Two teams full of such feelings met Saturday on Clay Kaserne. And though one of them walked away with two victories, each still carried at least some optimism afterward.
Kaiserslautern, coming off a 15-1 regular season a year ago that ended with a rough postseason tournament, rallied for a late run in extra innings to down Wiesbaden 21-20 after a lopsided 21-6 win in the opener.
Raiders coach Zac Robinson said Saturday was all about getting different players a look at different positions.
“Of course we wanted to win, but at the same time we really wanted to try to mix things up and kind of figure out our team identity,” Robinson said. “We’re only going to get better and better.”
Wiesbaden, meanwhile, got a surge of confidence from a second game that was much closer than the first one.
In fact, the Warriors were up 18-11 in the bottom of the third, before Kaiserslautern rallied to tie the game at 20-20 to send it into extra innings. Senior Bev Clearke scored the run the Raiders needed in the extra frame to come out on top.
Kaiserslautern had started the day off hot, with junior Giada Taylor’s double with the bases loaded starting a line of Raiders crossing home plate.
“I didn’t think about it too much,” Taylor said of her hit. “Just get a hit, get on base, and whatever happens, happens.”
In this case, what happened was Kaiserslautern taking a 10-1 lead after three innings in a game that was never in doubt after that.
The temperature dropped for the second game, but Warriors senior London Howell said her team, with only six players returning from last season, was just getting warmed up.
“During the break, we talked about how … we were doing better in the second half of the first game,” Howell said, adding she wanted that kind of play to carry over during the season.
While the Warriors were overcoming season-opener jitters, first-year coach Dougie Globke said he’s embracing his new role as much as many of his players are adjusting to theirs.
“This was something I didn’t expect to be as fun as it is coming into this as a baseball player not knowing much about fast-pitch softball,” Globke said. “Wow, I am impressed. These girls are eager to learn, and I’m really enjoying this.”
]]>Mainly, going from two programs to one.
The Dragons didn’t have enough players to fill out separate boys and girls teams, meaning they will have one co-ed roster competing in DODEA-Europe’s boys Division III in 2024. Alconbury is looking at it as a positive.
“We have more depth to our squad,” Alconbury midfielder Leo Politis said. “We have a lot of good girl players, like my sister (Sofia). We’re still going to put them in the starting lineup.”
That depth was put on display during the Dragons’ 2-1 road victory over fellow co-ed foe Spangdahlem on Saturday afternoon.
Four of the starting 11 were girls, including junior goalkeeper Jessica Bradley and junior co-captain Sofia Politis in the middle, the latter of whom acted as a conduit in attack at times. Both players were members of the girls team that finished runner-up in Division III last spring.
Coach Leslie Atkins-Hash credited the leadership of Sofia Politis and co-captain Aaron Dudley for helping the team adjust to its new makeup on the fly.
“The biggest challenge is having them blend as one and understand that it’s not a boys team that girls play on, but that it’s a co-ed team,” Atkins-Hash said. “We have leadership coming from both sides, and that’s really brought the team together.”
The win could help the Dragons (1-1) come closer together.
Alconbury dropped its opener to AFNORTH 7-0 and needed a confidence boost, Leo Politis said. The team got it at Spangdahlem.
“Our heads were all dropped after that loss,” he said. “So, getting this win, our heads are up.”
The effort started on defense, shielding Bradley from most threats until almost the final whistle.
One such threat came in the 27th minute, when a trio of Sentinel attackers got behind the Alconbury back line 35 yards from goal. A pair of Dragons got back, though, and blocked the first shot before Spangdahlem forward Aniya Robinson picked up the rebound and fired wide.
It wasn’t until the 78th minute when the Sentinels (2-1) finally found the back of the net. Midfielder Caleb Truscott launched in a corner to the far post, where teammate Xavian Appiah was unmarked. The central midfielder rose up and headed the ball into the net from a few yards out.
Atkins-Hash credited the play of Dudley and sophomore Taye Vickerstaff for stomping out the danger for most of the match.
“Every single one of them could play up top and be successful and scoring up top, but their ability to communicate and stop challenging attacks like Spangdahlem had is amazing,” Atkins-Hash said. “I know our keeper is very happy to have such a strong defensive line.”
That Sentinel goal proved too little, too late thanks in large part to Leo Politis.
The junior stepped up from his deep-lying midfield position to score twice early in each half.
The first came with a little bit of luck in the fourth minute. A cross from the left wing ricocheted off a couple of players in the 6-yard box, including Spangdahlem goalkeeper Isaiah Riley, before landing at Politis’ feet. He kept his cool and slotted it home.
Then, in the 55th minute, Politis found himself once again on goal, this time with Riley coming off his line. Politis swung his left foot to place it around Riley and make it 2-0.
“I just wanted to put it away, finish it,” Politis said of the first goal. “It was just wide open, me and the goal. I had to be careful. I didn’t want to just smoke it.
“I knew the goalie was on the near post, so I just had to push it to the far post,” Politis said of his second. “It was a good ball from my teammate to find me there.”
The Sentinels struggled to get much going for most of the match, but coach Javier Graham praised his team’s effort, especially over the final 15 minutes.
He also mentioned how Appiah and Riley showed improvement from last year. Appiah, a junior, isn’t afraid to use his head (literally), and it showed on the goal. Riley, a sophomore, made seven saves Saturday, including one at point-blank range late in the first half to keep it a one-goal match.
“Last year, he was so new to the game, and you can see how much he’s learned over the year,” Graham said of Riley. “He’s taken the initiative on his own to learn the position better.
“Some of the shots today last year would have been a struggle for him. Now that he’s training, he’s working hard, he’s focused, you can see how much better he is in front of the sticks.”
Both teams will get a few weeks off for spring break. Alconbury hosts Ansbach on April 6, while Spangdahlem gets three weeks off before heading to Baumholder on April 13.
]]>While the Wildcats seem destined for a three-peat in Divisions II/III, the picture looks murkier in Division I, where Ramstein seeks to the return to the top, the Panthers will try to defend and others such as Kaiserslautern will try to throw themselves into the mix.
The season commences Saturday and ends in the Kaiserslautern Military Community on May 22-24.
Here’s a team breakdown based off responses from coaches:
Aviano
The Saints lost some key starters from a squad that entered the European tournament as the second seed and finished third, but they expect to contend for a championship all the same this spring.
Colin North is expected to lead the way from the mound. The senior went 4-0 as a starter. Junior catcher/infielder Cristiano Peterson averaged .500 from the plate in 2023 and will bring back his bat.
Juniors Deon and Andrew Walker join the squad and bring big arms and speed on the basepaths. Freshman shortstop/pitcher J.J. Sanchez may be small in stature but also has a hefty arm and great fielding ability.
Kaiserslautern
The Raiders went 8-10 in 2023, but half of their losses came against one opponent – Ramstein – and they ended up taking fourth in Division I.
Most of that team is back for 2024, and seventh-year coach Justin Bates is raising expectations for a team one year older, stronger and smarter.
Kaiserslautern will be banking on the leadership of experience of seniors Braydon Lokey, Trygg Bredlow and Dominic Bailey, all of whom have been in the program since they were freshmen. Junior Logan Bell and sophomores Nicolas Sullivan, John Leonard, James Leonard, Andy Etchell, Bryant Lokey and Wyatt Humpal also return.
Lakenheath
The Lancers once again will be young with just two seniors in outfielders Calvin Moncada and Braylon Steverson.
Lakenheath coach Gabe Feletar expressed excitement at seeing how much the returners have grown over the offseason. Those include juniors Ethan Wright (first base/pitcher) and Allen Primmer (first base/pitcher) and sophomores Christian Laliberte (third base/shortstop/pitcher), Tyler Chiappetta (second base) and Zach Stutzman (outfield).
Sophomore second baseman Kyle Vogt transferred in from Aviano, while sophomore outfielder Wesson Roney and catcher/infielder Jayse Cowen joined the squad.
Naples
Good luck to Divisions II/III trying to upset the Wildcats this spring.
Coach Jim Davis is blessed with an embarrassment of riches coming back with the top of the rotation and six batters who averaged .300 or better at the plate.
Ella Grace has proven to be one of the best pitchers in Europe, going 8-0 in 25 innings with 39 strikeouts and five walks in 2023. She pitched a gem in the title game, throwing 25 strikes out of 29 pitches.
The senior, who has started in the last two championship games for Naples, also batted .425.
Logan Barker offers a good one-two pitching punch. He went 7-0 over 19 innings pitched, fanning 43 and walking 11. Barker also hit .393 throughout the season.
Utility player David Manus averaged .442, pitcher/first baseman Matt Butler hit .400, utility player A.J. Lopez batted .368 and outfielder Josh Myrick went .300 at the plate.
Brady Price transferred from SHAPE, while freshmen Christian Barnard and Kenny Pirches join the team.
Ramstein
Coach Alfredo Rios said players already look in mid-season form, which could pose a problem for opponents of the 2023 Division I runner-up.
The Royals can turn to a solid core of returners to get back to the top. Seniors Luke Seaburgh (pitcher/shortstop) – a first-team All-Europe honoree – Kyle Mattes (pitcher/outfield) and Liam Delp (pitcher/second base), a second-team All-Europe selection, bring veteran leadership.
Junior Christian Roy (pitcher, third base, outfield), Caden Nims (pitcher, first base, outfield) and Conor McGinty (pitcher, first base, outfield), who was named to the All-Europe first team, help make up a big portion of the pitching staff.
Sophomores Jaxon Lundell (catcher/second base) and Eiji Carpenter (second base) round out the returners.
Senior Jackson Arthaud joins the squad as a pitcher and outfielder, while junior outfielder Evan Krajewski transferred from SHAPE.
Sophomores James Arthaud (pitcher/outfield), Diego Cardenas (catcher/outfield), Mateo Cardenas (outfield), Ivory Coleman (outfield) and Jacob Vinson (pitcher/outfield), and freshmen Jackson Eves (pitcher/outfield), Lukas Bali (outfield) and Raistlin Asher (outfield) are new to the team.
Rota
First-year coach Luis Dominguez is taking an all-hands-on-deck approach to the team this year, especially on the mound. He also stressed the importance of playing smart baseball and limiting physical and mental errors.
He expressed optimism with the Admirals heading into the season.
Middle infielder and pitcher Jayden Jasso came into the squad midseason in 2023 and is expected to play a key role. Pitcher/catcher Jaden DeCastro, outfielder/pitcher Kaya Geylani, outfielder/first baseman Trevor Shannon and outfielder Quintin Harper are back this spring.
Dominguez is high on the addition of Thomas Brantley, who will line up on the mound and at third base.
SHAPE
The Spartans didn’t have much playing experience in 2023, but coach James Truitt is anticipating that time together will pay dividends this year.
He said the team added depth in pitching and the fielding should look more polished this spring.
First-team All-European player Will Bush will lead SHAPE. The senior posted a 1.34 ERA with 47 strikeouts and 10 walks last spring. Other veterans include Derek Hansen (pitcher/second base), Easton Welch (catcher), Josh Spires (first base/pitcher), Eugy Zermano (first base), Donovan Traylor (shortstop), Matthijs Dijkstra (infielder), Ethan Simmons (third base/pitcher), Connor Mahan (outfield) and Julyan Serrano (outfield).
Second baseman D.J. Flenaugh, second baseman/pitcher Austin Lawrence, outfielder Greg Benjamin, third baseman Logan Gonzales, outfielder/pitcher Estevan Trujillo and outfielder/pitcher/catcher Gavin Procknel are additions to the roster.
Sigonella
The Jaguars went .500 during the regular season before making a run to the Divisions II/III final.
Coach Carl Jorgensen expects more of the same from the Jaguars this spring.
Back are infielders Chase Wise, Keiron Cayton, Cooper Harrison, Bradley Duerkop and Jonathan Faulk and outfielders DeShawn Wallace and David Faulk.
New to the team are infielders Levi Denton, Mandy Gonzalez and Regan Rosier and outfielders Jacob Maloney, Bradley Torres, Nathan Ensey, Aiden Ward and Blake Parker.
Spangdahlem
The Sentinels have a much larger roster this spring, going from 11 to 18 players. Five of them – four sophomores and one senior – played for Spangdahlem last year.
Coach Doug Cobb said he hopes the squad will surprise some teams and improve on last year’s standing of 2-7.
Stuttgart
The Panthers lack the sticks that powered them to a championship last spring.
But coach Drake Marbury, who takes over the helm for the first time in years, said if the pitching staff performs well, Stuttgart will have a chance. He also said the Panthers will rely on speed on the basepaths.
Senior pitcher and utility player Ryan Santana will lead the way after a first-team All-European selection. Others with championship experience are seniors Tyler Blalock (pitcher/catcher/infielder), Jamie Arnold (pitcher/outfielder) and Aiden Heumphreus (infielder/catcher/pitcher) and juniors Declan Mack (pitcher/utility player), Donovan Jurich (pitcher/outfielder) and Zach Siani (outfielder).
Joining the Panthers are seniors Jackson Boggs (pitcher/infielder), Dan Myrick (infielder) and Mason Hawkes (infielder/catcher); juniors Hayden Foley (pitcher/infielder) and Jaxin Schneiders (pitcher/infielder); and freshmen David Scudder (pitcher/infielder), Lucas Scudder (pitcher/infielder), Wyatt Marquet (infielder/catcher/pitcher) and Jonah Bird (utility player).
