Ramstein quarterback Xavier Schumacher throws a pass out into the flat ahead of Naples' Nico Calvo during an 11-man football semifinal on Nov. 1, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – Midway through the fourth quarter of Saturday’s DODEA-Europe 11-man football semifinal, the once-jubilant Ramstein sideline found itself knotted into a ball of nerves.

Visiting Naples had cut a four-possession deficit to two and had the ball at the Ramstein 5-yard line with a chance to make it a one-possession contest with just more than 6 minutes remaining.

On fourth down, Wildcat quarterback Kam McKinnon tossed a screen to Terry Herbert in the left flat. The running back had multiple Royals in front of him and tried to cut inside, but he ended up getting tackled at the line of scrimmage.

“(A touchdown) definitely would have put us down, but our defense executed well and was able to get the stop,” Ramstein quarterback Xavier Schumacher said.

That play proved to be the last time Naples threatened. The Royals held on at home to defeat the Wildcats 28-13 at Ramstein High School.

With the win, Ramstein (7-0) punched its ticket into Nov. 7’s title game. The Royals will host the winner of Stuttgart and Kaiserslautern in the other semifinal.

Ramstein seemed to have the game in the bag before Naples made things interesting with a pair of scores on a 1-yard run from Jeramiah Robinson at the 3:29 mark in the third quarter and a Herbert fumble recovery in the end zone with 11:50 remaining in the fourth.

Naples’ Joshua Banks picked off a Schumacher pass on the next possession and returned it 50 yards to the house, but the score was called back on a block-in-the-back penalty during the return.

Set up at the Ramstein 35, Naples (4-3) pushed the ball to the 5-yard line before coming up short.

“A little bit (nervous), but our defense has done an outstanding job all season and they continued to do what they needed to do to keep us in the win column,” Ramstein coach Carter Hollenbeck said of the second-half.

That outburst was a complete 180 from the first two and a half quarters. The Wildcats totaled just 20 yards of offense in the first half and lost eight yards over the opening two possessions of the third frame.

Coach Jim Davis praised his players’ tenacity.

“I’m proud of the kids for not giving up,” Davis said. “At 28-0 away, you easily could have come up with a hundred excuses to not play hard, but they refused to do that.

“It took them a while to wake up. Once they did, we made a game out of it.”

Naples receiver Jeramiah Robinson makes a leaping grab over Ramstein defensive backs Rhett Dalling, foreground, and Freddie Robinson during an 11-man football semifinal on Nov. 1, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ramstein receiver Rhett Dalling runs with the ball during an 11-man football semifinal against Naples on Nov. 1, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ramstein defensive back Freddie Robinson picks off a pass from Naples quarterback Kam McKinnon during an 11-man football semifinal on Nov. 1, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ramstein fullback Drew Varholy squeaks through a hole toward the end zone created as his linemen moved, from left, Naples' Daniel Alcivar, Terry Herbert and Josh Hendricks during an 11-man football semifinal on Nov. 1, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ramstein running Elijah Morris can't break the tackle of Naples defender Josh Hendricks during an 11-man football semifinal on Nov. 1, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

In the first half, it wasn’t much of a game.

Ramstein opened on a 17-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that ended on a Drew Varholy 3-yard fullback dive. The Royals converted two fourth-and-short situations to extend the drive that ate up more than 8 minutes of the clock.

Following a Freddie Robinson interception at the 3:53 mark in the second period, Schumacher engineered a six-play, 54-yard drive that doubled the Royals’ lead heading into the break.

Key among the drive were a pair of passes to Robinson, the first for 18 yards to get Ramstein near the red zone. Two plays later, the signal caller quickly hit Robinson along the sideline for a 13-yard touchdown with 1:44 left in the half.

“Just the way they were lined up, they were giving the route,” Schumacher said of the play. “So, I took advantage of it, and we ended up scoring.”

Schumacher showed Ramstein can do more than run the ball throughout the game.

The sophomore went 13-of-14 passing to 125 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. His second touchdown of the game went to senior Josiah Evans on a slant at the 6:03 mark in the third to make it 28-0.

“He’s doing an outstanding job,” Hollenbeck said of Schumacher. “He just keeps listening to the coaches, and he just wants to keep getting better and better. It’s paying off.”

Varholy, a senior, produced Ramstein’s other score on a 1-yard run at the 10:05 mark in the third quarter after a bad snap on a Naples punt put the ball at the Wildcats’ 1-yard line.

After Schumacher’s second score, the Naples offense came alive, especially through the air.

McKinnon connected with senior receiver Jeramiah Robinson for a pass play of 30 yards, giving the Wildcats the spark they needed. That proved to be one of five passing plays of 20 yards and more over the final quarter and a half.

A freshman, McKinnon went 12 of 21 for 173 yards through the air. His favorite target, Robinson, grabbed five receptions for 90 yards.

“Cam’s come up with big plays in the past, and Jeramiah’s been a mainstay in our receiving corps for the last four years,” Davis said. “It was just a matter of time before those two connected.”

Ramstein now can turn its attention to trying to repeat in the 11-man football title game. Hollenbeck said the team will start film work Monday.

While the Royals get the chance to defend their crown, Saturday’s loss marked the end of Naples’ dynasty. The Wildcats had won four-straight titles in the former Division II.

Not that Davis is concerned. After one season playing against the bigger schools, he’s optimistic about the future.

“With a freshman quarterback in the semifinals, had a chance to beat the defending champions, hell yeah, I like where I’m at,” Davis said.

Naples quarterback Kam McKinnon releases a pass right before getting hit by Ramstein defender Jackson Kerin during an 11-man football semifinal on Nov. 1, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ramstein's Elijah Morris tackles Naples running back Diondre Tilo during an 11-man football semifinal on Nov. 1, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Naples receiver Diondre Tilo catches a pass behind Ramstein defensive back Rhett Dalling during an 11-man football semifinal on Nov. 1, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Naples running back Terry Herbert tries to catch a pass as Ramstein's Rhett Dalling defends during an 11-man football semifinal on Nov. 1, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Naples quarterback Kam McKinnon passes the ball on the run during an 11-man football semifinal against Ramstein on Nov. 1, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ramstein's Kevin Garcia, back left, and Elijah Morris tackle Naples wide receiver Jeramiah Robinson during an 11-man football semifinal on Nov. 1, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)