30 | JULY 25 • 2024

Max was the main man
behind the plate this past
spring for the Lakers’ out-
standing pitching staff.
“He called all the pitches
and did a great job defensive-
ly,” Birnberg said.
Gross complemented his
defense by hitting around
.300.
Rebtoy, one of four team
captains along with Gross,
played everywhere except
first base and catcher for the
Lakers.
“He was very valuable to
our team,” Birnberg said.
Now, about that frustrating
ending of the Lakers’ season.
West Bloomfield lost 7-1 to
No. 1-ranked Brother Rice in
a district championship game
June 1 at Bloomfield Hills.
That defeat was deja vu for
Birnberg and his troops.
In his four years as the
Lakers’ coach, Birnberg has
watched his team lose in the
districts — the first round of

the state tournament — to
national powerhouses Brother
Rice (twice) and Orchard Lake
St. Mary’s and Lake Orion,
which went on to advance to
the Elite Eight.
“It’s really frustrating to
continually face great teams so
early in the state tournament,
but we’re getting used to it,”
Birnberg said. “We just have to
accept the fact that no matter
how good we are, we’re going
to have to go up against one
of the top teams in the state in
the districts.”
What’s Gross’ take on West
Bloomfield’s state tournament
schedule?
“It was frustrating, but I
never worried about it because
there was nothing we could do
about it,” he said.
The Lakers haven’t
advanced out of the districts
since 2015.

Send sports news to

stevestein502004@yahoo.com.

West Bloomfield High
School catcher Max Gross
called all the pitches when
he was behind the plate.

THERESE SHEIDT

SPORTS

continued from page 28



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Jewish Literature Crossword
Puzzle Answers from July 18th
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