Vicenza
The Cougars cannot buy a break from the PCS lottery.
Struggling in the regular season with one win last spring, Vicenza made it to the third-place game in the tournament.
The problem is just three starters – sophomore Logan Sistare, junior Zach Alderson and senior Jayden Steimle – from that team are back. So it could be another rebuilding year.
The Cougars have six sophomores, a handful of upperclassmen and six freshmen to fill out the team.
Wiesbaden
Other than Ramstein on the opening weekend, the Warriors came the closest to handing Stuttgart a loss last season, falling in the semifinal 8-7.
Gone are many of the key pieces who powered that team, but coach Jon Ring expressed his belief in Wiesbaden being competitive in Division I.
Veteran leadership will come from senior third baseman T.J. Rice, junior catcher Owen Smith, junior pitcher/third baseman/outfielder Jack Lehr, junior second baseman/pitcher Jonah Harvey and junior left fielder Logan Hernandez.
Newcomers are sophomore Jace Ballard and freshmen Brogan Traugutt and Canyon Hunter.
]]>In Division I, defending champion Ramstein will try to run it back with many of the same players, including a pair of first-team All-European selections.
The Division II/III championships, meanwhile, do not have a clear favorite. Last year’s champion, Naples, enters this spring with an almost entirely new roster, leaving the door open for teams like last year’s runner-up Vicenza and up-and-comers Spangdahlem and Rota to get into the mix.
All will be decided when the schools meet in the Kaiserslautern Military Community on May 22-24.
Here’s a team-by-team breakdown based off responses by coaches:
Kaiserslautern
A season that began with such promise petered out in 2023. The Raiders won their first 14 games before losing in the regular season’s final weekend, and they then dropped the semifinal and third-place games to finish fourth despite a 17-3 record.
Numerous top players graduated, but the 2024 roster brings back a solid nucleus and has added enough to contend once again, according to coach Zac Robinson.
Among the key returners is pitcher/shortstop Bevanie Cleark. The senior earned first-team All-European honors after winning 11 games in the circle in 2023. Another key piece is shortstop/third baseman Selam Foery.
Other veterans include Mariska Campbell, Jelayra Taylor, Giada Taylor, Loren Martin, Layla Cole, Bella Neighbarger, Katelynn McEntee and Niyah Reed.
Robinson called a trio of players – freshman Ally Monroe and the Garcia sisters, sophomore Alissia and freshman Amanda – significant additions.
Naples
Coach Amy Driscoll has a rebuild on her hands after winning her second European championship in charge of Naples.
Only two Wildcats are back. Senior Lucy Black, who played third base and outfield last year, will try catching this spring. Sophomore Madisun Myers, an outfielder in 2023, will get some repetitions at first base.
The only pitcher with any experience on the roster is Ariana Lopez – and that experience is not at the high school level. Driscoll said the freshman’s talent is a “great” addition to the team.
Overall, the coach said she is looking forward to watching the players grow as a team throughout the season.
Ramstein
Expectations always are high with Ramstein softball. It tends to be that way when the program reaches the title game all but two years since 1999 – even if last spring’s title win was the Royals’ first since 2017.
With the firepower coming back, coach Kent Enyeart won’t drop those expectations. In fact, it’s championship defense or bust again.
Star pitcher Madison Mihalic leads the Royals’ veteran contingent. The senior pitcher/first baseman powered the Royals in the circle, including the title-game victory, and was named to the All-Europe first team.
Also returning are first-team All-European selection Madalyn Young (catcher/infielder), Jazmyn Hall (pitcher/infielder), Emma Stone (pitcher/infielder), Marina Martin (catcher/infielder), Parker Ingram (pitcher/outfielder), Isabella Chambers (catcher/outfielder), Arianna Chambers (pitcher/infielder), Emerson Moriarty (center/outfielder), Emma Inthavixay (outfielder) and Ilana Johnson (catcher/outfielder).
Newcomers expected to make an impact are Ania Edwards (infielder), Charlotte Rhyne (infielder), Sanai Schneider (outfielder), Aspen Lindsey (utility player), Claritza Rosario (outfielder), Amira Bernard (infielder) and Amayah Payton (outfielder).
Rota
The Admirals took their lumps in 2023, but coach Leslie Samuelson said she and her players are hoping the seeds planted last year will bloom this spring.
Eleven players are back from the team that went 2-6 and finished fifth in Divisions II/III. It begins with a quintet of seniors in third baseman Elsie Bond, pitcher Mady Orlowski, first baseman Alana Geylani, outfielder Emmy Lamb and second baseman Ilyssa Hagood.
Junior Becca Owins will line up behind the plate, while fellow junior Aven Dalton will man an outfield spot. Sophomores Chloe Tailleur (outfielder), Jada Jandl (pitcher) and Asia Mascarenas (outfielder) round out the returners.
The newcomers – sophomores Taylor Zimmerman (shortstop/catcher), Addison Kryger (second baseman/pitcher) and Maya Petty (outfielder) and freshmen Audrey Redwine (catcher) and Rachel Orlowski (outfielder) – bring some “explosive talent” to the squad, according to their coach.
SHAPE
Last spring wasn’t kind to the Spartans, but they are under new management with coach Kate Maxson taking charge.
And she has a bright outlook for 2024.
Nine players are back for SHAPE. Just two of them are seniors: second baseman/outfielder Lia Lemponen and outfielder Kayla Mckinney. But the team has a large junior contingent with outfielder/second baseman Asia Curtis, pitcher/second baseman Paula Knapp, pitcher Olivia McLeod, corner infielder Bella Smith, catcher/shortstop Lily Tjeltveit and first baseman/shortstop Lucy Vedra.
Sophomore Bailee Kautz (outfielder/catcher) rounds out the returners.
Junior Juliette Laforest joins the team and will play outfield, while sophomore Colie Meyer can line up at third and second base. Maddie Hansen (pitcher/catcher), Laila Ioane (first baseman/outfielder) and Emory Teta (shortstop) enter as freshmen.
Sigonella
The Jaguars have a pair of third-place finishes the past two seasons, but to match or improve that performance, they will have to do so with an almost entirely new squad.
While seven were on the roster last spring, just three of them played on a regular basis. Senior Aalan Wilson will play shortstop, third base and catcher; junior Alexandra Quintanilla will man the circle and center field; and sophomore Nyeema Fernandez will see time at third base, shortstop and outfield.
Others coming back are senior Juliane Signorello (pitcher/outfielder), juniors Alice Lefringhouse (first baseman) and Katie Balbo (second baseman) and sophomore Addison Stelle.
New to the team are senior Vivian Ricciardi, sophomores Victoria Day and Arianna Duron and freshman Alysia Dobbins.
Spangdahlem
The Sentinels finished last campaign at .500, and they are looking for more this year.
Spangdahlem returns nine players from 2023 – center fielder/shortstop Sandrine Bennett, right fielder/second baseman Isabel Garver, left fielder/first baseman Bailee Haffner, catcher Alajah Jiggetts, center fielder/pitcher Talyssa Link, pitcher/catcher/third baseman Riley Lombardo, third baseman Kaleigh Lucas, pitcher/shortstop Sara Paulk and center fielder Adriana Tijerina.
Of the newcomers, Allie Adkins has experience playing elite travel ball and will line up at first base and catcher. Salma Stevenson (second base), Amaya Jalomo (right field) and Kaylee Lauer (shortstop and left field) also joined the team.
Vicenza
The Cougars had a challenging 2023, winning just one game during the regular season before making a surprising run to the Divisions II/III title game.
New coach Osvaldo Garcia Carrillo said he believes they are poised to continue that postseason form in 2024.
Isabella Espersen is entering her fourth year as a starter behind the plate and third base, and Garcia Carrillo said she has a strong arm and consistent bat. Sophomores Hannah Findlay (middle infield), Katherine Green (pitcher/outfield) and Rielynn Casper (pitcher/first base/outfield) are back, and junior Brianne Horner (outside/third base) adds depth to the defense.
Sophomore outfielders Ava Hansen and Nala Herron bring their strong bats, while senior utility player Angela Stephenson adds pop to the lineup.
The Cougars will get a boost from a talented freshman group. Adysen Johnston, a utility player who participated in competitive travel ball in the States, is expected to be the cornerstone of the offense. Jayden Stokes (first base/outfield), Avia Woodward (infield), Cecilia Owens (infield) and Peyton Atkinson (utility) are eager to contribute.
Vilseck
The Falcons lost their top four hitters to graduation and PCS, but new additions and the rest of the returning cast has second-year coach Cathleen Burgess hopeful for 2024.
Senior outfielder Ryen Arguello, junior third baseman Julissa Neal, junior outfielders Aundrea Lloyd and Liliana Johnson and sophomore second baseman Ava Bentley are back. Sophomore left fielder Mariana DeJesus will be PCSing in April.
Joining the squad this spring are senior Emily Burgess; juniors Alisia Andrew, Heather Ayin, Zoe Crawford, Noemi Rosario and Krystina Simms; sophomores Hailey Ayin and Natalie Ingram; and freshmen Reagan Arguello, Lily Estrade and Katelynn McMillan.
Wiesbaden
Change is the theme for the Warriors one year after falling just one run short of winning a Division I European championship.
Gone are ace Lyndsey Urick and coach Jennifer Yalden and in steps Dougie Globke. The new chief is hoping to grow the players’ love of the sport – and winning would be a bonus.
Wiesbaden will get veteran presence from outfielder Kayla Pham, first baseman Jeanice Smith, catcher Delaney Hodges, infielder London Howell, second baseman Roni Massey and center fielder Valerie Fisher.
New to the team are seniors Anna Caito, Lyndsay Molloy and Emily Wiggins; juniors Lyann Cortes, Kyra Cole, Imani Coley, Cydnee Lassiter, Nicole Suh and Evelyn Traugutt; sophomore Katherine Mayfield; and freshmen Lena Coleman, Catherine Mellon, Paige Welch and Kylie Hooser.
]]>Three weeks later, the real season begins, with seven weeks of competition to prepare for the European meet on May 23-24 at Kaiserslautern High School.
Numerous individual winners coming back will face threats from plenty of podium placers looking to rise to the top, while newcomers will be looking to make impacts in the running lanes and the field events.
Here’s a look at individual teams based on responses from coaches:
Alconbury
The Dragons continue to grow in stature.
Coach Nicole Andre said the 2024 roster is double that of 2023. That has raised expectations, with the hopes of getting twice as many European meet qualifiers and maybe getting more than one onto the podium in May.
Leading the way will be senior returning qualifiers Paige Sander and Julian “Juju” Brazoban. Sander finished 12th in the girls 400-meter dash. Brazoban, meanwhile, missed out on advancing to the 110 hurdle final by .04 seconds, taking ninth.
Half of the boys sprint medley team that took 13th last spring are back in Brazoban and Alfonso Sanchez. On the girls side, the opening and closing legs of the relay are back in Sander and Evangeline Cumming.
Also retuning are Bohdan Andre, Grant Cumming, Gabriella Pantoja, Alejandro Reyes, Brodie Lorton, Eli Schroeder, Helena Plaza-Ponte and Sofia Leas Cruz.
Ansbach
Following two consecutive team titles, the girls team will be in rebuild mode.
The Cougars lost two-time field event champion Tamia McLaughlin (high and triple jumps), as well as three Top-8 placers in Kaiserslautern last spring. Add to that the return of girls soccer siphoning some of the fastest athletes, and it could be a long season.
Still, under first-year coach Christopher Moran, field athletes are making an impact. Junior Sophia Joers returns after taking 11th in the discus, while fellow junior Addison Bryant came in 12th in the triple jump last campaign. Newcomers Sarah Felice and Lizzy Agudzi-Addo have emerged for the Cougars in throwing, with Agudzi-Addo also seeking top-10 placements in jumping events.
Junior Eloisa McCaskill, meanwhile, will seek a spot on the podium after taking 10th in the high jump.
For the boys, Sophomore Greyson Strabala leads a team hungry to get back into the hunt for a Division III European crown. The high jumper was the lone boy to earn points for the squad last spring, coming in seventh in the high jump, and he also placed 12th in the triple jump.
Fellow European qualifiers David Serna and Kenton Duplessie are back after running in the sprint medley relay. Duplessie is expected to make some noise in the middle-distance events.
Okenie McLaughlin and Jalen Donaldson give the team options in the jumping events, while Michael Carbon and James Colon add to Ansbach’s throwing arsenal.
Black Forest Academy
The Falcons are entering 2024 in a youth movement, with a third of the squad being freshmen.
While making this spring a fresh start, the youth highlights the importance of athletes such as Maddie Steiner and Natalie Konieczny. The duo were the first two legs in the 4x100 relay that came in fifth in the European meet.
Steiner, a senior, qualified in all three jumping events, taking fifth, ninth and 12th in the high, triple and long, respectively.
Also returning for BFA are throwers Sam Allers and Austin Yau, sprinter/jumper Caleb Shell and jumper/middle-distance runner Nathan Pinkston.
Brussels
The Brigands face a tall task in replacing the graduated one-man-wrecking-crew that was William Pierce.
