Photo by Glenn Trie st

SPORTS

New Blood

Three Jewish players are helping Berkley rebuild.

MIKE ROSENBAUM

Special to The Jewish News

B

erkley High School's
football team has al-
ready matched its
victory total from last year.
tOming off a 2-7 campaign,
the Bears have won 2,
while losing 4 this year.
Among the contributors on
this improved squad are three
Jewish players: Ryan Fried,
Jamie Wittenberg and Matt
Brennan.
Fried, a sophomore, is the
starting free safety. Offensive-
ly, he and Wittenberg, a
senior, share time at split
end. Brennan, a junior, does
not start but sees action at
fullback and defensive tackle.
Berkley coach Pat Fox is not
surprised that Fried made the

jump from the freshman team
to varsity starter.
"We knew last year he'd be
starting for us," Fox said.
"He's fast. He's strong. He's
very smart. He's a good foot-
ball player. He's a great
athlete."
Through three games, Fried
had four pass receptions for
90 yards oia a team which
doesn't pass much. He also in-
tercepted two passes.
Despite his success, Fried is
not satisfied with his play at
split end. "I've dropped some
balls. I feel I'm doing better
defensively. I'm happy with
the way I've played so far,
overall, but I hope my play
improves over the remainder
of the season."
Fox adds that Fried is "hav-
ing an excellent year for a
sophomore. He plays like a

senior. He's very mature. He's
real poised for a young man."
A three-sport player in his
freshman year, Fried is giving
up baseball this year to con-
centrate on football and
basketball. His favorite sport,
he says, is whichever game
he's playing at the time.
But he particularly enjoys
the competitiveness of foot-
ball and the camaraderie of
the team. "To win you really
rely on your teammates.
You've got to be tight with
them and rely on them that
they'll perform for you, as
you'll perform for them."

Ryan Fried, Jamie
Wittenberg and Matt
Brennan are bringing
Berkley success this year.

Fried began playing foot-
ball in a Birmingham league,
then played in middle school
before joining Berkley's fresh-
man team last year.
Prior to this season he was
a running back and line-
backer, so the moves to split
end and free safety required
some adjustments, particular-
ly on defense. "Free safety is
a bit of a change. I've got to
tell myself not to get sucked
in by the run and not to get
beat deep."
Fried feels he is doing "a
pretty good job of stepping up
to stop the run, helping the
front four and the line-
backers. I've made some open-
field tackles that've saved
some touchdowns."
Offensively, Fried feels his
strength is his running abili-
ty after he catches the ball.

Wittenberg says Fried is
"going to be a really good
player. He's going to be awe-
some. He's real fast and he's
big."
Fried calls Wittenberg "a
good guy. I enjoy talking with
him and we hang out a little
bit?'
Wittenberg caught his first
pass of the season against
Troy on Sept. 27. Fried recalls
that Wittenberg caught the
ball then ran for a first down
with a strong second effort.
"Jamie has the best hands on
the team," Fried says. "If he
has a chance to catch it, he'll
catch it."
Except for a brief tryout
with his eighth-grade team,
Wittenberg did not play
organized football until his
sophomore year at Berkley
when his father, Howard,

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 51

