SPORTS
Barons
Bouncing
Back
Andover High School's basketball
program is showing new life
MIKE ROSENBAUM
Sports Writer
T
he Bloomfield Hills Andover
basketball program, a sham-
bles three years ago, has
regained respectability this season.
While not yet ready to contend for any
titles, the Barons are having their
best season in five years.
Three seasons ago the Barons'
varsity had four wins and four head
coaches in a single campaign. Last
year, new head coach Rick Krisniski
made it through the entire season,
winning three games. This year's
squad was not expected to even match
that total, but they entered this week
with five victories.
Krisniski, who was an assistant
coach on two Orchard Lake St. Mary's
state titlists, will not pat himself on
the back for exceeding others' expec-
tations. "I'm supposed to rejoice over
five wins? I don't mean to demean it,
but I don't want that mentality."
Virtually the whole program has
worked together to achieve this year's
modest success. Two of last year's
junior varsity starters — junior Andy
Fredenberg and sophomore Chris
Pero — are now varsity starters. The
leading scorer is Loren Charboneau,
who averages over 20 points per game.
Another starter is Andy Moers, one
of four Jewish players on the varsity.
Moers, a 6-foot-2 senior, averages
eight points and a team-leading six
rebounds per contest. He was a varsi-
ty reserve last season.
"I also consider him to be our best
defensive player," says Krisniski. He
adds that Moers "has really worked
to improve himself. I wasn't sure he
was going to start for us at the end
of last season. We sat down and had
a little talk and I guess Andy took the
things I told him to heart."
The other Jewish players are
Darin Frank, Brad Rosenberg and
Don Raden.
Frank, a 6-4 sophomore, was a JV
starter last season, and could have re-
mained in that role this season, but
he prefered to make a bid for the var-
sity. He does not play much, but
Krisniski notes that Frank "cares so
much and he really wants to make
himself a ballplayer. We're definitely
counting on him for the future to help
carry our program."
Rosenberg, a 6-1 junior, also
Andy Moers dribbles out of defensive pressure.
started on the JV last season. He
made the varsity with strong prac-
tices late in the pre-season. He has ac-
cepted his reserve role. "You're only
as good as the last man on your
team;' explains Krisniski. "The last
three guys we have on our team have
been working real hard and pushing
the guys in front of them. And Brad's
in that position right now. For a kid
like that, nothing but good things can
happen to him in the future . . . I cer-
tainly count on him as being a con-
tributor next year for our team."
The JV and freshman teams had
two wins between them — both by the
ROUND UP
Andover Hits
Puck Regional
The Andover hockey team,
12-7-2 through Feb. 23, began
state tournament play at the
Oak Park-Compuware Ice
Arena this week. The nine
Jewish players on the team
include sophomore right wing
Brad Zamler, who had 11
goals and 18 assists for 29
points. Senior defenseman
Jeremy Olen had a
plus/minus ratio of + 27. An-
dover coach John Farrell calls
Olen the team's "defensive
leader," and says he should
receive all-league honors.
Andover's other Jewish
players are: senior
defensemen Todd Marcus and
Adam Cheyet; junior
defenseman Matt Cohen;
junior center Darrin Levin;
right wings Chad Zamler, a
junior, and Todd Lansky, a
sophomore; and junior left
wing Brian Schneider.
If Andover won their first
two regional games they will
play in the final tomorrow, at
Oak Park.
JCC Pistons
Win Tvvice
In a score that would make
Detroit Pistons fans drool, the
Jewish Community Center's
version of the Pistons beat the
Lakers (4-3) 71-53 in Honey
Berris League play on Feb.
24. Aaron Fowler led the
Pistons with 21 points while
Jerry Glanz scored 12 for the
Lakers. The Celtics (5-2) mov-
ed into second place behind
the 7-0 Bulls earlier that
evening with a 78-49 win
over the -Rockets. Jerry
Flowers scored 25 points for
the winners, Eddie Finch had
14 for the Rockets.
The Pistons (5-2) then tied
the Celts for second with a
67-45 win over the Knicks
(3-4) on Sunday. All Ucar had
27 points for the Pistons. Ed
Sanders paced the Knicks
with 24 points. Also on Sun-
day, the Rockets (2-5) won a
forfeit over the Mavericks
(0-7).
NFL To Play
In Israel?
New York (JTA) — A team
of Israeli sports promoters
hope to stage Israel's first-
ever National Football
League game.
According to Natan Amir,
chairman of the Committee
for the Holy Land Football
Bowl, the promoters com-
pleted "encouraging discus-
sions" with NFL officials in
New York on Feb. 17 about an
exhibition game to be played
in Ramat Gan's 50,000-seat
stadium prior to the 1989
season.
Norman Braman, owner of
the Philadelphia Eagles and
one of the NFL's four Jewish
owners, brought the Holy
Land Bowl idea to the atten-
tion of NFL officials, Amir
said.
League officials who met
with the Israeli promoters
said that other countries have
expressed similar interest in
staging an NFL game. The
various proposals will be
presented to club owners at a
league meeting in mid-
March, according to Joe
Rhein, director of administra-
tion for the NFL.
"To say that we're close to
an agreement (with the
Israelis) would be an
overstatement;' said Rhein.
The only country outside of
North America to hold an
NFL exhibition so far is Great
Britain.
Israel has played host to a
number of National Basket-
ball Association teams and
Amir is convinced that
American armed forces per-
sonnel in the Mediterranean
combined with immigrants
from the United States would
make the Holy Land Bowl a
sell-out.