They will turn to their three returning 2023 European competitors to do so. Junior Sawyer Ter Horst took 10th in the boys shot put, while senior Nyah Jorgensen launched a 91-foot, 1-inch throw on her last attempt to place fourth in the girls discus.
Haley Mitchell proved an up-and-comer in middle distance events, taking 13th in the 400 and running the anchor leg for both the 4x400 and 4x800 relays, which took 10th and sixth, respectively.
Among the new and younger contingent to the squad are Isabella Mitchell, Joshua Isaacson, Amaia Sharrock, Kate Baird and Rylan Marron.
Frankfurt International
Coach Manika Mookerjee enters the season looking forward to the improvement of the returners.
One such athlete, Owen Seveland, could be the most exciting. The junior made the podium in all three of his events, finishing sixth in the 300 hurdles after advancing to the final with the third-fastest time and taking seventh in the long and triple jumps.
Also retuning are Keira Chaplin, Zoë King, Lucy Collins, Henry Wilde, Seth Leishman, Ricardo Bianchi and Jacob Anderson. New to the team are Jakob Glanz, Myles Fields, Vivaan Kartik, Karl Rasmus Byskov, Khoi Fumo-Pegues, Theodor Hutter, Alexander Frijlink, Helena Brandt and Laura Capranicocaetani.
Ramstein
Coach Neil Malone said the Royals may not be on anybody’s radar until late in the season, but opponents should sleep on Ramstein at their own risk.
Despite high turnover, the Royals have plenty of firepower back. Senior Vincent Studer won a European title in the boys 300 hurdles in 40.79 seconds. He also came in third in the 110 hurdles.
Championship runners-up Javier Harrington (discus) with a throw of 127-11 and Michael Gonzales (high jump) at 5-11 are back, and Harrington also took sixth in the shot put.
Senior Frank Lozano joined the long-distance team last spring and made an impact, running third, ninth and 11th in the 3,200, 1,600 and 800 races, respectively at the championships. Junior Jakobe Jeans trailed his teammate in the 3,200 and 1,600, taking eighth and ninth places, respectively.
For the girls, Simone Smith will build off her sensational freshman campaign, coming in sixth in the 100 dash and eighth in the long jump. Junior Mya Loringer placed eighth in the 2-mile, junior Natalie Lords qualified in the mile and junior Aydriel Chambers leapt to a fourth-place finish at Euros.
Rota
The Admirals are excited heading into this spring.
Returners like Sophia Dickkut, Rachel Owins, Anna Townsend and Joyah Rawles are big reasons for that. The quartet made up the 4x400 relay squad that came in fifth place at Kaiserslautern High School last May.
Dickkut, a senior, qualified for the Euros in all three sprinting events, making the podium in the 400 with a seventh-place finish. Rawles took 15th place at the European meet in the 300 hurdles.
Also returning are Brian Leiba, Claudia Cordero-Ramos, Dustin Gonzalez, Maria Liuzza and Tyler Marcus.
Additions include Addison Bleile, Emi Cruz, Jonathan King, Isabel Lanker, Jaden Naylor, Blake Williams, Julian Haber, Shane Nowak, Aliana Haber, Brandon Frare, Camille Siguenza, Brandon Frare, Thomas Phillips, Keelyn Simpkins, Olivia Bussey, Anthony Romero and Lilia Cypers.
SHAPE
The Spartans have doubled their roster heading into 2024 with more than 70 athletes. And they will be hoping to contend by placing multiple athletes on the podium.
It begins with senior Samson Tryon, who won the 2023 European title in the boys high jump. Asher McMullen, David Van Wagenen and Tudor Varvari made up three-quarters of the boys sprint medley and 4x400 relays that both placed eight at Euros.
For the girls, Rihanna Bender, Shaely McMullen and Amelia Teta took fifth in the sprint medley relay, while they also qualified for Euros in the 4x400. Bender, a junior, placed seventh in the 1,600 last spring.
Junior Sofia Tryon advanced to Europe in shot put as well.
Also returning are Diego Moreno-Ortiz, Julia Cesonis, Stella Chatziamanetoglou, Monste Cuquerella, Kieran Hall, Maria Claudia Lupuleasa, Flavio Nanni, Alkminni Papavasileiou, Sarah Rochlitzer, Rauno Sirk, Jocelyn Smith, Lucia Velasco and Tommaso Vinciguerra.
Sigonella
The Jaguars’ top hope heading into this spring is Rickalia Goss, a junior who experienced plenty of success her first two seasons. Goss fell short in the 400 for second place, and she took third place in the 200 and long jump.
Goss also made the podium in the 100 with a fifth-place finish.
Adding depth for the Sigonella girls are freshmen Isabelle Lyon and Hudson Burcham, junior Camryn Burcham and sophomore Tess Martinsen.
For the boys, Rhys Martinsen, Sladen Hager, Robert “Bobby” Gibbons, Andrew Buelow and Gideon Tasfay are expected to make an immediate impact as newcomers. Complementing them are freshman Hudson Burcham and sophomores C.J. Tenorio and Vaughn Dimapalis.
Spangdahlem
The Sentinels enter this spring with optimism for both the boys and girls team.
Key returners on the boys side will look to make the podium. Senior Javian Rivera ran the 100 and 400 at the European meet, finishing 12th and 11th, respectively, as well as the 4x400. Fellow senior Makario Drummond took 10th in the long jump and was a member of the sprint medley, 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams that ran at Kaiserslautern High School.
Sophomore Jayden Leonard also was a member of the 4x100 team that came in seventh in the final. Junior Messiah Smith qualified in the high jump and 4x400.
Isaac Espinoza returns and sophomore Zander Doulder joins the squad.
Coach Mark Jackson said numbers are rising for the girls side, and the Sentinels will have not just quantity but quality as well.
Sophomore Trinity Burse and Makenzie Proctor are back, and joining the team are Kelsey Drummond, Kylee Marien, Talia burse, Laila Leggett, Bella Parker, Bella Valenzuela and Kalise Rivera, among others.
Stuttgart
Coach Ian Wingfield has moved south from Wiesbaden to Stuttgart, taking over a squad filled with talented veterans.
Jack Gruver has found himself on top in every sport in the past year. Before earning football and wrestling titles his senior campaign, Gruver won the 2023 European discus event with a throw of 134-02 and finished second in the shot put at 42-6.5.
Alex Guthrie and Anika Smith also have runner-up finishes under their belts. Guthrie, a sophomore, ran an 11.19 in the 100 finals to take second after positing the fastest preliminary time. Smith, a senior, came in second in both the 100 (12.3) and 200 (25.59).
Others who advanced to the European meet are Daniel Greer (100 and 400), Johann Maldonado (discus), junior Madeline Alberico (100 hurdles and 4x400 relay), senior Isabella Segalla (100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, high jump and 4x100 relay), senior Laura Boom (sprint medley, 4x100 and 4x400 relays and shot put), Kathleen Fox (sprint medley and 4x400 relays) and sophomore Miccah Evans (100 and sprint medley and 4x100 relays).
Also returning are Nathan Clery and Marnessa Fox.
Newcomers expected to make an impact are Michael Wakins, Tymir Johnson, Devon Johnson and Sophia Aybulut-Williams.
Vilseck
The Falcons are excited for the season, and with the veterans available, it’s easy to see why.
Junior Gabby Shields is coming off a great European meet in 2023. The sprinter/jumper stepped onto the podium four times last spring, the best a second-place finish in the girls 4x400 relay. Shields also competed in the 100 (seventh), 200 (fifth) and long jump (seventh).
Kaitlyn Brewer, a junior, ran the middle legs with Shields on that 4x400 relay. Brewer also qualified in the 100 hurdles, in which she finished 12th.
Distance runner Jaylen Acron proved himself to be a top jumper in DODEA-Europe last spring, advancing to the finals in the triple jump where the senior took sixth. Fellow senior Levi Jones also competed in the triple jump at Euros, finishing ninth.
Adrian Coert-Metcalf transferred in from Hohenfels, while Damion Rogers joins the Falcons from Brussels after qualifying in the 300 hurdles and long jump last spring. Also new are sprinters Victoria Shields, Kamani Huskey and Mazie Lorcher.
]]>Instead, the Panthers appeared to be a well-oiled machine. Stuttgart pounced for six goals in the opening 24 minutes and cruised to a 7-0 road victory.
Senior forward Ryan Stevenson admitted Stuttgart (1-0) did experience some pains – during tryouts, that is. After that, it was like riding a bicycle.
“Most of these guys on varsity, we’ve been playing together for the past two years,” Stevenson said. “We have a pretty similar team to last year, and it kind of came easy to us.”
Stuttgart has many of the same names from the 2023 squad that won the program’s first Division I European championship since the school changed its name and moved to Panzer Kaserne. Star Itzak Sandoval scored a goal and recorded an assist on Saturday, and sophomore Cristan Ingle, who tallied the match-winning goal in last year’s title game, also found the back of the net in the 7th minute.
Still, the team is missing a few key pieces from the title winner. Coach Nathan Garrett said he has challenged returners and other upperclassmen who joined the team after last year’s success not to be complacent.
“On our warm-ups, we got a star on our crest, and I say, ‘How do you want to keep writing that legacy? Do you want to honor it or keep working toward it and leave it for the next generation? Or do you want to whittle it away?’” Garrett said. “I think these guys are stepping up to the plate.”
The Panthers came out flying from the opening whistle, pressing the Raider back line after losing the ball and attacking relentlessly.
Nobody fit that description more than Stevenson. The 5-foot-7 attacker forced a turnover in the Kaiserslautern defense and slotted home past goalkeeper Sean Gooden in the second minute. Stevenson proceeded to have a foot in four of Stuttgart’s first five goals – including a hat trick he completed by dribbling around Gooden in the 22nd minute after getting behind the Raiders (0-1) again.
After basketball and swimming kept him away from the soccer field this winter, the senior said he was ready for Saturday.
“The whole week, you can ask my teammates, I was pumped up,” Stevenson said. “I believed it all week that I was ready for this game this week.”
For the Raiders, it was a forgetable match. They didn’t create many chances with just a pair of shots on net from Wealsy Manson and Isaac Phillips – even though the home team had four corners in the first half.
Coach Enrique John didn’t blame the short preseason, instead shouldering it himself. He also said the Raiders will look to improve ahead of the next match at SHAPE.
“There’s actually no excuses for today,” John said. “We have to get back to the drawing board, fix it. As we say, it was a bad day at the office.”
Just like the boys, the Stuttgart girls are the defending Division I champions.
But unlike their male counterparts, the girls are in flux. The Panthers lost many key pieces from the title-winning squad, and a new coaching staff – head coach John Bowman and assistant Chris Kelly – have taken over.
These could explain the early struggles during Stuttgart’s 2-1 comeback victory over Kaiserslautern in the early match, especially because of the two-week preseason.
“The team was nervous because of the unknown and the short time that we’ve had to come together as a group,” Kelly said.
Not that the Panthers (1-0) didn’t have chances in the first half.
Senior newcomer Leeba Curlin had three chances, including one in the 25th minute that hit the bottom of the crossbar and bounced out, while freshman Madeleine Fleming shot just wide from 14 yards out after receiving a diagonal ball on the right side of the box.
Frustration turned into relief early in the second half. After Kaiserslautern turned it over, the ball ended up with Curlin yards away from the goal. She didn’t miss that opportunity in the 43th minute.
Then, in the 61st minute, Curlin once again found the back of the net. The winger/striker muscled off a Raider, dribbled more than 20 yards behind the defense and slotted the ball past Kaiserslautern keeper Jada Hollis.
“We practiced these scenarios a lot, where I would have a breakaway and I’d slide it into the corner, and I wasn’t able to finish those off (Saturday),” Curlin said. “Definitely frustrated going into the second half, but it gave me the drive I needed to finish them off in the second half.”
The goals erased a first-half deficit that came against the run of play.
While Stuttgart controlled the lion’s share of possession, the Raiders (0-1) took advantage of their lone chance in the first half. Following a foul on the left wing, Ryann Phillips floated a free kick toward the net, and it carried over Panther keeper Anna Roth into the upper right
It was a gut punch for the Panthers, but Curlin said it was a wake-up call.
“They were a physical team; they’re playing at home. We knew we were going to have a battle with them,” Kelly said of Kaiserslautern.
The Raiders had a pair of chances in the final minutes to get a late equalizer. The best chance came when Jedidah Quinland headed the ball when the Panthers failed to clear a corner in the 80th minute, but it went wide of the right post.
Despite the loss, first-year coach Aaron Scalise took plenty of positives from the match. Hollis made seven saves, and the defense blocked many shots to help her out, among other performances.
“I think the possibilities are boundless for us,” Scalise said. “It’s the first game of the season. It’s nerves and jitters, and to be able to come out there and being able to perform the way we did on opening weekend, we’re good with that. We can easily build from here.”
]]>One they do, though, is all three teams have the firepower to repeat as DODEA European champions in boys soccer.
Another commonality: The Panthers, Falcons and Jaguars will be pressed by those nipping at their heels.
For Stuttgart, Wiesbaden is waiting in the wings after pushing the Panthers to the end in the Division I final. AOSR must contend with hungry Naples and Vicenza squads, looking to return to the top in Division II. The Jaguars, meanwhile, must look toward Ansbach, last year’s runner-up, and AFNORTH, among others, in Division III.
