Sentinel running back Jeremy White shrugs off a tackle attempt by Brigand Rio Rogers during a Sept. 29, 2023, game at Spangdahlem High School in Spangdahlem, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
SPANGDAHLEM, Germany – The Spangdahlem defense hasn’t had trouble creating turnovers. But the unit hadn’t turned them directly into scores through the first three weeks.
That changed during Friday evening’s game against Brussels. The Sentinel defense scored twice in the first quarter – first through a Robert Leggett 20-yard pick six and later when Casey Supinger recovered a fumble and returned it 2 yards for a touchdown – as part of a 54-6 victory over the Brigands.
“Those touchdowns haven’t been coming to us on defense, so that was a nice thing to have,” Spangdahlem coach Terrence Hoffman said. “They’ve been playing hard. We get the turnovers, but we haven’t had the scores.”
It was a part of a dominant defensive display for Spangdahlem (4-0).
The Sentinels forced three turnovers and held the Brigands (2-2) to minus-38 yards of total offense. Brussels gained just one first down: a 15-yard gain on a pass from Sawyer Ter Horst to Roman McLeod in the opening frame.
The defensive performance was a complete 180 from when the two squads last met in the 2022 DODEA European Division III title game. In that matchup, the Brigands couldn’t be stopped en route to the victory.
With five of six Spangdahlem defensive starters back, that game motivated the Sentinels on Friday.
“It feels good,” Leggett said. “Our goal was to get our revenge on them, and that’s what we did.”
Sentinel defender Jeremy White goes to ground after intercepting a pass durign a Sept. 29, 2023, game at Spangdahlem High School in Spangdahlem, Germany. Watching, from left, are Brussels players Rio Rogers and Antonio Pranjic. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Brussels quarterback Sawyer Ter Horst looks to evade Sentinel defender Corderick Sago during a game on Sept. 29, 2023, at Spangdahlem High School in Spangdahlem, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Leggett played a huge role in avenging that loss.
The senior, who earned all-European honors in 2022, totaled four touchdowns. He followed the opening interception for a touchdown with a 29-yard reception on a third-and-11 play in the first period, cutting across the middle of the field and speeding away to the end zone.
Leggett added a pair of 2-yard scores in the second and third quarters. In both cases, he was wide open.
The receiver finished with 95 yards on five catches.
“He’s a team leader, and he’s been doing this all season on both sides of the ball,” Hoffman said. “He really is somebody that other players look up to for guidance.”
The receiver was Supinger’s favorite target in the game, getting targeted 10 times. The Spangdahlem signal caller finished 11-of-22 passing for 129 yards.
Leggett said the link between he and Supinger has been built over time.
“We’ve been connecting since eighth grade, and that connection has been strong,” Leggett said.
On the ground, the Sentinels got a 103-yard performance from Jeremy White, who carried the ball 13 times. The highlight of the running back’s performance came on a 65-yard run in the second quarter where he cut back twice in the middle of the field before scampering into the end zone.
Also finding paydirt was Corderick Sago, who scored on runs of 1 and 5 yards. Sago ran for 51 yards on five carries.
Sentinel quarterback Casey Supinger throws a pass during a game on Sept. 29, 2023, at Spangdahlem High School in Spangdahlem, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Sentinel receiver Robert Leggett runs after the catch en route to a 29-yard touchdown during the first quarter of a Sept. 29, 2023, game at Spangdahlem High School in Spangdahlem, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Brussels scored its lone points of the night on a Spangdahlem onside kick in the second quarter. Emerging from a group of five Spangdahlem players around the ball, Ter Horst picked it up and went 55 yards for a touchdown.
For coach Kevin Fremgen, though, things might have been different had his team not suffered multiple injuries early. He pointed out Jassiah Anderson’s absence in particular, saying the freshman was slated to help slow down Spangdahlem’s passing attack while providing a sure pair of hands on offense for Ter Horst to throw the ball.
But any injury hurts for the Brigands, who had just 12 players for Friday’s game. Add in the fact that half the team aren’t Americans who grew up with the sport, and the Brussels coach admitted it can be tough sledding at times, especially during this two-game losing streak.
Fremgen isn’t throwing in the towel on the season, though. With dates against teams near them in the standings in AFNORTH, Ansbach and Sigonella to finish the season, the Brigands still can qualify for that championship game scheduled for Oct. 28.
“We got two losses – it doesn’t mean we’re out,” Fremgen said. “We can still sneak our way in (the final). Don’t dig the grave just yet.”
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