Piston's assistant coach. "Be-
ing a coach's son, growing up in the
gym, seeing his teams practice all the
time, you learn about the game," says
David.
Rothstein grew up in New York,
where his father was a high school
coach. Although David says basket-
ball "dominates our family," he adds
that his interest in basketball
developed on its own. "My father, he
didn't want to be a pushy parent. He
never pushed me into playing. I guess
when I was in about third or fourth
grade I came to him and asked him
to teach me how to play. He enrolled
me in a recreation league and my first
year, ',guess I was O.K. And next year,
that's when I started to play a lot. I
ROUND UP
Maccabi Teams
Begin To Form
Local Maccabi team tryouts
began on schedule last Sun-
day at the Maple/Drake
Jewish Community Center.
The soccer team held its first
practice in the gym Sunday
afternoon. They were sched-
uled to work out in the tennis
bubble, but the bubble col-
lapsed earlier in the week.
The soccer team, coached by
Gabriel Attar, ran through
dribbling and kicking drills
and had a fitness run. They
will hold a second tryout at
the JCC gym Sunday at 4:00
p.m.
Other tryouts will proceed
on schedule at the JCC Sun-
day. The volleyball, wrestling,
karate and gymnastics teams
will all hold organizational
42
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1988
meetings at 1:30 p.m. The
tennis team will hold its
tryout tournament at the
Franklin Racquet Club at
7:00 p.m. Sunday. The softball
teams, due to workout in the
JCC bubble March 6, have
not yet found a new tryout
location.
Zeiger Perfect
In Diving
Southfield-Lathrup diver
Cory Zeiger was unbeaten
entering this week's Metro
Suburban Activities Associa-
tion swim meet. Zeiger is two-
time MSAA defending cham-
pion.
A senior, Zeiger is the top-
ranked diver in the area. He
won the recent Oakland
County meet with a score of
469.24. His top dual-meet
score this season is 294.
Lathrup diving coach
Frank Jewitt lists as Zeiger's
top strength "his mental
capability, his mental tough-
ness. He's a great diver corn-
ing from behind. Dives all-
year 'round, that's probably
one reason why he's so good.
Because all the other athletes
are, basically, seasonal ath-
letes. He's very dedicated?'
Zeiger competes in the state
regional meet next Thursday.
Zaret Returns
To Detroit TV
Sportscaster Eli Zaret will
make his long-awaited return
to Detroit airwaves at WJBK-
TV in March. The station an-
nounced the signing of Zaret
last week.
Zaret, a University of
Michigan graduate, worked
his way up through the
Detroit radio market at sta-
tions WABX, WJZZ and
WRIF before breaking into
television with WDIV in
1980. In 1986, Zaret joined
WABC-TV in New York as
sports anchor/reporter. The
New York station bought out
his contract last year. Since
then, it had been widely
speculated that Zaret would
return to Detroit, where he
proved a popular and ver-
satile figure.
Lakers, Celts
Claim Second
The Lakers and Celtics both
posted wins on Feb. 17 in the
Maple/Drake Jewish Commu-
nity Center men's basketball
league.
The Celtics (4-2) won the
easy way, getting a forfeit
against the Mavericks (0-6).
The Lakers had to earn their
win on the court, 55-36
against the 76'ers. Nate
Kerner scored 13 points for
the Lakers. Richard Travis
tallied 10 for the Sixers.
The Bulls (7-0) hit 23 free
throws on their way to a 67-47
win over the Rockets (1-4)
Sunday. Bruce Morrow had 22
points for the winners, while
Steve Sharg led their free
throw brigade with nine. Jack
Front tossed in 13 points for
the Rockets.
The Pistons (3-2) trounced
the 76'ers (2-5) Sunday, 73-48.
Ali Ucar scored 21 for the
Pistons, Richard Travis had
22 for the 76'ers.