All will be decided May 20-23 in the Kaiserslautern Military Community for the European championships.
Here’s a team-by-team look, based off all the responses Stars and Stripes received from coaches across Europe:
AFNORTH
The Lions’ stellar regular season petered out during the tournament, with a third-place finish despite a 7-3-1 record.
Under new head coach Manny Duarte, AFNORTH expects to be competitive this season.
The Lions have 11 returners in second-team All-European selectee Nathan Goldsmith, Santiago Aponte, Christian Barone, Lucas Czapansky, Nigel DeBruin, Nik Fulde, Benjamin Gallei, Jens Muller, Anthony Romar, Oscar Sanchez and Michael Teichl.
Because AFNORTH has no JV team, the squad will be large. Duarte said he has 13 newcomers, including five freshmen. Among the additions is Marc Kpade, a transfer from Spangdahlem.
AOSR
The Falcons couldn’t be clipped in 2023, going undefeated and scoring 50 goals – 23 in five tournament games alone. That postseason run included allowing just one goal in the Division II final against Naples.
AOSR lost its leading scorer and tournament MVP, striker Gabriele Ghione, but coach Giacomo Castelli, whose teams have finished no worse than third during his five seasons in charge, said he believes the Falcons have a good enough mix of returners and newcomers to defend their title.
Among the newcomers are a pair of players who had a role in last year’s title win. Jacopo Giuffrida earned all-tournament honors, and senior winger Valerio Di Cesare recorded assists in the championship game.
Also coming back are senior Giorgi Antelava, senior Seamus Burges-Sims, Nicholas Duggan, senior Edward Ferretti, junior Shai Gerard, Maxwell Irby, sophomore MengPeng Jiang, senior Tamiru Kefale Beamlak, sophomore Gabriel Muse, Mario Palladino, Edoardo Proietti, sophomore Rayan Rainieri and junior Riley Smith.
Brussels
Playing as a co-ed squad, the Brigands came in fourth place in Division III in 2023.
This spring, the boys are on their own in their second season under coach Andrew Langenstein. And they are looking to build off that 2023 campaign.
Coming back for Brussels is all-tournament selection Cade Wedekind, the team’s leading scorer. Antonio Pranjic will captain the team from the back line, and lined up next to him will be defenders Matthew Rogers and Conrad Adams. Other returning starters include midfielders Nandor Arnold and Arlson Khakimov and winger Tamaz Kapanedze.
Ten underclassmen join the team.
Kaiserslautern
Coach Enrique John’s team has one major goal: improve on its fifth-place finish last spring.
It starts with the leadership of Aaron Zamor. The senior midfielder was named to the all-tournament and All-European first teams in 2023.
Also coming back are senior left back Tommy Cahill, junior center midfielder Isaac Phillips, left back Leo DiPola, junior left midfielder Ethan Miller and sophomore center back Seth Patterson.
Joining this campaign are sophomore Derrik Washu and freshmen Ethan Dzwda and Gavin Cahanding.
Lakenheath
The Lancers may have experienced a down year in 2023, going 2-7-2, but they managed to pick up a tournament win and finish sixth in Division I.
Lakenheath brings back plenty of options for 2024, especially in midfield. Senior Cristian Chavira and juniors Jovan Paucar, Micah Rothas and Clay Christensen will see time in the center. Senior Mattias Stadler will play both midfield and forward, and senior Joshua Gabel will line up in midfield and defense.
Seniors Lucius Bowman and Aiden Vaquero will anchor the back line along with sophomore David Kumi-Baah.
Sophomore forward Jonas Ballesteros Burket will lead the attack.
New to the team are senior defender Anthony Mayberry, sophomore goalkeeper Matthew Vasquez, junior Rylen Pontemayor, sophomore Joshua Suh and freshmen Alexander Davis and Julien Paucar.
Naples
The 5-1 loss to AOSR still stings for the Wildcats, and they believe that will help fuel them into being one of the toughest teams in the tournament this spring.
Jackson Shorey will play a key role in that championship push. The junior striker finished 2023 as the team’s leading goal scorer with 18.
Providing leadership is junior center back Camden Kasparek and senior winger Joaquin Villescas, Naples’ captains.
Stepping between the sticks will be new goalkeeper Joey Randazzo. Alessandro Vavra enters the midfield as a starter, while Joshua Banks joins the squad to play right wing.
Ramstein
The Royals enter 2024 with a young squad that coach Dominik Ludes calls talented with potential to do something come tournament time.
To help the team grow, Ramstein will bank on the experience of three players. Senior midfielder Max Speed earned all-tournament and first-team All-European honors for his efforts in leading the team to third place in Division I. Defender Kelan Vaughn and forward Andrew Soto also return.
New to the squad are forward Shaun Young and defender James Croot.
Sigonella
The Jaguars are looking for a three-peat in Division III, but they lost first-team All-European player and tournament MVP Tim Garcia to graduation, among others.
Mikolaj Czernielewski will try to fill the void up top. The junior striker recorded three goals and four assists in 2023. Defensive standouts Jayden Reed (senior) and Sebastian Hedemand (junior) bring a solid foundation to the back line.
Nathan Hermanson and Aiden Shaposka are two of the newcomers expected to impact Sigonella’s title defense.
Stuttgart
The Panthers exorcised their demons with a come-from-behind victory over Wiesbaden in the 2023 Division I final.
In 2024, Stuttgart will try to run it back with many of the same players.
Five seniors and four sophomores lead the way. It begins with senior attacker Itzak Sandoval, whom coach Nathan Garrett described as a “freak” following last year’s championship game. The tournament MVP and first-team All-European player scored a 47-yard goal in the second half for an equalizer in the title game.
Forward/midfielder Ryan Stevenson, center back Jacob Schudel and fullbacks Gabe Tamez and John Gilliland round out the experienced senior class.
Cristian Ingle leads the sophomore contingent. The midfielder pounced on a turnover in the 76th minute and scored the championship-winning goal.
Also back are midfielder Maddox Beaudroux, midfielder/center back Cristian Groves and midfielder/defender Hunter Leslie-Parsons.
Along with a group of freshmen, senior Gabriel Maples is expected to play a role for the Panthers.
Vicenza
The Cougars faltered in the knockout rounds of the European championships after going 7-2 during the regular season, losing to eventual champion AOSR in the semifinals and Marymount in the third-place match.
It marked the second-consecutive fourth-place finish, something Vicenza hopes to improve upon this spring.
From that squad return 11 players, including nine starters. Those veterans are seniors Jalen Robertson (striker/midfielder), Nicholas Morton (goalkeeper/midfielder), Andrew McGovern (midfielder/defender), Elias Pratt (defender), Sam Grady (defender/midfielder), Peter Hartman (defender) and Colin Frazee (midfielder/defender); junior Triston Miletich (midfielder); and sophomores Andrew McGovern and Kyler Mukai (defender); and David Beane.
New to the team are Karl Kukk, Vic Tapong, Triston Thornton, Lucas Galesi, Maddox Braxton, Charles Gilbertson, Raul Carrillo, Arthur Shore and John Culpepper.
Wiesbaden
The Warriors came so close to bringing home that elusive European title in 2023, just to fall a few minutes short.
This spring, Wiesbaden wants to improve on that 10-2 record, and the team has plenty coming back to do so under the tutelage of coaches Roberto Eiseman and Tariq Zangana, both 2019 Wiesbaden graduates.
Returning are senior defenders Michael Friel, Damien Messineo, Nicholas Truchon and Ante Dugandzic, sophomore midfielder Robert Dugandzic, senior midfielder Noah Lee, junior midfielder Sean Heeter, junior defender Jhon Colorado, senior striker Jacob Goodman and Alexander Brookhart.
John Lex and Jayden Tallant will take over at goalkeeper. Also new to the squad are defenders Brady Blacke and Jodhary Pamphil, midfielder/attacker Isaiah Corckett and defensive midfielder Jaden Ruiz.
]]>Programs had less than two weeks starting with tryouts to the start of matches, which begin Saturday. That comes just less than three weeks from the end of the winter sports season.
Teams aren’t going to use the lack of practice as an excuse, and many will hit the ground running on fields across Europe, all looking to come out on top on May 20-23 in the Kaiserslautern Military Community.
Here’s a team-by-team look, based off all the responses Stars and Stripes received from coaches:
AFNORTH
The Lions have one of the most experienced squads coming back in the slimmed down Division III.
AFNORTH has nine returners from the team that finished third at last year’s European championships.
Seniors Bella Benedetto, Isabella Guest and Rowan Moreno will lead as captains. Guest earned all-tournament and All-European second team honors in 2023, while Moreno was named to the All-European second team.
In attack, the Lions turn to the speed of junior forward Selah Skariah, who made the all-tournament team last spring, and senior winger Finja Liebing to unsettle opponents defensively. Senior attacking midfielder Sara Nix will be charged with getting the ball to the attackers.
New to the team are 11 players.
American Overseas School of Rome
The Falcons are rebuilding this season.
With nine upperclassmen, eight returners and just 10 of 26 players who have some sort of soccer experience, that is to be expected.
Seniors Reiley Lester and Cristina Nespoli will man the center, while sophomore Laila Lester, Silvia Goldman and Evelyn Goldman will anchor the back line. Senior Elena Goldman and sophomore Zine Khan are set to play on the wings.
Sophomore Sarakshi Neupane comes back as an attacking option.
Aviano
Coach Sarah Hartman is optimistic heading into her second year in charge.
The Saints tied for fifth place last spring. This spring, Hartman said the goal is to place third during the European championships.
Aviano will bank on the experience of eight veterans to help bring along 10 newcomers.
Black Forest Academy
The Falcons couldn’t have gotten closer to advancing to the Division II title match last spring, staying even with eventual runner-up Vicenza through 100 minutes of action and the first kicks in a shootout. BFA fell on the sixth one.
Now, the Falcons are under new leadership in head coach Hannah Pineda, who has three years of experience as a varsity assistant.
Senior Jade Hernandez likely will be a key player. The all-tournament and second-team All-European athlete returns as a defensive midfielder, although she could play a more advanced role.
Senior Joy Kang will take up the right back position, while junior Anna Yancey comes back as a forward.
Eleven new players are set to join the varsity squad. Juniors Zofia Wood and Indi Atchley and sophomore Hannah Carey transferred in, while getting promoted from the JV squad are juniors Liberty Cooke, Micah Gable and Victoria Sosso and sophomore Esther Maples.
Brussels
Welcome back to girls soccer, Brigands.
Brussels played co-ed in 2023. This season, enough Brigands came out to field a team.
Just two players were on last year’s co-ed squad – sophomore midfielders Emilie Isaacson and Nino Kapanadze.
The rest of the roster will be filled with what coach Charlotte Geehreng described as a lot of promise. Those newcomers include seniors Abigail Halttunen and Irem Ozgur; juniors Kristen Baird, Lucia Martinez (goalkeeper) and Gabrielle Roher; sophomore Adrianne Chezik; and freshmen Emilia Day, Sonia Desir, Amberly Duffy, Braya Forrest, Esme Halttunen, Claire Kluis, Taegan Muller and Grace Swan.
Kaiserslautern
The Raiders enter 2024 with some turnover of the roster as well as the coaching staff.
Aaron Scalise takes over a team that finished fifth last spring.
Significant returners are midfielders Ava Gin, Ryann Phillips and Georgia Rawcliffe. Scalise mentioned sophomore Marisol Baltazar as a newcomer expected to make a big contribution.
Naples
The Wildcats ran rampant through Division II in 2023, but the players who dominated the midfield are gone.
Naples will hope underclassmen and transfers who tried out for the 2024 squad will help fill that void.
Anais Navidad returns as keeper. On defense will be seniors Amber Ozturkoglu and Rylee Rummel and sophomore Norah Hightower, while Emma Heavey is the lone veteran midfielder. Sophomore forward Va Nae Filer was named to the all-tournament and All-European first teams, while fellow sophomore attacker Emerson Shorey earned second-team All-European honors.
Junior Ava Williams rounds out the veteran Naples attackers.
Transfers include Gracie Grannis, Belle Merhar, Jasmin Miranda and Noya Dillard, and six freshmen are looking to make their mark.
Ramstein
The Royals still think about last season’s semifinal loss to Lakenheath – their lone defeat of the campaign – as well as the co-championship the year before with Stuttgart.
This spring, the team seeks to lift the crown on its own, which hasn’t happened in 10 years.
Seniors Julia Adkins and Jillian Buckley and junior Abigail Belote will lead as captains. Also returning are seniors Brianna Creamer (defender), Isabel Fischer (midfielder), Yasmin Martinez (midfielder) and Mary Lowe (midfielder/defender); juniors Kyndra Brown (midfield) and Liberty Snyder (keeper); and sophomore Olivia Davis (midfielder).
Claire Boyton and Isabelle Donkin transferred in, while Abigail Bennett, Cloe Dorado, Amelia McCrory and Nailya McLeish are making the move from JV.
Rota
The Admirals expect to be improved after tying for fifth at the 2023 European championships.
To do so, Rota will bank on veteran central midfielder Emma Montoya, all-tournament striker Jourdan Timmons, center back Madison Lewis and left midfielder Quennette Kirkconnell.
