There’s something familiar about this year’s DODDS high school football championships.
Two of the games — the Division II showdown between International School of Brussels and SHAPE, and the Division I matchup between Heidelberg and Wiesbaden — are rematches of games played this season.
The Division III game — Baumholder vs. Ansbach — is a rematch of last year’s title tilt.
Here’s a look at each game:
Ansbach (7-0) vs. Baumholder (6-1),4 p.m.
The undefeated Cougars will be seeking their third straight European Division III crown and 24th straight victory.
The Cougars won last year’s matchup, 43-6, and also prevailed when the teams met in the 2002 Division III title game.
Coaching will play a large role in this one. Ansbach’s Marcus George has won European titles at Fulda and Hohenfels, and is assisted by Gary Feletar, head coach of Würzburg’s 1997 European champions and Mick Plummer, who led Ansbach to a European crown in 1991.
Baumholder head coach Carter Hollenbeck has his team on a six-game win streak, for which he credits his volunteer assistants: Tom Hinz, Tim Kelly, Jon Adams, Eliot Thomasma and Scott Morton.
George said there’s a lot on the line for the defending champs, who have won their last 23 games by an average score of 41-9.
“Our team has a lot to play for — the streak, the three-peat and the last game together for 14 seniors,” he said.
He added that his team knows what it has to do.
“In order for Baumholder to win, we know they have to establish the run,” he said. “Our varsity defense has only given up one rushing TD and one passing TD this year.”
After allowing 55 points in a season-opening loss, Baumholder has held the opposition to 12.8 points per game.
SHAPE (6-1) vs. ISB (7-0),1 p.m.
ISB, the Division II regular-season champion, handed SHAPE its only defeat of the season, 15-8 at SHAPE on Oct. 2.
The two Belgium-based schools are well-acquainted with each other, according to SHAPE coach Kregg Kappenman and ISB’s Rob Stewart. Both said they hold the other’s programs in high esteem.
And both are looking forward to the rematch.
“They’re [SHAPE] the best team we faced all year,” Stewart, whose team contained Hanau’s running game and defeated the Panthers 20-14 last Saturday to reach the final. “It helps to go in knowing you can beat them.”
Kappenman, however, said the October loss to ISB, which ended a 10-game win streak, helped his team, too.
“We’re in a better position now,” he said. “The pressure’s off, and that loss taught us a lot.”
Still, Kappenman, whose team claimed a 21-7 road victory in 80-degree heat at Naples to reach the final, said he has his work cut out for him before Saturday.
“I’ve coached against Rob a lot,” Kappenman said, “and I know he’s going to be prepared for what we do. We have to come up with something he’s not expecting.”
Stewart said he’ll be reminding his players to tend to the details on Saturday.
“We want them to focus on the little things — finishing blocks and wrapping up tackles,” he said. “It will be a defensive game, and any team that can sustain drives and control the ball will win.”
Heidelberg (7-0) vs. Wiesbaden (6-1),7 p.m.
The unbeaten Division I regular-season champion Heidelberg Lions downed Wiesbaden 32-19 on Oct. 9 at Heidelberg.
Wiesbaden coach Steve Jewell has a prediction for potential spectators.
“It’s going to be a wonderful game to watch,” he said, even if some of the things he sees might be a little scary.
“We have our hands full,” he said. “They have a lot of talent. We have to control their speed guys.”
And get his own power running game going against a Heidelberg defense that has surrendered just six points in the second half all season and just 44 overall.
Tied 19-19 at halftime against Wiesbaden last month, the Lions blanked the Warriors in the second half and pulled away late.
“I expect this game to be like the last one,” predicted Shahan, “only more so. Because we stopped their running game last time, they’ll probably try even harder to establish it this time.”
For all his team’s firepower, though, Shahan cautioned fans not to expect a lot of flash and dash, at least at the outset.
“In a big game, both coaches will try to keep from making a coaching mistake,” he said. “We might come out and throw the ball. But I doubt it.”