BAMBERG, Germany – Bamberg sophomore Wally Garcia was all smiles Saturday following the Barons’ 42-28 come from behind win over visiting Menwith Hill in the Division-III football semifinal.

Garcia, a 250-pound lineman, took on the position of fullback and ran in the final two scores of the game after the Mustangs leveled the score at 28 with less than 7 minutes to play. Bamberg quarterback Phatanasin Sandod connected with junior receiver Andray Gibson on a 35-yard pass to set up Garcia’s go ahead score from 3 yards out with less than 5 minutes in the game.

With the game tied late, Garcia said, he heard his number called and could smell the touchdown coming.

“I have been waiting for that touchdown all season long and I finally got it,” he said.

“I knew Wally was a good runner – I kept telling coach to put him in some plays,” Sandod said.

The coach did and Bamberg will now meet Rota in the Division-III final in Baumholder, Germany, on Nov. 5.

Down by 20 in the second quarter, Sandod was reminded of the previous week’s game with Rota, in which the Barons lost 62-7. Needless to say, Sandod was angry with his team’s slow start.

“I knew that to keep us going in the game we needed to calm down and play our positions,” he said. Sandod wound up with 220 yards passing in the game and was a part of three touchdowns and six extra points.

With less than 10 minutes to halftime, Bamberg scored 21 points. Sandod scored two rushing touchdowns and completed a touchdown pass of 16 yards to junior Terry Williams.

On the Barons’ first possession of the 2nd half they marched 71 yards for a score that was capped on a 39-yard pass by Sandod to Gibson. Gibson finished the game with four catches for 140 yards.

The Barons were up 28-20 well into the fourth quarter before Backlar led his team back into the game with a 4-yard score. He then connected on the 2-point conversion with Ben Milam to tie the game.

The win did not come easy for the Barons, who were hosting the Mustangs for the second time this season. The two teams met Sept. 24 and Bamberg walked away with a decisive 31-6 win. The Mustangs came out early to prove they would not go silently into the off season.

“I am really pleased - are guys gave everything they could,” Mustangs coach Pete Resnick said following the game.

The game started with an onside kick recovery by the Mustangs. Three plays later, Bamberg sophomore linebacker Tracy Crockett nabbed an interception off of quarterback Schuyler Backlar. On the very next play, the Mustangs recovered a Sandod fumbled snap at mid field.

Backlar got his revenge by connecting with receiver Josh Wilcox on a 37-yard pass bringing the Mustangs down to the Bamberg 2-yard-line to set up Backlar’s first score of the game. On Bamberg’s next possession, it fumbled again and Backlar recovered. Bamberg got the ball back only to have a punt blocked deep in its own territory. That set up Backlar’s second score from 2 yards out.

Backlar wasn’t finished yet. At the start of the 2nd quarter, he scored from 51-yards out to give the Mustangs a 20-point lead.

The Mustangs missed the extra point and went down hill from there as Bamberg began their comeback.

The Bamberg defense led by senior Michael “Juice” Johnson, who had 15 tackles and an interception.

blottenbergerd@estripes.osd.mil

Scoring summaryBamberg 42, Menwith Hill 28Saturday at BambergBamberg 0 21 7 14 —42Menwith Hill 14 6 0 8 —28

Menwith Hill — Schuyler Backlar 2 run (Christian Burdick kick)Menwith Hill — Backlar 2 run (Burdick kick)Menwith Hill — Backlar 49 runBamberg — Phatanasin Sandod 2 run (Sandod kick)Bamberg — Sandod 16 pass to Terry Williams (Sandod kick)Bamberg — Sandod 2 run (Sandod kick)Bamberg — Sandod 39 pass to Andray Gibson (Sandod kick)Menwith Hill — Backlar 4 run (Backlar pass to Ben Milam)Bamberg — Wally Garcia 3 run (Sandod kick)Bamberg — Garcia 10 run (Sandod kick)

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