Sigonella
Coach Andy Reardon called this campaign a rebuilding one after winning the Division III title in 2023.
With all the firepower returning, though, the Jaguars could find themselves repeating.
Three players earned postseason honors, beginning with senior Laney Reardon and junior Ryleigh Denton. At goalkeeper, Reardon was named second-team All-Europe, while at winger, Denton received all-tournament awards in 2022 and 2023 and a second-team All-European selection.
Senior striker Isabelle Balleza has made all-tournament teams the past two seasons. Fellow seniors Anabel Vaiciulis in defense and Isla Robertson in midfield and junior winger Charlize Caro round out the returners.
Three sophomores and seven freshmen also will be looking to play roles.
Stuttgart
The Panthers took care of business in the 2023 postseason, beating Lakenheath twice – including in the final – to bring the outright crown back to Stuttgart.
The problem is the squad lost key players, such as tournament MVP Bella Henderson, and its coaching staff, turning to John Bowman and Chris Kelly in the coaching box.
Junior all-tournament honoree Eva Eaton will step up in midfield and at fullback. Also retuning are junior Ella Engelke, senior Ella Kirk, senior Anna Roth, fullback Isabella Gelerter, sophomore Reagan Smith, Serenity Brown, senior Ayana Gomez and junior Ruthie Thompson.
New to the squad are Leeba Curlin, Sienna Miller and Maddie Fleming.
Vicenza
The Cougars lost four seniors from last year’s squad that made a run to the title game, but the players coming back have coach Philip Paniagua raising expectations for 2024.
It begins and ends with Maya Fitch. The junior forward totaled 27 goals in 2023 en route to all-tournament and first-team All-European selections.
In the midfield, senior Tyler Holt, junior Julia Rudy and sophomore Kiera Mukai will lead the way. And senior Laurel Gill, juniors Avonlea Sparling and Dariadna Lopez-Nieves and sophomore Hannah Pratt bring experience to defense. Both Fitch and Gill suffered injuries in February that kept them from finishing the basketball season.
Emeline Rodriguez and Gabrielle Gaspard enter as the two choices at goalkeeper. Forward Natalia Lopez adds a second forward option, and Raya Arhin and Andrea Alvarez-Rodriguez add defensive depth pieces.
Kayla Steimle, Penelope Gaspard, Seren Sparling and Ayanna Valentin will see time in the midfield.
Vilseck
The Falcons had 38 try out for the team this year, the most in recent years. That’s a good sign after the club went winless in 2023.
From that squad, senior midfielder Rheanna Salo returns, as do juniors Phoebe-Sue Dean, Kayla Azevedo and Donelle Druitt, and sophomore Jaelyn Rosales, Brenna Allen and Nyja Flournoy, the latter of whom played keeper last spring.
Freshmen hoping to impact Vilseck this season include Mayela Lokeni, Farrah Daley and Adanya Folarin.
]]>Yet during the Wiesbaden Warrior’s freshman year, a teammate, Landon Escobar, a 2023 graduate, pushed Davis to consider hitting the mats to improve on the gridiron. Escobar expressed how much he enjoyed the sport of wrestling.
“I was like, ‘OK, I’ll try it for one year,’” Davis said. “I really got into it. I started training in different places. I really fell in love with the sport.
“I still talk to him. I told him he’s the reason I’m into this (sport).”
Three years and two DODEA European titles later, wrestling has supplanted football as his favorite sport.
Stars and Stripes’ 2023-2024 wrestling Athlete of the Year followed up a big sophomore campaign with an even bigger junior year, going 18-1 and winning the 132-pound weight class at the DODEA European Wrestling Championships. His performance earned him the tournament’s most outstanding wrestler.
“Having other coaches come up to me and talk to me and say how they like to watch me wrestle, it’s really motivating, makes me happy,” Davis said of earning the tournament honor.
Davis was the only champion from the 2023 tournament to win a second crown this February at the Wiesbaden Sports and Fitness Center on Clay Kaserne on Feb. 10.
And the Warrior junior did so at a higher weight class. Davis jumped two classes from 120 to 132.
To prepare for the higher weight, Davis bulked up over the summer, eating a lot and hitting the weight room. Davis also joined a local club, KSV Wiesbaden, which competes in freestyle instead of the folk style used primarily by high schools in the States and in DODEA-Europe. With the local club, Davis squares off against those older than him, many of whom are adults – helping him grow as a wrestler.
Davis also said he continued to work on style on the mat. He described himself as quick and explosive, going after opponents’ legs instead of using his upper body strength and throwing them to the ground.
He said he picked up those qualities from teammate Jacob Lane, his sparring partner in practice and the 2024 champion at 144 pounds.
“There’s a lot more strength and speed to it,” Davis said of grappling at 132. “Over the summer, I worked a lot, gained a lot of weight and I was able to be stronger at that weight class.”
Not that it was easy for Davis.
The Hawaii native faced a setback on Jan.13. At home, Davis lost 7-1 to Stuttgart junior Aidan Morgan. Davis said that loss proved to be a valuable learning experience, as well as motivation for the rest of the season.
He got two chances to avenge that loss in the tournament, as he and Morgan, the 2023 runner-up at 126, were matched in the same pool despite being the top two seeds. Davis collected a close decision in pool play, and then he followed that up with a 9-3 win in the final.
“I didn’t expect to wrestle him on the first day,” Davis said. “I think after that first win, that’s when I knew I was going to win the whole thing because I beat him in overtime. I think that crushes someone. The finals match, he still gave me a good match, but I knew I was going to win it.”
As for the future, Davis is heading to the States this summer to face more competition. He also hopes the experiences will get him some looks from colleges, as he said he hasn’t generated much interest despite his experience in Europe.
He also said he wants to expand his repertoire, as he tends to use the same moves consistently.
When asked about trying to go for the three-peat, Davis said he wants to accomplish it.
“Definitely. If I’m here.”
]]>The now Stuttgart senior was a student at Indian River High School in Philadelphia, N.Y., 9 miles north of Fort Drum. His former coach described Anglada Paz’s defense as “garbage.”
To steal a phrase from one of the best to play the game, Anglada Paz took that personally.
“He told me that to my face, and I’ll never forget that,” Anglada Paz said. “So, I worked on my defense, in practice we work on defense and I take a lot of pride on defense.
“Thanks for that, coach.”
His current coach, Christopher Jackson, and the rest of the Panthers also are thankful for that motivational comment, which came just months before Anglada Paz moved to Stuttgart in April 2021.
Jackson called Stars and Stripes’ 2023-2024 boys basketball Athlete of the Year the centerpiece of an almost impenetrable defensive wall. The Panthers allowed less than 27 points per game throughout the season and less than 24 during the European championships in Wiesbaden, Germany.
Opponents hit the 40-point mark just four times against Stuttgart – Ramstein twice on Dec. 8 (40) and Dec. 9 (43), Vilseck on Jan. 26 (44) and SHAPE on Feb. 3 (40). That’s fewer times than the Panthers held an opponent to fewer than 20 points (five).
Stuttgart managed that defensive success despite a sizeable height disadvantage against most opponents. The team’s starting five had three players under 6 feet tall, going with Anglada Paz (5 feet, 10 inches), Tyler Jackson (5-10), Ryan Stevenson (5-7), Jacob Schudel (6-2) and Chris Hess (6-1).
So, “Ish,” as called by those close to him, often had to cover guys taller than him. And the Bayamon, Puerto Rico, native handled the challenge well, as shown against SHAPE’s star Bela Clobes by helping to hold the 6-5 senior to single digits in a 56-17 win on Feb. 2.
“Ismael is one of the top three on-the-ball defenders I’ve ever coached in my 20-plus years of coaching,” Christopher Jackson said. “The kid can be 5-5 or the kid can be 6-4, and I know Ismael will keep him in front of him. Like he’s going to have to work for every bucket.”
Anglada Paz and the defense took the Panthers to new heights from even the previous season, when they won the program’s first DODEA European title in a decade.
The 2023-2024 squad repeated as champions, not losing a single game en route to an 18-0 campaign.
While the Panthers brought back most of the core from the previous year, they still lost the tournament MVP in Trenton Jackson and the leading rebounder in Josh Zipperer. Anglada Paz and his teammates heard people say this year’s squad would not be as good, and they went out to prove the doubters wrong by dominating almost every opponent.
“Basketball really is a simple game,” Anglada Paz said. “It’s really about five people on a team that come together, put the pieces together, and I feel like we did that this year.”
For all the defensive prowess, Jackson hailed Anglada Paz’s offensive abilities, even in a balanced team with plenty of options.
The Stuttgart coach said he gave the senior free rein to do what he pleased on offense – as long as he didn’t try to take on three defenders himself. And Anglada Paz learned to play within that system, dishing out to the hot hand if Schudel, Tyler Jackson or any other teammate were scoring at will.
He also took over games. Christopher Jackson said Anglada Paz posted numerous 16-point quarters and once didn’t score until the second half before rolling off 12 consecutive points.
One of the more impressive performances, according to his coach, came in the 51-43 win over the Royals on Dec. 9. In that game, Jackson said Ramstein couldn’t stop the 2024 Division I European tournament MVP, whether it was from beyond the arc, a floater in the lane or driving and dishing out to his teammates.
Another stand-out game came right after the season ended in the all-star contest at Vilseck, Germany, on Feb. 24. Anglada Paz amassed a game-high 32 for Team Piggé, which won 101-83 over Team Jackson.
Anglada Paz ended the season averaging 13 points, five rebounds, three steals and about four assists per game.
“If you don’t know basketball, it would be hard for you to see it. If you know basketball, it would be obvious who the most talented player on the court was,” Jackson said. “If Ismael was on any other team but mine, he would have averaged 30 a game with no problem.”
The Stuttgart senior said he has garnered attention from college coaches and is weighing his options.
Before that, though, he looks back at the journey in Stuttgart fondly, pointing out how far the program had come from when he came off the bench his sophomore year.
“People have been treating me so well,” Anglada Paz said. “Coach has treated me like his family. All around, I love Stuttgart. The friendships have been amazing, the team, I love it. I’m grateful.”
]]>Because of that, Jessie Moon faced plenty of pressure from opposing teams face-guarding her and trying to deny her the ball.
Instead of getting frustrated and letting it affect her play, the 5-foot-7 senior relished the challenge.
“I’ve definitely been pressed and double-teamed, but I guess that just makes it more interesting,” Moon said.
Stars and Stripes’ 2023-2024 girls basketball Athlete of the Year pushed past all the attention to put together a memorable season.
Moon averaged 22.1 points, 8.5 steals, 6.7 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game during the regular season. The Mantua, Ohio-native carried over those performances into the season-ending championships, dropping 20.2 points, recording 6.8 steals and 7.2 rebounds over five games.
She had some of her best games against Kaiserslautern, the second seed in DODEA-Europe Division I after the regular season. Moon posted a double-double of 36 points and 13 steals in a 64-41 win over the Raiders on Jan. 13, and she nearly had a triple double as she dished out eight assists.
She helped the Spartans defeat the Raiders again in the tournament with a 32-point effort.
To go along with the gaudy statistics, Moon proved to be a field general on the court as an extension of her coach and father, Greg.
“She’s always on the court telling them how she wants them to do certain things,” Greg Moon said. “When she’s on the court if they can’t hear my voice, they’re hearing hers, which is good.”
Her performances and leadership led the Spartans to a third-place finish during both the regular season and the European championships in Wiesbaden, Germany.
SHAPE (14-5) split season series with the top two finishers during the regular season, Stuttgart – a 47-42 loss on Feb. 2 and a 42-35 victory on Feb. 3 – and Kaiserslautern – a 63-39 loss on Jan. 12 and the Jan. 13 win.
The record and place were improvements on the 2022-2023 campaign, in which the Spartans went 12-8 and finished fourth.
“There wasn’t a whole lot or negativity on our team at all,” Jessie Moon said of the 2023-2024 squad. “We were out there to have fun playing, and it was really fun, I’d say. We had a good time.”
For all her scoring prowess, an underrated aspect of the Spartan star’s game is vision, both the coach and player said.
That aspect was evident at the all-star game Feb. 24 in Vicenza, Italy. Moon connected with former Lakenheath teammate and Ramstein senior A’Lydia McNeal multiple times for buckets.
Jessie also posted double-digit assists twice during the season – both times against the Lancers.
“Usually, you don’t get a high school player with that high of standard for court vision and/or understanding of the game situational awareness of where things that would occur where she would already know what to do in a situation,” Greg Moon said.
Those skills have led to plenty of looks from colleges, as she has received 21 offers so far. Jessie mentioned Geneva College, a NCAA Division III program near Pittsburgh in Beaver Falls, Pa., as a possible destination.
In the meantime, she will try to raise her stock with a German travel team, Smooth Handles, which is based in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany. She and fellow SHAPE star Bela Clobes made the journey from Belgium regularly.
In the end, Jessie said she will look back at her time in Europe fondly, even the start in which she and her then-Lakenheath teammates had to play through the COVID-19 era.
“Overall, it was a good experience, and I really enjoyed it,” Jessie Moon said.
]]>Sure, it’s easy to say that now, as Stars and Stripes’ 2023-2024 marksmanship Athlete of the Year has won back-to-back DODEA European individual titles. But the Cougar coach said the close shot groups Pohlman had during his first times on the range showed great promise.
