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Dare Visa MasterCard Signature (Required) Your Name Your Address Your City State Zip Phone Gift Card Message: Send the Gift Subscription to: Name Address City Phone Mail to: The Detroit Jewish News P.O. Box 2267, Southfield, MI 48037-2267 Phone: (248) 354-6620 • Fax: (248) 354-1210 Allow 2 - 3 weeks delivery of the Detroit Jewish News . 10/1 1999 310 Detroit Jewish News State Zip DETROIT JEWLSH NEWS 'TN WHOME98 He certainly wants to play now. The speedy, 6-foot-2, 195-pounder is healthy and playing well, although North Farmington's record is 1-4. Through five games he's rushed 79 times for 329 yards and three touch- downs and ran a kickoff back for an 85-yard TD. Weiss stressed running in his off- season workouts in the hope of keep- ing his legs in better shape. "I worked (as a counselor trainee) at Camp Tamarack over the summer, so I ran mostly every morning up there, a couple miles. At the same time, Weiss also worked on his attitude. "Last year, I wasn't real- ly that into (football), because I was a junior, and I was hanging out with peo- ple maybe I shouldn't have been. But this year I'm a senior and I want the team to do well." The Raiders' second-year coach, Rich Burrell, says Weiss is "able to be more focused, more positive" this year, and provides some positive leadership. "He's still running hard, still mak- ing things happen. There might not be as many holes (opened by the blockers) as we'd like to have, but he seems to be able to control himself better, not getting as frustrated." Last year, Weiss says, "I talked a lot, but this year I just sort of keep to myself I say a few words to the team when we need it. Other than that I'm quiet." Weiss said his introspection helps him on the field. "It clears my mind. I have more respect for the team and for myself And physically I feel like I can go. He adds that his past injury prob- lems "are still in the back of my head, but it doesn't bother me." Another change this season is the addition of his brother Blair, a 5-foot- 11, 165-pound junior, who starts at quarterback. Sharing the backfield with his brother is fun, Todd says, but it's also a responsibility. "When someone's coming after him I feel like I have to block, because I don't want to go home and deal with the parents yelling at me for not blocking for him." The younger Weiss didn't play football last year and was expected to play wide receiver this season. He switched to quarterback during pre- season practice. Through five games, Blair has completed 31 of 81 passes for 486 yards and six touchdowns and added 211 yards rushing on 51 carries. , " He has athletic skills," Burrell says. "He has lots of speed. He has a good arm. He's doing great for only having five games of experience" at quarterback. "He has a demeanor that a quar- terback needs. He's cool and calm and he's very competitive. Even though he's inexperienced, those things kind of make up for the inex- perience. He's very teachable and he's learning quickly." The Raiders co-captains are also Jewish. Senior Brian Lafer (6-0, 155) starts at wide receiver and safety. "He's the rock of our football team," Burrell says. "He's playing both ways and a lot of times he's on special teams as well. He's our go-to guy in the passing game. At safety, he's call- ing the defensive signals ... He has ), excellent speed, good hands. Lafer has 22 receptions, good for 343 yards and four TDs, plus a coun- ty-leading five interceptions on defense. A strong student, Lafer may play Ivy League football next season. North's other co-captain is senior offensive tackle/defensive end/kicker Zach Lessway (6-1, 215). "It's awful tough to be able to play both ways," Burrell explains. "Zach handles our kicking duties, too. He's really the workhorse of our football team. We count on him for a lot of things ... And he's providing some great senior leader- ship as captain." Other North starters include senior tight end/linebacker Ryan Levis (5-11, 170), senior defensive back Evan Leibhan (5-10, 140) and senior defensive tackle Danny Yashinsky (5-11, 165). Senior David Bodzin (6-1, 170) is a reserve safety. North Farmington is off to a 1-4 start — still an improvement over last year, when the Raiders' only victory came by forfeit — and the team hopes to "improve week-by-week" this year, Burrell says. After the season, Todd Weiss hopes to win a college scholarship. It's too early to know whether the local Division I schools will remain interested, but Burrell is confident that Weiss "has alegitimate shot to be a college football player at some level." Receiving a football schol- arship "would- mean a lot," Weiss says. "It's beerf.a dream of mine for a few years now and it would mean a lot that I got to my goal and I did what I wanted to do as a football player." Fl