Stuttgart junior Jeremyah Reyes tackles Ramstein receiver Rhett Dalling during the 2025 DODEA European 11-man football championship game on Nov. 7, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein, Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – Last fall, the Stuttgart football team stood on the fall at Ramstein High School, distraught at relinquishing the European title.

On the exact same field one year and six days later, the atmosphere couldn’t have been more different for the Panthers. Stuttgart defeated the Royals 35-0 in the DODEA-Europe 11-man championship game, reclaiming the throne after a one-year hiatus.

“We did say, ‘We’re going to come back faster, stronger and better,’ and we kept our promise,” Stuttgart quarterback Kai Lewis said. “We came into this game with so much motivation. We wanted to prove a point that Stuttgart’s still on top.”

Even the Panthers (8-0) who didn’t participate in last year’s loss like Collin Robinson heard about it.

That talk led to complete domination, in which the Panthers outgained the Royals 372-159. The only negative for the team in black and yellow was moving back 124 yards on 15 penalties.

“Every day, the guys leading up to this moment was talking about how exhilarating, how great it was going to be on the field to play Ramstein,” the freshman wide receiver said. “That just rubbed off on me. The bus ride here, I was lit.”

Stuttgart sophomore Linus Soto tackles Ramstein quarterback Xavier Schumacher during the 2025 DODEA European 11-man football championship game on Nov. 7, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein, Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Stuttgart defender Kai Lewis tries to avoid Ramstein sophomore Xavier Schumacher as the quarterback slides during the 2025 DODEA European 11-man football championship game on Nov. 7, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein, Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Stuttgart wide receiver Kenneth Lee tries to come down with a pass while Ramstein junior Lincoln Bump defends during the 2025 DODEA European 11-man football championship game on Nov. 7, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein, Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Stuttgart running back Sam Johnson tries to stif-arm Ramstein senior Chris Farrington while fellow Royal Will Schmiedel chases during the 2025 DODEA European 11-man football championship game on Nov. 7, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein, Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Stuttgart quarterback Kai Lewis throws a pass ahead of Ramstein pass rusher Jackson Kerin, right, during the 2025 DODEA European 11-man football championship game on Nov. 7, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein, Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Stuttgart defender Maxwell DeLuca (27) tackles Ramstein running back Elijah Morris during the 2025 DODEA European 11-man football championship game on Nov. 7, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein, Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ramstein junior Lincoln Bump punts the ball during the 2025 DODEA European 11-man football championship game against Stuttgart on Nov. 7, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein, Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

The Panthers came off the bus on fire.

After their opening drive stalled on the Ramstein 41-yard line, Stuttgart got the ball back after stopping the Royals (7-1) inside Panther territory.

On a third-and-5, Lewis tossed a pass to Robinson on an out route toward the away sideline. The freshman juked a defender by cutting inside before scampering 62 yards for the game’s opening score.

After forcing a three-and-out, the Panthers doubled the lead when Lewis threw a ball over the top to sophomore Noah Czarkowski in the end zone for 27-yard touchdown.

Scores from 16 and 7 yards from junior tailback M.J. Watkins on either side of halftime showed Stuttgart didn’t let off the gas, as it put the game got out of reach.

“Usually if we score, we get a little cocky,” said Lewis, who finished with 186 yards through the air and 96 via 11 carries on the ground. “But that time, we scored, and we were like, ‘OK, let’s get right back at it.’ That’s when I knew this game was going to be different.”

The visitors capped off the night with another big play between Lewis and Robinson. The two connected at the 3:20 mark in the third quarter when the freshman wideout streaked up the seam and got behind the Ramstein secondary.

Robinson’s two touchdowns were his lone two receptions of the game. He credited his signal caller for creating rapport with him.

“Those plays go both ways – I got to get open, and he’s got to get me the ball,” Robinson said. “It was basically the QB-receiver trust.

“I’ve never been in this big of a moment before, so to execute in these big-time moments, it feels incredible.”

The Stuttgart defense, meanwhile, seemed impenetrable.

Ramstein recorded just two first downs and 77 yards of total offense in the first half. The hosts’ deepest drive made it to the Stuttgart 29-yard line in the second half, and that was cut short by Jeremyah Reyes interception of a Xavier Schumacher pass.

That was one of two interceptions for the Panthers, with Maxwell DeLuca picking off Schumacher on the first play of the second half and returning it to the Ramstein 5-yard line.

Running back Elijah Morris paced Ramstein with 55 yards on 11 rushes.

“Defense wins ballgames,” Stuttgart coach Suzanne Reyes said. “They did their job. They stopped the drives. That’s what it is that we needed to do to give our offense the opportunity to do what they needed to do.”

Even though the season ended in a loss, Ramstein coach Carter Hollenback had nothing but praise for his team, especially the senior class that helped turn around the program.

Ramstein was 5-9 for two seasons before posting a 14-1 record the last two. Included during that stretch is a pair of finals appearances and a European crown in 2024.

“It’s a challenge to make it to make it to the finals two years in a row and win it two years in a row,” Hollenbeck said. “Those seniors, especially the ones that came to us as a freshman, they did an outstanding job, and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”