BAMBERG, Germany — The Baumholder Bucs, who opened the season with a 26-0 loss, moved into the Division III high school football championship game with a 36-16 semifinal victory Saturday over Bamberg.

Baumholder’s Xavier Dunford carried the ball 31 times for 262 yards and three touchdowns, scoring on runs of 44, 43 and 7 yards for the Bucs (4-3).

Fullback Emmett Wilson (12 carries, 44 yards) and quarterback Caleb Adams also scored for Baumholder, which rolled to 331 yards of offense.

Wilson scored on a 48-yard play in which he stripped a Bamberg runner of the ball and raced to the end zone, and Adams capped a five-play, 29-yard drive with a 1-yard sneak.

Tim Gamble scored both TDs and a two-point conversion for Bamberg (5-2).

Bamberg’s defense was led by Brian Knotts, who had 19 tackles and a fumble recovery, and Gamble (14 tackles, interecption).

Ansbach 42, Giessen 0

ANSBACH, Germany — James Esters ran for 165 yards and three touchdowns as the Cougars (7-0) ran their winning streak to 15 games.

Esters, behind blocks by John Austin and Russell Bailey and a lead block by Dameon Outley, turned a sweep into an 85-yard touchdown on the second play of the game. He gave the Cougars a 20-0 halftime lead on a 23-yard TD run.

The play was set up by a spectacular one-handed interception by Austin, who earlier had scored the Cougars’ second TD on a 1-yard run.

Esters scored on a 16-yard run in the second half.

Quarterback Shawn Bachtel threw a short TD pass to brother Brandon, and Vic Green ran 5 yards for the other Ansbach TD.

Jeff Ramsey sacked Giessen QB Mike Waters in the end zone for an Ansbach safety.

Outley led the Ansbach defense with 15 tackles.

Andre Cooper, with a pair of sacks among his seven stops, and Tim Battle, who also had seven tackles, led the defense for Giessen (4-3).

Ansbach, the defending Division III champion, will take on Baumholder in the opening game of Saturday’s Super Six championship tripleheader at Minnick Field in Baumholder.

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