(Stars and Stripes)
Lakenheath running back Vincent LaStarza punched in a 1-yard touchdown with 10 seconds remaining Friday evening to keep the Lancers unbeaten on the season with a 21-16 victory over Ramstein.
The end came during a wild fourth quarter that saw both teams go back and forth. Senior Ethan Wilson gave the Royals (2-2) their first lead of the game at 9-7 with a 12-yard rushing touchdown, only for Lakenheath senior Lucius Bowman to answer with an 80-yard score himself to give the Lancers (4-0) a 14-9 advantage.
The victory, combined with Stuttgart’s 37-28 victory over Kaiserslautern, clinched the top seed in the playoffs and an opening-round bye for Lakenheath.
Ramstein retook the lead when senior running back Jackson Arthaud scored from 42 yards out. Then, Lancer signal caller Nico Marchini and Co. engineered a drive as time ticked down, ending with LaStarza hitting paydirt.
Marchini was 6-of-24 passing for 126 yards and a 44-yard touchdown to receiver Brian Miles, who had three receptions for 83 yards. That touchdown opened the scoring in the second quarter.
Bowman totaled 90 yards on five carries.
On defense, defensive tackle Ethan Jenkins amassed 11 tackles, LaStarza contributed 10 tackles and Bowman made nine tackles. Cornerback Dante Thompson intercepted two passes, and Miles picked off another pass as time expired.
For Ramstein, Landon Torroll totaled 106 yards on 24 attempts, Arthaud recorded 114 yards on 20 runs and Wilson added 30 yards on seven carries.
Senior defensive lineman Matt Rutlege produced eight tackles and a safety in the second quarter. Junior linebacker Kyden Echard had seven tackles, while Leon Pierre Louis caught two interceptions and made four tackles.
The Lancers will host Kaiserslautern on Oct. 6, while the Royals will travel to Wiesbaden the same day to finish the regular season.
Stuttgart 37, Kaiserslautern 28: The Panthers evened their record and turned the race for the last first-round bye into a four-way tie heading into the last week with a road victory against the Raiders on Friday evening.
Stuttgart (2-2) and Kaiserslautern (2-2) are tied with Ramstein and Vilseck in the standings.
The Panthers jumped out to a 31-0 lead in the second half before the Raiders made a furious comeback. It started with a 24-yard pass from Rueben Todman to Brelan Barnes in the third quarter. Aaron Potter scored on a 4-yard run later in the frame.
Todman then connected on two long passes in the fourth quarter. The first was a 75-yard score to Barnes, and the second was a 25-yarder to Kemory Wilson.
Todman finished the game with more than 250 yards passing to go with the three touchdowns.
Defensively, Logan Ball picked off a pass in the third quarter.
The Raiders travel to Lakenheath on Oct. 6, while the Panthers host the Falcons in their regular-season finale.
Vilseck 54, Wiesbaden 14: The Falcons ended a two-game losing streak with a home win over the Warriors on Friday afternoon.
Jaylen Acron recorded two pick sixes for Vilseck (2-2). Also defensively, linebacker Garrett Hyten totaled eight tackles, while Jayden Freeman and Robert McChrystal complemented him with seven and five tackles, respectively.
On offense, running back Gabriel Mallard amassed 161 yards and two scores on 22 rushes. Wide receiver Junior DeJesus scored twice and had 71 yards in three receptions, while quarterback Aron Atakuzi threw three touchdowns.
For the Warriors (0-4), Liam Ortiz caught two passes for 115 yards, and Chris Edwards had six receptions for 50 yards. Quarterback Ben Cashen went 15-of-26 passing for 202 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. The touchdown came on a Hail Mary play to end the first half.
Tyler Truesdell scored the Wiesbaden’s other touchdown on an interception.
Munro Davis had two tackles for a loss, and Brady Blake had five tackles on defense.
Up next for the Falcons is the regular-season finale at Stuttgart on Oct. 6. Wiesbaden will host Ramstein that same day.
Division II
Naples 41, Rota 0: The Wildcats’ Robert Oliver ran wild during a road win against the Admirals on Friday.
The running back went for 165 yards and four touchdowns on 12 carries. The senior added a 90-yard punt return for a score in the third quarter.
Oliver got Naples (4-0) going in the first quarter with two touchdown runs of 6 yards and another of 60 yards. The running back ended the half with a 10-yard score as well.
Sandwiched between those touchdowns was a score by receiver Jeramiah Robinson, who caught a 24-yard pass from quarterback Camden Kasparek. The Wildcat signal caller went 9 of 12 for 131 yards and an interception, to go along with the touchdown.
On defense, Leshie Morgan intercepted a pass, Diondre Tilo led the way with six tackles and Matthew Buter recovered a fumble and made five tackles for the Wildcats.
Naples is scheduled to host Vicenza for its homecoming game on Oct. 6. Rota, meanwhile, will host Aviano on Oct. 7.
Aviano 39, Vicenza 0: The Saints clinched a spot in the Division II championship game with a win over the Cougars on Saturday.
JuJu LaSalles ran in three scores, Deon Walker had two and Andrew Walker added another on the ground to lead the way for Aviano (3-1).
The Saints travel to Rota on Oct. 7, while Vicenza (1-3) heads to Naples the same day.
Division III
Ansbach 45, Alconbury 0: The Cougars bounced back from their first loss of the season with a mercy-rule victory across the English Channel against the Dragons on Friday.
Ansbach (3-1) led 20-0 at the end of the first quarter, while adding 17 more points toward the advantage by halftime. Another score in the third period finished off the game.
For Alconbury (1-3), Jacob Stuhler amassed 10 tackles, and Alex Reyes added another eight.
The Cougars are expected to travel to Sigonella on Oct. 7. The Dragons will host Baumholder on Oct. 7.
Sigonella 50, Baumholder 0: The Jaguars took care of business with a road victory over the Buccaneers on Saturday.
Senior Jaydon Reed led the way for Sigonella (3-1), scoring rushing and receiving touchdowns and a 70-yard kick return touchdown. Reed had 25 yards rushing and 63 receiving yards.
Fellow senior John Berry added another score and 60 yards on the ground, and sophomore Noe Gomez recorded two receiving touchdowns and 60 yards.
Quarterback Sladen Hager passed for 170 yards and three scores.
Junior Sebastian Hedemand converted four extra points.
Defensively, Reagan Rosier picked off a pass.
Up next for the Jaguars is a showdown in the race for second place against Ansbach at home on Oct. 7. Baumholder travels to Alconbury that same day.
Belgium-Netherlands League
Amsterdam 34, SHAPE 14: The Spartans gave up an opening kickoff return for a touchdown and never recovered in a road loss to the Crusaders on Saturday.
Quarterback Keller Schutt led SHAPE (1-2) as the ground attack struggled. The Spartans had minus-28 yards rushing against Amsterdam. Schutt went 8 of 23 for 186 yards and two touchdowns.
His favorite target was Kayson Boos, who totaled 124 yards and scored a touchdown on four receptions. Wyatt Smith caught a 26-yard score, while Santiago Torrente de la Pisa had two catches for 28 yards.
On defense, Boos made 6.5 tackles. Nacho Calzada de la Pisa had 2.5 tackles and recovered a fumble.