“His determination and his hard work every day, you’re like, ‘Oh, this guy is going to be good if he sticks with it,’” Buchanan said. “Here we are four years later, and he’s great.”
That description isn’t an exaggeration.
Pohlman has played a key role in the Ansbach program’s surge over the past couple of seasons, including its first team title in 2022-2023 and a runner-up finish in 2023-2024 to another first-time champion Kaiserslautern. The Cougars missed out on defending that 2022-2023 crown by nine points, 2,270-2,261.
Pohlman, meanwhile, accomplished the repeat by two points, 578-576 over Raider sharpshooter Katelynn McEntee. The senior put together the performance at home and didn’t have to win by bull’s-eye tiebreaker like he did over former teammate Kalea Russell. (If Pohlman and McEntee had tied on points, he still would have won 35-25.)
The senior ace averaged 286.2 points over five regular-season contests. His best positions were kneeling and prone, in which he scored 98 and 98.6 points per contest, respectively, and he posted a 90.2 average in the standing position.
Pohlman also totaled 116 bull’s-eyes.
Not bad for a guy who hadn’t known about marksmanship prior to moving to Ansbach the summer before his freshman year.
“It could be fun, it could be not,” Pohlman said of joining the team upon his arrival in Ansbach. “I was a manager for a little bit, and I was like, ‘Hey, this looks super fun.’ So, I ended up joining the full team, and it’s been fun for the last four years.”
It wasn’t fun all the time, though.
Coming out of the winter break this campaign, Pohlman suffered a dip in form that was inexplicable to him at the time. He finished sixth on Jan. 6 at Vilseck with a 280 – not a score to scoff at but one below his standard. His kneeling (95) and prone (98) scores weren’t too far off, but his standing shooting was off at 87, as well as his bull’s-eye number at 11.
Later, it became clear why he struggled. Pohlman experienced a growth spurt, meaning his uniform and other equipment were too small. Combined with using a heavier rifle to free up the lighter Feinwerkbau 800 for his younger teammates, Pohlman needed to adjust to return to his usual self.
“He had to overcome it,” Buchanan said. “And that’s the making of a good athlete: They’re faced with a challenge, and they can come up with a solution, fix it, still believe in themselves and come out on top.”
Following the downturn, Pohlman bounced back in a major way. And he’s carried over that form outside the DODEA season.
The senior and his Cougar teammates returned to Camp Perry, Ohio, on Feb. 15-17 for the JROTC Service Championships. The Cougars won the Army competition at Camp Perry while finishing fourth across the nation with a 4,596-point performance. The Cougars finished 50 points behind winner Fountain Fort Carson High School, Colo.
As an individual, Pohlman took runner-up at Camp Perry after Piper Wentland of Concordia Lutheran High School in Indiana, 1,287.7-1,269.6, while finishing eighth in the Army nationwide. This came almost a year after finishing fourth at the same stage to shooters who have trained at Junior Olympic camps and competed at Junior Olympic levels.
These performances have raised Pohlman’s expectations.
“Ending up in second behind someone who was there last year, still that Olympic-trained athlete, it was pretty cool,” he said. “I hold myself to that high standard now.”
Pohlman and the Cougars still get to shoot at the All-Service Championships once again at Camp Perry on March 21-23. For Pohlman, it’s a chance to get some looks from college coaches, after talking to the West Point mentor last year.
Shooting in college is something he wants to do, but he realizes it’s late in the game. Still, he said he believes he can be an asset to any program.
“I wasn’t aware of a lot of these things until this year,” Pohlman said. “I’m kind of behind everybody else. I feel like my skill can make up for all that and still end up on a team with some certainty.”
]]>Clobes, 18, now a senior at the Department of Defense Education Activity’s SHAPE High School in Mons, Belgium, would mimic his favorite player’s moves on the court near his home on Fort Sill, where his father, Sgt. Maj. Michael Clobes, served as a liaison to the U.S. Army.
“I love (Russell Westbrook),” Clobes said Saturday as he prepared to play in the DODEA-Europe Boys Basketball All-Star game at Vilseck High School. “I was young; I was new to basketball. When I would see him jump and dunk, it was something I aspired (to do). He gave me motivation to play.”
Clobes was one of 20 players selected to participate from defense department schools across the continent. The silky 6-foot-5 guard-forward hybrid not only won the three-point competition and was a finalist in the dunk exhibition, but also contributed nine points to Team Piggé’s resounding 101-83 victory.
The team was named for its coach, Baumholder skipper Dewayne Piggé.
“He played within the flow of the game,” event organizer and Vilseck coach Adrian Crawford said of Clobes after the final buzzer. “He could have very easily went and been like, ‘Alright, every time I touch it, I’m going to get mine,’ but he made sure he passed the ball; he did all the little things right because that’s what type of player he is.”
Clobes was born in Germany and hails from Münster. The family moved to Lawton, Okla. when he was 6, and back to Germany when he was 12. He has been attending SHAPE since his sophomore year.
SHAPE fell short his senior season, faltering just prior to reaching the DODEA European Division I semifinals with a last-second loss to Ramstein. Clobes, who played with the practice squad for Belgian professional outfit Belfius Mons-Hainaut over the summer, was named to the all-tournament team.
On Saturday, more than 100 spectators filed into the stands in the Vilseck gymnasium. The program of events was meant to not only celebrate some of the top basketball players in Europe but also provide a showcase for those with collegiate aspirations.
Team Piggé’s victory was punctuated by 23 points from Vilseck’s Brandon Goins and 32 from Stuttgart’s Ismael Anglada Paz. Wiesbaden’s Jordan Thibodeaux and Vilseck’s Barkale Johnson contributed 22 and 21 points in defeat for Team Jackson, named for Stuttgart coach Christopher Jackson, respectively.
Despite his seemingly muted performance, the coaches sang Clobes’ praises.
“He’s the most talented player in DODEA Europe,” Jackson said before tipoff. “He has a very fluid game; he controls the pace and makes everybody on his team better.”
Crawford believes Clobes is a better shooter than his hero, Westbrook. Clobes hopes to play ball at Southwestern Oklahoma State, a Division II program, in the fall.
For Clobes, his swan song as a high school basketball player was bittersweet.
“It’s kind of sad but it had to happen anyway,” he said after the buzzer, his shaggy brown hair matted with sweat. “I’m ready for the next step and I’m going to keep playing basketball.”
]]>If the senior duo didn’t do enough with that to represent the nature and scope of DODEA athletics in Europe, the other 18 participants in a girls all-star basketball game did. Sometimes, former foes became teammates. Other times, girls who had never seen each other play had only a practice to get to know each other on the court. And not much time to talk off the court either.
Yet, somehow, it all came together. Team Enhance – composed of those wearing blue, green, black and red jerseys – took a huge early lead and then held off team Empower – sporting white jerseys – 64-53.
“It’s really been fun for me,” said Naples’ Anais Navidad, one of 11 seniors in the event. “It’s a great way to close out basketball for me. I hope this is the start of something and they do it every year.”
Navidad had one Wildcat teammate on her side Saturday and another on the other team. It was the same story for Ramstein, Stuttgart and Kaiserslautern, who all had players on both teams.
More than a few times, that got a bit strange. McNeal turned to the opposing bench – featuring two of her Ramstein teammates – in celebration after nailing a three-point shot and got some love. She then told teammate Jasmine Jones “Don’t hurt me” right before the two battled for a rebound on a missed free throw. Both were laughing while trying hard to corral the ball.
Multiple players said they didn’t feel the pressure they did during the regular season that just ended a weekend ago. The event was designed as recognition for the top players in Europe, but also as a way to showcase their talents for prospective college coaches. There was a general recognition that it’s unlikely anyone Saturday will be playing Division I ball in the States next season. But that’s not unusual for DODEA schools, which are generally much smaller than their Stateside counterparts.
Vicenza coach Greg DeJardin said there are still multiple levels for kids to play. Those overseas just might need to try harder to get attention, because even when stateside college coaches are aware of basketball players overseas, it’s difficult for them to evaluate the level of play in DODEA-Europe.
That level of play was pretty high early on for the Engage team, which scored 25 points in the opening quarter and 38 by the half – a total that some of the players’ teams sometimes had trouble reaching in a full game during the season. Engage was paced by Moon and McNeal, named co-MVPs after finishing with 17 and 16 points respectively. Stuttgart’s Ella Kirk and Jasmine Jones had 13 apiece for team Empower and Ramstein’s Jalyn Jones added 11. Hohenfels’ Jalissa Jobity had 10 points for team Engage.
Even if the players don’t have a big impact on college coaches, they did have an impact on each other.
“I think the Ramstein girls are nicer than I thought they were,” said Kaiserslautern’s Emma Arambula of her school’s sometimes fierce crosstown rivals. “They are nice. And so are the girls from Stuttgart.”
Naples’ VaNae Filer won the first dunk contest that DODEA has ever held for girls. The rim was lowered to 7 feet. “I had never dunked before,” Arambula said. “It was odd. But fun.”
Moon was tops in the three-point contest and the forward duo of Stuttgart’s Kirk and Wiesbaden’s Natalia Bergdorf came in first in the skills competition, which involved passing, dribbling and shooting with an off hand.
The game was filmed and is available for viewing on the Vicenza High School’s You Tube channel.
]]>But for 40 players and a handful of coaches, there’s still two more games to go.
Vilseck hosts a boys all-star game Saturday at the same time that Vicenza holds one for girls. Games are set to start at 2 p.m. following a skills competition and three-point contest at 10 a.m. that’s similar to the one put on annually by the NBA. Twenty athletes will be divided into two teams still to be determined at each location to take part in the games.
DODEA is holding the events to recognize some of the top basketball players in Europe as well as provide a showcase for those who might want to play in college.
Four head coaches whose teams won championships are among those who will direct the teams. It should be the final game for Stuttgart girls coach Robin Hess, who has said she plans to retire later this year, after leading her team to six Division I titles in the last seven seasons. Joining her is Matt Wise of D-III champ AFNORTH. Opposing them are Jim Davis of D-II champ Naples and Kristin Kachmar of Wiesbaden.
Coaching the boys are the Stuttgart team of Christopher Jackson and Michael Stevenson, whose teams have won back-to-back titles, against the Baumholder tandem of Dewayne Piggé and Clifton Mayo. The Bucs won five straight titles before taking third this year.
BOYS
GIRLS
]]>And it wasn’t just because of the change of venue.
In 2023, the two played out a double-overtime thriller at Ramstein High School with the Panthers coming out on top. Saturday’s 2024 final at the Wiesbaden Sports and Fitness Center on Clay Kaserne was the polar opposite, with Stuttgart grinding out a 47-36 victory to repeat as champions.
One of the more memorable moments in the game came at the 4-minute, 37-second mark in the third quarter, when Stuttgart (18-0) played a game of “musical jerseys,” trying to find a clean uniform either among teammates on the bench or in its equipment after six guys ended up with blood on theirs.
Not that the Panthers cared about style points.
“We’re the most undersized team in all of D-I,” Stuttgart senior guard Jacob Schudel said. “All of our guys fought. Ryan (Stevenson) was trying to box out guys that were 5 inches taller than him and a hundred pounds heavier, and he was fighting so hard.
“That’s why we won. We didn’t give up every single play.”
The Panthers looked like they were going to run away with it early, jumping out to a 9-2 lead 2-plus minutes into the contest.
But that’s when foul trouble started to hit Stuttgart. Senior starters Stevenson and Chris Hess were whistled three times each over the first 10-and-a-half minutes, forcing coach Christopher Jackson to dig deep into his bench.
Because of that, points started coming at a premium.
“We already knew that Ramstein would try to make it messy because they are bigger and they are stronger,” Jackson said. “We knew if they played regular basketball, they wouldn’t be in the game. Once they started getting tons of fouls called, we knew we had to grind it out.”
One player who stepped up was one Jackson had known for seven years but hadn’t called on much.
Senior John Gilliland at least quintupled his usual 2-minute-per-game average on Saturday to fill in for Stevenson and Hess. While he scored just two points, the 5-foot-10 forward grabbed seven rebounds.
Jackson told Gilliland the team was going to need him at some point this season, and it turned out to be the one for all the marbles.
“John was so incredible,” Schudel said. “The most important game of the entire season, when the game’s on the line, he plays his ass off. It’s so impressive.”
Two other seniors, Schudel and Ismael Anglada-Paz, paced the Panthers. Schudel totaled 17 points, while Anglada-Paz, the Division I tournament MVP, pieced together an 11-point, seven-rebound performance.
For Ramstein, the game plan was simple: Attack the basket and possibly head to the free-throw line.
Royal coach Brendan Rouse said everything about the plan worked except for one thing: making the shots. The Royals went 14-of-23 from the charity stripe. But those numbers were bolstered late in the game. In the first half, they made just 2 of 7 shots.
Junior Tyrell Edwards later found success on the freebies. He went 10 of 15 in the second half as he recorded a game-high 18 points.
“The plan was working,” Rouse said. “We just couldn’t connect on the free throws. We took it to the basket. We did exactly what we were supposed to do. We could not knock down the shots.”
Saturday’s win capped off a long journey for the crop of five Stuttgart seniors, who were there before the Panthers made the push for the program’s first title since the school opened in 2013 after moving from Patch Barracks.
