BRUSSELS, Belgium — Kevin Nicholson threw three touchdown passes and Eric Popp ran for two TDs Saturday as the Brussels Brigands took sole possession of first place in Division III-North with a 46-6 mercy-rule high school football victory over the Menwith Hill Mustangs.

Nicholson found Lonnie Ruffin, Devell Landfair and Brandon Pierce with scoring passes, and Popp scored on a pair of short runs as the Brigands improved their overall and conference record to 4-0.

The victory, combined with London Central’s 49-8 victory over previously unbeaten Sigonella on Saturday, left the Brigands a game ahead of the Jaguars and Bobcats going into Saturday’s regular-season finale at Sigonella.

In addition to his TD catch, Ruffin intercepted three Menwith Hill passes. Jacob Williamson knocked down three Mustang passes and blocked an extra-point attempt, and Bryan Isbell, who ran for three two-point conversions, made eight tackles for Brussels before the game ended 7:40 before regulation time expired.

Menwith Hill (1-3) scored its TD on Gavin Massa’s 13-yard run.

London Central 49, Sigonella 8

HIGH WYCOMBE, England — Daniel Coleman scored on runs of 71, 43 and 15 yards, and quarterback Jeremy Tibbetts ran for a TD and passed for another as the Bobcats improved to 3-1 for the season against previously unbeaten Sigonella.

Coleman carried 17 times for 220 yards in the game, which was ended in the third quarter by DODDS-Europe’s 40-point mercy rule. Foxy Thomas, who carried six times for 144 yards and threw a 9-yard TD pass to Kirk Warrior, brought the proceedings to a close when he burst 79 yards for the game-ending TD.

Zach Coker caught a 30-yard TD pass from Tibbetts.

Rota 40, Alconbury 0

RAF ALCONBURY, England — The Admirals scored 24 points in the second quarter of a battle between two previously winless teams.

Rota’s Sameria Crowder caught a 43-yard pass from Dante Bucci. Crowder also intercepted a Ben Davis pass.

The game was called midway through the fourth quarter by the 40-point mercy rule.

Mike Hall, who rushed for 113 yards, ran for a pair of TDs for Rota, which got a TD run from Bucci and a 38-yard field-goal from Renedo Fernando.

Fernando also intercepted two Davis passes, returning one of them 55 yards to set up a score.

Rota (1-3) will host Menwith Hill in its regular-season finale on Saturday; Alconbury closes out its season at London Central.

Ansbach 56, Baumholder 16

ANSBACH, Germany — James Esters rushed nine times for 195 yards and three touchdowns to help the defending European Division III champion Cougars extend their winning streak to 12 games.

Esters tallied on runs of one, 52 and 23 yards, and Garrett Eichhorn fell on a Baumholder fumble in the end zone for one TD and caught a pass from quarterback Shawn Bachtel that produced a 76-yard TD to pace the Cougars (4-0).

Bachtel (4-for-9, 97 yards) also hit Tyler Sherman for a two-yard TD pass.

Jon Austin, who carried the ball five times for 59 yards, scored on a 26-yard run and a 55-yard return of one of his two interceptions.

Charles Lackley ran 52 yards for one of Baumholder’s TDs. Xavier Dunford ran 35 yards for the other.

Ansbach closes the regular season on Saturday when the Cougars host unbeaten Bamberg in a matchup for the III-South title.

Bamberg 39, Vicenza 0

VICENZA, Italy — Antonio Headen ran for 150 yards and two touchdowns as the Barons (4-0) kept pace with Ansbach for the III-South lead.

Headen’s runs of one and six yards lifted Bamberg to a 13-0 halftime edge. Will Richardson, Jose Urbaez and Brian Knotts ran for second-half scores, and Christian Peel returned a punt 40 yards for another score.

Brian Knotts led Bamberg’s defense with 12 tackles; Gary King had 11 for Vicenza (0-4).

Giessen 28, Hohenfels 2

GIESSEN, Germany — Mike Waters ran for one TD and passed eight yards to Kevin Collins for another as the Griffins improved to 2-2.

Waters also figured in the Hohenfels score, when he kicked a Giessen fumble out of his own end zone to prevent its being recovered for a touchdown.

Anthony Cooper, who rushed for 109 yards, had a 12-yard scoring run for Giessen, which got a one-yard TD plunge from Anthony Moore.

Tim Battle (11 tackles, interception) and Tim Hall (10 tackles) led a Giessen defense which held Hohenfels (1-3) to 73 yards of offense. Giessen’s Waters and Decarlos Morrow recovered fumbles.

The victory assures Giessen, which closes out its season at Vicenza on Saturday, of third place in III-South and with it a playoff date with the III-North runner-up.

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