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Sophomore Xavier Sheppard rushed for 102 yards and scored touchdowns on four of his eight carries Friday as three-time defending European Division III champion Ansbach battered visiting Sigonella 44-6 in the opening game of the European high school football season.

Sheppard scored on runs of 27, 16, 15 and 1 yard as the Cougars, who are unbeaten since October 2001, collected a European Division III-record 25th straight victory. They had been tied with SHAPE, now a Division II school, at 24 and will go into this Saturday’s game, at home against Bamberg, chasing Ramstein’s DODDS-Europe record of 26 straight victories.

Sophomore quarterback John Willis completed seven of 14 passes for 128 yards, connecting with Zach Harmon for a 13-yard touchdown in the second quarter as the Cougars broke out to a 36-6 lead at halftime.

Sophomore Dominique Whaley returned a Sigonella punt 78 yards for a TD, senior Jessy Liller blocked a punt in the end zone for a safety, Sheppard and Whaley added two-point conversion runs, and Harmon hauled in a pass from Willis for a third two-pointer to complete Ansbach’s scoring.

Sigonella scored its only points in the second quarter on Mike Petty’s 85-yard kickoff return for a TD.

Defensively, Sigonella’s Petty and Julian Siapno made 10 tackles each.

Baraka Waweru and Sean Laughlin led Ansbach with seven stops each.

In Division III games Saturday:

Hohenfels 35, Vicenza 0At Hohenfels, quarterback Jason Parks threw touchdown passes of 61, 18 and 69 yards as the Tigers celebrated coach Shawn Rodman’s return from a two-year absence from the sideline.

B.J. Denson scored on the two long pass plays, and Matt Apodaca, along with Parks the only seniors on the team, pulled in the 18-yard scoring pass.

Stephen Washington, who ran for two two-point conversions, raced 45 yards for a TD, and Brandon Merriweather went 17 yards for another.

Parks finished 6-for-7 for 167 yards and three TDs.

Jeremy Crook, with two sacks, and Isiai Ofesa, with two fumble recoveries, led the Hohenfels defense.

Brussels 63, London Central 47At Brussels, Brian Desrochese rushed for three touchdowns, and Mike Hebing threw two long TD passes as the Brigands spoiled the debut of London Central coach Duke Eidt.

The game was a shootout from the beginning. Matt Parker, who led Brussels with 119 rushing yards on 14 carries, returned the opening kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown, and teammate Logan Quinn returned a second-half kickoff 80 yards for another score as the Brigands added breathing room to their 42-33 halftime lead.

Hebing’s TD passes, a 46-yarder to Ryan Proietto and a 50-yarder to Quinn, helped boost his final passing totals to 5-for-9 for 178 yards.

Eric Popp rushed for 71 yards and two TDs on eight carries for Brussels.

London Central got back on the bus without providing statistics, but had four touchdown passes, according to Brussels coach Joe Fiedler.

Menwith Hill 26, Alconbury 12At Menwith Hill, junior transfer quarterback Andrew Kaahui scored two touchdowns and blocked an extra-point try as the Mustangs rallied from a 12-6 halftime deficit.

Kaahui, who finished with 140 rushing yards on 16 carries, scored on two sneaks, the first set up by his 90-yard kickoff return to the Alconbury 4-yard line.

Leshawn Adams, who had 12 rushes for 110 yards, broke a 40-yard run on a counter play in the third quarter, and Ian Lange added a 4-yard TD rush as Menwith Hill pulled away.

Ben Davis had a hand in both Alconbury scores, running 25 yards in the first quarter for the first TD and connecting with Andrew Hunt for a 33-yard scoring pass in the second quarter. Davis’ TD run was sent up by Hunt’s 60-yard interception return to the Menwith Hill 30-yard line.

Kyle Lucas led all Alconbury runners with 109 yards on 15 carries and led the Dragons’ defense with 10 tackles.

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