Anglada-Paz, who joined the Panthers as a sophomore two years ago, said he noticed the growth in his fellow players.
“We’ve definitely grown as a family, as a team,” Anglada-Paz said. “I’m sure if you go back and watch the film, you can see the progress as a team. I’m proud of how far we’ve come.”
]]>It might not have boded well for Stuttgart against a fiery Ramstein team that had defeated the Panthers in pool play only a few days earlier.
Kirk, the heart of the Panthers defense and its leading scorer just a day earlier in a semifinal victory over Kaiserslautern, wasn’t concerned, though.
“I was confident,” she said after watching her team defeat the Royals 33-26 for the Division I girls title at the DODEA European Basketball Championships. “Rebounding has been an issue for us. But when I was out and I saw them just take it up, I was good. Well, I was sad fouling out of my last game as a senior and in the championship. But I do like the way it ended.”
Kirk’s Panthers teammates had her back, even after the Royals rallied to take the lead.
Macayla Hines, the smallest player on the court at 5 feet, grabbed a pair of key rebounds and scored six points down the stretch. She was named the tournanment’s most outstanding player. Sophomore Serenity Sampson replaced Kirk in the lineup and secured a key rebound to help keep the Royals a point down and scored a basket. And fellow sophomore Hannah Holmes, who missed much of the season with an ankle injury, had arguably her best game of the season. She had a game-high 14 rebounds including two of the most important of the game.
The first came with her team nursing a three-point lead with 26.6 seconds left. Holmes corralled a missed free throw and put it back for two points. She then came down with a rebound on the defensive end on Ramstein’s next possession.
“I’ve had a lot of very talented teams,” Panthers coach Robin Hess said. “This one had the most heart.
“It’s a very fitting way to end my career,” said Hess, who plans to retire from DODEA following the school year. Stuttgart has won six of the last seven D-I girls titles. The last one had been two years ago with Kirk playing for favored Wiesbaden before she transferred last year to Stuttgart.
“I’m really happy for her, to go out like this,” Kirk said of Hess. “When I came to Stuttgart, I knew I was going to be on a winning program. And I finally won (a title). I’ve wanted it for so long.”
The loss was a tough one for Ramstein, which trailed for most of the game before going ahead with less than 2 minutes to play in the third quarter on back-to-back shots from Feliciana Davis. Two key Royals – Jasmine Jones and Bralyn Jones – were in foul trouble much of a low-scoring affair that didn’t see either team tally double figures in a single quarter until 16 from Stuttgart in the fourth.
“It’s a fun game to play, The environment and both teams playing really hard,” Ramstein coach Christina Hewitt said. “We just came up a few shots too short.”
A’Lydia McNeal led the Royals with 14 points. Hines matched that as the only Panther to reach double figures.
]]>The team he left had lost most of the third-place finishing squad from the DODEA European Southern Basketball Championships during the COVID-19-induced split tournament of 2021-2022. His sophomore season had a roster of nine freshmen, as well as a handful of other players.
Harlow returned to DODEA basketball one year later. And the 6-foot-2 guard couldn’t believe the change he saw in those players.
That improvement ended in a Division II DODEA European basketball championship. On Saturday afternoon at Wiesbaden Sports and Fitness Center on Clay Kaserne, the Cougars hammered Naples, 76-37.
“It’s crazy how far everyone has come,” Harlow said. “It’s been the best season of my life. From Day 1, just working hard, knowing that we would have an opportunity like this.”
The victory marked Vicenza’s first title in a decade, according to longtime coach Jesse Woods.
The Cougars (15-4) also clinched a perfect record in division play, while also tripling their win total from 2022-2023.
Like Harlow, the Vicenza coach noticed a vast improvement from his nine returning players.
“After coming here and winning one and done after a couple days (in the past), this feels good,” Woods said. “Last year, we didn’t win very many games. We were really young, and that young group worked over the summer, and they got a whole lot better.”
The title game wasn’t really in doubt from the start.
The Cougars opened on a 14-2 run over the first four-and-a-half minutes, and that was as close as it was the rest of the way. Even when Harlow picked up his third foul at the 2-minute, 7-second mark in the first quarter and sat the rest of the first half, Vicenza continued to push out the lead.
Vicenza enjoyed a 21-point advantage midway through the second quarter before the Wildcats (10-7) clawed it back to 14 points with a minute and a half before the break.
Harlow, who amassed 23 points and eight thefts, said he wasn’t surprised by the quick start against Naples, a team the Cougars already had beaten three times this season.
“We knew if we executed our stuff, we would get the win,” the Division II tournament MVP said. “They’re a great team, but we’re a lot to handle.”
The defensive pressure proved to be too much for Naples. The Wildcats committed 26 turnovers before the mercy rule was enacted midway through the fourth frame, including nine in the first quarter.
And the Cougars used that to their advantage on the other end. Vicenza scored 18 fast-break points off steals, and that’s not including the number of layups missed or the putback buckets that came off them.
Woods stressed conditioning as the main reason for the relentless nature of his players’ defensive pressure, whether it be jumping passing lanes or picking ballhandlers’ pockets.
“These guys just didn’t get tired,” he said. “I’m impressed by the way they just keep coming and coming and coming.”
To go with Harlow’s performance, sophomore guard Dylan Horrigan came off the bench to score 12 points, sophomore forward Simon Gilbert had 11 points and eight rebounds and junior forward Joe Kelly chipped in with 10 points.
For Naples, junior guard Jettyn Jones provided a spark in the second quarter by scoring nine of his 15 points in the frame.
Coach Craig Lord admitted the Wildcats were shellshocked by the blitzing start from Vicenza, and they struggled to recover.
Still, even getting to the title game was an accomplishment, Lord said. Naples lost 60 percent of its lineup from the 2022-2023 championship season.
“If we could knock on opportunity’s door, that’s what we wanted to do,” Lord said. “Obviously, it didn’t come out the way we wanted, but we were just so happy to make it here and accomplish what we did.”
As for the future, Woods is optimistic it won’t be another 10 seasons before Vicenza returns to the top.
With nine of 10 guys expected to return, it’s hard not to think about a repeat already.
“We get a chance to work with these guys another year,” Woods said.
]]>But when it comes to rebounding the basketball – especially on the offensive end – there might not be anybody better in DODEA-Europe.
Filer scored a game-high 24 points and grabbed a game-high 21 rebounds to lead the Wildcats over the American Overseas School of Rome 48-29, earning a bit of revenge for a championship loss at the hands of the Falcons a year earlier.
Last year’s loss in the Division II finals at the DODEA European Basketball Championships was not lost on the Wildcats.
“I think the difference is we play more as a team this year,” senior point guard Anais Navidad said. “Our coaches keep reminding us: play as a team.”
Filer, a 5-foot-6 sophomore who’s best sport is soccer, fits exactly into a team concept despite her gaudy numbers. As she has all season long, she was a wizard on the offensive boards Saturday, with most of her 18 first-half rebounds coming with her team attacking the basket. Unlike most of the season, a decent amount of those came because she had trouble scoring.
“Part of it was because I guess I was a little nervous,” she said. “But I think we all settled down in the second half.”
By then, the Wildcats had a big lead that was never really threatened. Naples led 11-2 after one quarter and 28-10 at the half.
Filer said she doesn’t have any easy answer why she’s able to get so many rebounds.
“I’m quick on my feet and I just know where the basketball is going to,” she said.
Coach said Jim Davis said it’s probably just not something one can quantify.
“Some people have it,” he said. “I know kids that can jump out of the gym but cannot get a rebound.”
After halftime, Filer found her shooting touch and teammates Navidad, Gracie Grannis and Darcel Shine found her multiple times close to the basket, where a quick bank shot extended Naples’ lead or kept runs by the Falcons in check.
Navidad, who finished with 13 points, and Grannis shared turns running the offense with aplomb, limiting turnovers and AOSR’s chances at making extended runs.
Grannis, a 5-10 guard/forward, had seven points and nine rebounds, and Shine, a 6-1 sophomore, grabbed 10 rebounds. They helped the Wildcats fend off the efforts of the Falcons’ frontline duo of Nina Neroni and Natalia DiMatteo, who combined for 24 rebounds. AOSR sophomore point guard Silvia Goldman was a pest on defense with six steals and led her team with 13 points.
Falcons coach Lillian Aldred said the four-day tournament was emotionally and physically draining for her team and it finally showed.
“We played four big games in a row,” she said. “How many times can you recharge and then still have something left for the best team in the tournament?”
AOSR, with only two upperclassmen on the roster, “will be back” Aldred said. “Next season starts now.”
]]>Two years ago, the Sentinels took third place in the Division III tournament. In 2023, they dropped the championship game to Baumholder to finish runners-up.
On Saturday afternoon at the Wiesbaden Sports and Fitness Center on Clay Kaserne, Spangdahlem finally placed itself on the top rung. The Sentinels survived a back-and-forth affair with Hohenfels, coming back late in a 65-63 title-winning victory at the DODEA European Basketball Championships.
“We were hungry,” Spangdahlem sophomore Cameron Lewis said. “We had that greed for a W. We didn’t want to get that feeling again. We knew it was our year this year.”
That loss last season to Baumholder powered the Sentinels (19-0) all season. The players and coach Mark Jackson said the motivation from that result helped them recover while trailing, which they did in the first matchup with the Tigers (17-4) on Jan. 26, when Spangdahlem was down for most of the game at home.
“That’s what our coach has been telling us all year: Remember that feeling and use it as energy to fuel us and win our games,” Spangdahlem senior Robert Leggett said.
On Saturday, Spangdahlem faced multiple big deficits, beginning with a 9-0 Hohenfels run to start the game.
The team recovered quickly and didn’t trail for 18 minutes, 36 seconds after a Leggett reverse off a pass from sophomore Zander Doulder made it 24-22 at the 6:09 mark in the second quarter. The Sentinels boasted an eight-point advantage with 5:56 remaining in the game when Lewis spun in the lane and scored a bucket.
The Tigers responded by dropping a 12-0 run over a three-and-a-half-minute span to make it 59-55 in their favor. They crashed the offensive glass, led by brothers Joel and Jacob Idowu, to extend possessions, scoring eight second-chance points.
With 2:22, the Sentinels dug deep and turned it around yet again. Spangdahlem went on a 10-2 spurt that started with a goaltending on a Lewis layup and ended with Lewis hitting both attempts from the charity stripe with 9.7 seconds left to seal the win.
“They couldn’t want it more than we wanted it,” said Lewis, who popped off for 10 of his 13 points in the fourth frame. “Everybody was saying we need this. We’ve been here way too many times.
“We watched some of our previous games; we tended to argue a little bit. We made sure to shut that down today because we needed it.”
Along with Lewis, a pair of seniors played a key role in the run.
Guard Makario Drummond put the Sentinels up for good at the 1:25 mark after stealing the ball and dribbling the length of the floor for a layup. It was two of his 13 points, and that steal was one of six for him in the game.
Drummond also assisted on a Lewis bucket that tied the game at 59 with 1:41 remaining.
Leggett, meanwhile, had a monster game, amassing 29 points. On the possession after Drummond gave Spangdahlem the lead, Leggett repeated the same play with a steal and a layup of his own.
For his efforts, Leggett was named the Division III tournament MVP.
“This senior bunch is special,” Jackson said. “They came to play.
“They finally exorcised some demons by taking out Baumholder, and we still had a big test here with Hohenfels.”
Leggett, Drummond, fellow seniors Michael Landers and Javian Rivera (four points) and Lewis will be leaving. Lewis is PCS-ing out of Spangdahlem.
Hohenfels, meanwhile, has plenty of reasons for optimism.
The Tigers have just one senior on the roster, and multiple freshmen in Joel Idowu and Lucas Gibbs who played roles on Saturday.
Joel Idowu especially came through with a top performance in the losing effort. The freshman posted a double-double of 24 points and 17 rebounds, including eight on the offensive glass. The 6-foot-4 forward exploded in the final 8 minutes with 10 points to lead the Tigers’ surge.
Brother Jacob Idowu, a 6-3 junior, also recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 boards.
“Putting him in a position with this much pressure and seeing how well he performed, it’s impressive,” Hohenfels coach Michael Weston said of Joel Idowu. “We were excited to see how well he did, and we’re excited to see how well he’s going to do in the next three years at Hohenfels – hopefully.”
]]>It left a big impression on Sanders, a 12-year-old Ramstein student. Instead of trash-talking like the previous two contestants, Sanders stayed humble when asked how he thought he’d do against the outside linebacker.
“I was terrified from the start because he’s very strong, he’s big,” Sanders said afterward.
He took a contested pass on the first play near the goal line of the short, makeshift field around the 50-yard line. On the next play, he cut across the middle, surviving the 6-foot-3, 270-pound Judon trying to drag him away. It meant that Sanders had scored on the pro at the Matthew Judon Football ProCamp on Saturday.
“I beat an NFL player in a 1-v-1,” Sanders said of the story he can tell his classmates and others for life.
It’s one story among many to be told about meeting Judon, who came out for multiple events over the weekend in the largest U.S. overseas military community.
The four-time Pro Bowler, who has totaled 66.5 sacks in an NFL career that started in 2016 with the Baltimore Ravens before joining New England in 2021, was active during the camp, which had about 180 participants.
