MAY 19 • 2022 | 49

B

rotherhood-Eddie
Jacobson B’nai B’rith
bowling league
champion.
International B’nai B’rith
Bowling Association national
tournament champion.
It was a great season
for the House Ballz team,
especially considering its
humble beginnings.
“We joined the
(Brotherhood-Eddie
Jacobson) league seven years
ago. We were terrible,” said
team captain Ryan Vieder.
“We got our team name
because none of us had our
bowling ball. We used house
balls.”
Being terrible and using
house balls didn’t last long.
House Ballz made the
playoffs four times in
its first five years in the
Brotherhood-Eddie Jacobson
league, twice making it to the
semifinals.
There were no league
playoffs in the 2019-20 and
2020-21 seasons because of
the COVID-19 pandemic.
In fact, there was no league
season in 2020-21.
This league season didn’t
start well for House Ballz.
The time away from bowling
took its toll. The team
finished in last place in the
five-team Tigers Division in

the first half of the season.
“We struggled in the first
half. It felt like we were
starting over again,” Vieder
said.
“But then all four of us
on the team got hot in the
second half. Each of us
raised his average by 10 to 15
pins. We saved our best for
last.”
House Ballz qualified for
the 2021-22 league playoffs
by winning the second-half
championship in the Tigers
Division.
Then it raced through
the playoffs to win the
championship of the 22-team
league.
It beat first-half Tigers
Division champion
Yogi’s Rollers 18-6 in the
quarterfinals, The Rolling
Stoned 17-7 in the semifinals
and NHL Property
Management 14.5 to 9.5 on
April 25 in the title match.
The International B’nai
B’rith tournament was held
virtually in March, with
competing teams using six-
game scores from two nights
of league bowling.
House Ballz rolled 4437
in its six games. With its
handicap score, the team
totaled 5796.
Brotherhood-Eddie
Jacobson teams swept the

top 10 and 13 of the top 14
places in the tournament,
quite an accomplishment
even though 20 of the 46
teams in the tournament
were from the league.
Two brothers and two
family members make up the
House Ballz team.
The brothers are Ryan
Vieder of Farmington Hills
and Jeff Vieder of Bloomfield
Hills. Their cousin Jason
Vieder of Huntington Woods
and Mitch Cohen of West
Bloomfield also are on the
team.
“Mitch is Jason’s wife’s
uncle. We call him Uncle
Mitch,” Ryan Vieder said.
House Ballz took time
out after winning the
Brotherhood-Eddie Jacobson
and International B’nai B’rith
titles to win the traditional
Brotherhood-Eddie Jacobson
four-man scramble golf
outing that precedes the
league’s post-season banquet.
Jason Vieder didn’t play
in the May 2 golf outing at
Mystic Creek Golf Course &
Banquet Center in Milford

Township. He was replaced
by Adam Vieder of West
Bloomfield. He’s Ryan’s and
Jeff’s brother.
House Ballz shot 7-under-
par for 18 holes to win the
outing, which had a record
32 golfers.
Three teams tied for
second place at 4-under:
Gary and Mike Klinger, Dale
Taub and Larry Woodberg;
Steve Lotzoff, Jeff Berlin,
Lyle Schaefer and Howard
Mertz; and Mike Weinstock,
Jerry Wayne, Tom Endean
and Spencer Burke.
House Ballz didn’t learn
it had won the International
B’nai B’rith tournament
until the Brotherhood-Eddie
Jacobson banquet at Gino’s
Pizzeria & Restaurant in
Keego Harbor.
“That information was a
nice surprise,” Ryan Vieder
said.
“We’re wondering what
we can win this summer,” he
added with a laugh.

Send sports news to

stevestein502004@yahoo.com.

GARY KLINGER

Family-focused bowling team wins
Brotherhood-Eddie Jacobson league
and International B’nai B’rith
tournament titles.

From Terrible
to Terrific

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Meet the champs. From left are Mitch Cohen, Jason Vieder, Ryan
Vieder and Jeff Vieder.

SPORTS