health & fitness Injured Jeff Gunsberg's. teammates1 won the title: David Tigay, anief Yaker, Jeff Tischler, Lowell Schmeltz, Ryan Beate. Steve Stein Contributing Writer T For Inpatient and Outpatient Rehab, you have Fox Run! We offer top-notch care, including: • All private rooms with half baths • Full-time physical, speech and occupational therapists specializing in the needs of older adults • Cable TV and phone in every room • Coverage through Medicare and other insurance Remember, you don't have to be a Fox Run resident to rehab here. For more information, call 248-419-0982. Renaissance gardens at Fox Run TheCareExperts.corn Inpatient & Outpatient Rehab =Assisted Living Dementia Care -Nursing Care 7699619 Cupcakes & Baskets for all your Holiday Celebrations!! On the Boardwalk • 6879 Orchard Lake Rd. • West Bloomfield wwwdakotabread.com Rack Pain? \eck Pain? Specialized Manual Physical Therapy Can Help, For more information visit our website: www.omptspecialists.com or call: 248.353.1234 66 December 1 2011 0 M PT SPECIALISTS ORTHOPEDIC MANUAL PHYSICAL THERAPY 1714710 he Jewish Football League (JFL) is bigger and better than ever. Eight teams and 61 players participated in the flag football league's fall season, the most in league history, which spans 10 fall and spring seasons. Team Gunsberg won the fall league championship thanks to a 26-13 vic- tory over Team Chernett on Nov. 13. The playoff title game was played in windy conditions at Soccer Soccer in Farmington Hills, the league's home each Sunday morning. League Commissioner Rick Rubenfaer credited word-of-mouth communication and aggressive use of social media, including a league Facebook page, for spreading infor- mation about the league, which is for Jewish men age 30 and older. Rubenfaer said the league's talent level has been rising for years, but not only skilled players are welcome to participate. While the league is com- petitive, it's also meant to the fun. "Speed, good hands and the ability to throw a deep ball aren't require- ments to play:' Rubenfaer said. All eight teams made the playoffs this fall after playing seven regular- season games. The playoffs lasted for three weeks and featured some surprises. Team Ellis and Team Rosner, which went 7-0 and 6-1 during the regular season and earned the top two seeds in the playoffs, were both eliminated before the league championship game. Team Chernett, the No. 4 seed, upset Team Ellis in the playoff semifinals. Jeff Ginsberg, player/coach of the league championship team, didn't play again after suffering an injury in September. But teammates Ryan Beale, Lowell Schmeltz, David Tigay, Jeff Tischler and Daniel Yaker more than picked up the slack. Team Gunsberg, the No. 3 seed in the playoffs, finished with an 8-2 over- all record. Jorey Chernett was the player/coach for Team Chernett (6-4). Other players were Mike Finkelstein, Rob Krut, Marc Landau, Jan Rubinstein and Jeremy Walker. Team Gunsberg got off to a fast start in the league championship game, scoring on its first two possessions to move in front of Team Chernett 13-0. Yaker connected with Tigay on a 25-yard touchdown pass, then with Schmeltz on a 40-yard score. Team Chernett made it 13-7 on a long touchdown pass from Finkelstein to Landau, and moved deep into Team Gunsberg territory late in the first half on a 40-yard pass from Finkelstein to Chernett. Tischler then made what many fans called the play of the game, breaking up an apparent touchdown pass in the end zone as the clock ran out. With momentum on its side to start the second half, Team Gunsberg went for the kill. A strong rush by Beale led to an interception that was turned into points on a 3-yard touchdown run by Schmeltz. Yaker applied the dagger on Team Chernett's next drive, scoring on a "pick six" interception to make it 26-7. Finkelstein threw another touch- down pass midway through the sec- ond half, but all it did was make the final score more respectable. The JFL's next spring season will begin at the end of April and run through mid-May. Interested in play- ing? Contact Rubenfaer at rickrubenfaer@yahoo. corn. Israeli Dream Team? Israeli baseball officials would love to see the country field a team in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. They've stepped up to the plate by enlisting the help of former major leaguers Shawn Green, Gabe Kapler and Brad Ausmus. There are 13 American Jewish play- ers currently in the major leagues. They could play for Israel in the WBC as long as they were eligible for Israeli citizenship. They wouldn't have to be Israeli citizens. Israel could have a solid team if the American major leaguers signed up. Ryan Braun, Ian Kinsler and Kevin Youkilis are three of baseball's top players. Braun was named the National League Most Valuable Player last week. Position players Ike Davis, Sam Fuld and Danny Valencia also could help the Israeli cause, as could pitch- ers Jason Marquis, Scott Feldman and Craig Breslow. I I Send news to sports@thejewishnews.com .