He took in drills with the kids, unsparingly at times. Judon bulldozed one player while defending a pass during one drill. He couldn’t hold back his excitement at having taken the brunt of a hit by the pro player, shouting it out to the other participants as he ran back in line.
On Friday, Judon was scheduled to meet with staff and patients at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, the military’s largest overseas hospital.
And earlier Saturday, Judon signed autographs at the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center in the Ramstein Air Base Main Exchange, where about 50 people showed up, most of whom were Patriots fans.
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Anthony Salame traveled about 70 miles from Wiesbaden to Ramstein with his three sons — Jaxon, 11; Weston, 9; and Logan, 4 — just to see Judon.
“He’s, in my opinion, the best player on the Patriots,” Jaxon Salame said. “So, it’s pretty sick (to meet Judon).”
Anthony Salame, a Templeton, Mass., native, came wearing a Jerod Mayo jersey. The Patriots drafted Mayo in the 2008 NFL Draft, and he played in New England until his retirement after the 2015 season.
The jersey wasn’t lost on Judon, though. Mayo is his new boss, taking over from legendary coach Bill Belichick.
“We just talked quick. (Judon’s) excited for it,” Salame said of Mayo taking over. “Bill was instrumental for the Patriots, but Mayo was brought up by him, groomed to be the next coach.”
Kris Olympia also made the trek to Ramstein to see Judon.
An Army staff sergeant stationed in Baumholder, Germany, Olympia brought his children Khaiden, Kalani and Khailey to the signing event.
“This is their first time seeing a football player,” Olympia said. “I want them to keep watching more football as they grow older.”
]]>SOCCER
Boys
AFNORTH 7, Alconbury 0
Saturday at Alconbury
Halftime – 4-0. Goals – AFNORTH: Michael Teichl 3, Christian Barone, Nik Fulde, Marc Kpade, Rodrigo Mojea. Assists – AFNORTH: Santiago Aponte 2, Barone 2, Juan Antonio Reye Betanero 2. Saves – Alconbury: MJ Hash 17.
Stuttgart 7, Kaiserslautern 0
Saturday at Kaiserslautern
Halftime – 6-0. Goals – Stuttgart: Ryan Stevenson 3, Itzak Sandoval, Cristian Ingle, Christian Groves, Kaiserslautern own goal. Assists – Stuttgart: Stevenson, Sandoval. Saves – Stuttgart: Caleb Fox 2; Kaiserslautern: Sean Gooden 4.
Ansbach 7, Brussels 0
Saturday at Ansbach
Halftime – 5-0. Goals – Ansbach: Christopher Roman 3, Daymien Abitua 2, Daeveon Browne, Lucas Rudy. Assists – Ansbach: Roman 2, Abitua 2.
Naples 7, Aviano 0
Saturday at Sigonella
Goals – Naples: Alessandro Vavra 3, Joaquin Villescas 2, Dylan Iovine, Jackson Shorey. Assists – Naples: Vavra 2, Villescas 2.
Sigonella 6, Aviano 0
Saturday at Sigonella
Goals – Mikolaj Czechinskowa 3, Jayson Reed 2, Bodhi McElree. Assists – Sebastian Hedemand 3.
American Overseas School of Rome 3, Vicenza 2
Saturday at Vicenza
Goals – AOSR: Andrea Torelli 2, Edoardo Proietti; Vicenza: Jalen Robertson 2. Assists – AOSR: Jacopo Giuffrida 2, Rayan Rainieri; Vicenza: Nicholas Morton 2.
SHAPE 7, Lakenheath 1
Saturday at Le Mons
Goals – Lakenheath: Mattias Stadler; SHAPE: Charles Gelb 2, Santiago Torrente de la Pisa 2, Evan Aquino, Andrea Bosone, Marcos Gomez. Assists – SHAPE: Victor Herraez Martin, Ramon Paz, Bosone, Gomez.
Ramstein 3, Wiesbaden 1
Saturday at Ramstein
Goals – Wiesbaden: Ante Dugandzic; Ramstein: Max Speed, Andrew Soto, Keiran Goodall. Assists – Ramstein: Mathias Bailey, Speed, Goodall.
Girls
Naples 7, Aviano 0
Saturday at Sigonella
Halftime – 4-0. Goals – Naples: VaNae Filer 4, Kendall Dettmer, Gracie Grannis, Emerson Shorey. Saves – Naples: Anais Navidad 1.
Sigonella 6, Aviano 0
Saturday at Sigonella
Halftime – 3-0. Goals – Ryleigh Denton 3, Madison Hoy 2, Carlize Caro. Assists – Caro 4, Denton, Isabelle Balleza. Saves – Aviano: Paige Rogers 12; Sigonella: Laney Reardon 4.
Stuttgart 2, Kaiserslautern 1
Saturday at Kaiserslautern
Halftime – Kaiserslautern 1-0. Goals – Stuttgart: Leeba Curlin 2; Kaiserslautern: Ryann Phillips. Saves – Stuttgart: Anna Roth 3; Kaiserslautern: Jada Hollis 7.
Lakenheath 7, SHAPE 0
Saturday at Le Mons
Goals – Lakenheath: Megan Smith 3, Payton Caranta 2, Hailey Buchanan, Natalia Maynes. Assists – Lakenheath: Hanna Mallorca, Catarina Vargas, Buchanan.
Vicenza 7, AOSR 0
Saturday at Vicenza
Goals – Vicenza: Natalia Lopez 5, Julia Rudy 2. Assists – Vicenza: Rudy 2, Dari Lopez Nieves, Penelope Gaspard, Avonlea Sparling. Saves – Vicenza: Emeline Rodriquez 2, Sparling 1.
]]>Division I
(updated through March 22)
Division II/III
SCHEDULE
March 15
Naples 8, Aviano 0
March 16
Ramstein 4, Stuttgart 3
Kaiserslautern 12, Wiesbaden 7
Kaiserslautern 19, Wiesbaden 7
Vilseck 13, SHAPE 0
Vilseck 23, SHAPE 18
Sigonella 14, Hohenfels 3
Sigonella 16, Hohenfels 7
Lakenheath 16, Spangdahlem 1
Spangdahlem 11, Lakenheath 2
Naples 25, Vicenza 1
March 21
SHAPE 7, Wiesbaden 3
Wiesbaden 10, SHAPE 0
April 6
Ramstein at Wiesbaden
Kaiserslautern at Stuttgart
Vilseck at Hohenfels
Lakenheath at SHAPE
Spangdahlem at Naples
Sigonella at Aviano
Rota at Vicenza
April 13
Lakenheath at Ramstein
Kaiserslautern at Vilseck
Stuttgart at Spangdahlem
Vicenza at Hohenfels
Sigonella at Rota
Naples at Aviano
April 19
Vilseck at Ramstein
April 20
Vilseck at Kaiserslautern
Stuttgart at Lakenheath
Spangdahlem at Wiesbaden
Hohenfels at Aviano
Naples at Vicenza
April 27
Ramstein at SHAPE
Lakenheath at Kaiserslautern
Stuttgart at Vilseck
Wiesbaden at Hohenfels
Sigonella at Spangdahlem
Aviano at Vicenza
Rota at Naples
May 4
Kaiserslautern at Ramstein
SHAPE at Stuttgart
Naples at Wiesbaden
Vilseck at Lakenheath
Hohenfels at Spangdahlem
Rota at Aviano
Vicenza at Sigonella
May 11
Vicenza at Ramstein
SHAPE at Kaiserslautern
Stuttgart at Hohenfels
Vilseck at Wiesbaden
Spangdahlem at Sigonella
Aviano at Naples
May 17
Vicenza at Aviano
May 18
Ramstein at Kaiserslautern
Stuttgart at Wiesbaden
Hohenfels at Vilseck
Lakenheath at Rota
SHAPE at Spangdahlem
Vicenza at Aviano
Sigonella at Naples
May 22-24
Championships in Kaiserslautern Military Community
]]>Division I
(updated through March 22)
Division II/III
SCHEDULE
March 15
Naples 13, Aviano 1
March 16
Ramstein 7, Stuttgart 1
Ramstein 15, Stuttgart 10
Kaiserslautern 21, Wiesbaden 6
Kaiserslautern 21, Wiesbaden 20
SHAPE 37, Vilseck 10
SHAPE 9, Vilseck 8
Sigonella 24, Hohenfels 3
Sigonella 21, Hohenfels 7
Lakenheath 13, Spangdahlem 7
Lakenheath 24, Spangdahlem 12
Naples 10, Vicenza 3
March 21
Wiesbaden 30, SHAPE 13
Wiesbaden 25, SHAPE 22
April 6
Ramstein at Wiesbaden
Kaiserslautern at Stuttgart
Vilseck at Hohenfels
Lakenheath at SHAPE
Spangdahlem at Naples
Sigonella at Aviano
Rota at Vicenza
April 13
Lakenheath at Ramstein
Kaiserslautern at Vilseck
Stuttgart at Spangdahlem
Vicenza at Hohenfels
Alconbury, Sigonella at Rota
Naples at Aviano
April 19
Vilseck at Ramstein
Stuttgart at Alconbury
April 20
Vilseck at Kaiserslautern
Stuttgart at Lakenheath
Spangdahlem at Wiesbaden
Hohenfels at Aviano
Naples at Vicenza
April 26
Alconbury at Hohenfels
April 27
Ramstein at SHAPE
Lakenheath at Kaiserslautern
Stuttgart at Vilseck
Wiesbaden at Hohenfels
Sigonella at Spangdahlem
Aviano at Vicenza
Rota at Naples
May 3
Vilseck vs. Alconbury at Lakenheath
May 4
Kaiserslautern at Ramstein
SHAPE at Stuttgart
Naples at Wiesbaden
Vilseck at Lakenheath
Hohenfels at Spangdahlem
Rota at Aviano
Vicenza at Sigonella
May 11
Vicenza at Ramstein
SHAPE at Kaiserslautern
Stuttgart at Hohenfels
Vilseck at Wiesbaden
Alconbury at Lakenheath
Spangdahlem at Sigonella
Aviano at Naples
May 17
Vicenza at Aviano
May 18
Ramstein at Kaiserslautern
Stuttgart at Wiesbaden
Hohenfels at Vilseck
Lakenheath at Rota
SHAPE at Spangdahlem
Vicenza at Aviano
Sigonella at Naples
May 22-24
Championships in Kaiserslautern Military Community
]]>Spangdahlem, Baumholder, Vilseck, Hohenfels, Stuttgart, Ansbach, Black Forest Academy, Wiesbaden, Ramstein at Kaiserslautern
Alconbury, AFNORTH, SHAPE, Brussels at Lakenheath
Sigonella, Aviano, Naples, American Overseas School of Rome, Marymount at Vicenza
April 6
Lakenheath, Alconbury, Frankfurt, Brussels, SHAPE, Spangdahlem, Baumholder, Ramstein, Kaiserslautern, Wiesbaden, Stuttgart, Vilseck, Hohenfels at Ansbach
Vicenza, Rota, Marymount, Naples, Sigonella at Aviano
April 13
Lakenheath, Alconbury, Brussels, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Baumholder, Ansbach, AFNORTH, Ramstein at Kaiserslautern
Bahrain, Aviano, Sigonella, Naples, AOSR at Vicenza
Munich, Wiesbaden, Spangdahlem, BFA, Vilseck, Hohenfels at Stuttgart
April 20
Alconbury, Kaiserslautern, SHAPE, AFNORTH, Alconbury at Lakenheath
Vicenza, Aviano, Naples, Vilseck, Stuttgart, Wiesbaden, Marymount, AOSR, Munich, Hohenfels, Spangdahlem, Baumholder, Wiesbaden, BFA, Frankfurt, Ramstein at Ansbach
Sigonella, Bahrain at Rota
April 27
Ramstein, Wiesbaden, Kaiserslautern, Lakenheath, SHAPE, Alconbury at Stuttgart
BFA, Brussels, AFNORTH, Baumholder at Spangdahlem
Vicenza, Sigonella, Aviano, AOSR, Marymount at Naples
Vilseck, Ansbach, Hohenfels, Frankfurt at Munich
May 4
Hohenfels, Stuttgart, Ansbach, Wiesbaden, Ramstein, Kaiserslautern, BFA, Baumholder, Spangdahlem, SHAPE, Brussels, AFNORTH, Alconbury, Lakenheath, Frankfurt, Munich at Vilseck
Naples, AOSR, Aviano, Marymount, Rota at Vicenza
May 11
Wiesbaden, Kaiserslautern, Vilseck, SHAPE, Ramstein at Frankfurt
Stuttgart, Hohenfels, Ansbach, Baumholder at BFA
Alconbury, Spangdahlem, AFNORTH at Brussels
Vicenza, AOSR, Marymount, Aviano, Sigonella, Bahrain at Naples
May 18
Alconbury, AFNORTH, SHAPE at Lakenheath
Brussels, Spangdahlem, Kaiserslautern, Wiesbaden, Baumholder, Vilseck, Hohenfels, Ramstein, BFA, Ansbach, Frankfurt at Stuttgart
Naples, Sigonella, Aviano, AOSR, Marymount, Rota at Vicenza
May 23-24
Championships at Kaiserslautern
]]>