Parents pitch in as Sentinels top Tigers

SPANGDAHLEM, Germany – Spangdahlem football coach Aaron Wells walked up to the press box minutes after the scheduled time kickoff against Hohenfels on Friday evening to ask an unusual question: Any referees in the house?

Everything else was covered. Medical personnel were in place. A chain gang was ready to go.

But no officials showed up. So, Wells turned to the crowd for help.

“I never thought I would be doing this,” he said. “It was super awkward for me as the head coach when everything else was here.”

Four parents stepped to the plate and refereed a truncated contest between the Sentinels and Tigers that ended with the hosts winning 30-0.

Wells and Hohenfels coach Robert Deverick agreed on a few rule changes. They chose to play 10-minute quarters with a running clock, causing the game to end in a fraction of the time.

For The Tigers (2-3), this was the third consecutive game without provided referees, Deverick said. So, the visitors were used to the scenario.

“They’re flexible. They’re resilient. They bend with the bamboo. They go with it when they need to go with it,” Deverick said. “They were here to play a football game. So, they were down to play football no matter how it goes.”

No matter how accustomed Hohenfels was to the situation, Wells expressed disappointment for his opponents.

“They traveled 12 hours on a roundtrip, and rightfully so, they should have an expectation to have a quote-unquote legitimate game,” he said.

Spangdahlem's Solomon Wells kicks the point-after-attempt ahead of Hohenfels' Nathaniel Reyes during an Oct. 2, 2026, football game in Spangdahlem, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Hohenfels quarterback Stryder Houghton passes the ball in the flat to teammate Kamren Newsome during an Oct. 2, 2026, football game against Spangdahlem in Spangdahlem, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Hohenfels' Ezekial Davenport is tackled by Spandahlem's Roman Wells during an Oct. 2, 2026, football game in Spangdahlem, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

In terms of Friday’s action, the Sentinels (5-0) handled business early to take a 14-point lead after the first quarter.

A.J. Smith capped off a seven-play opening drive by taking a sweep 31 yards untouched into the end zone. On Spangdahlem’s next possession, Smith took a pitch to the right, juked one Hohenfels defender and broke another tackle attempt en route to a 21-yard scamper.

Spangdahlem didn’t find paydirt until the second half. On fourth-and-4, Roman Wells got behind the Tiger secondary, and Adler Armstrong got him the ball for a 35-yard touchdown.

Nehemiah Smith connected with Noah Aubuchon on a 21-yard TD to finish the scoring.

A.J. Smith paced the hosts with 82 yards on 11 carries.

“We wanted to get through the game safely and nobody hurt,” Wells said. “We accomplished it. I think it went as good as it could have.”

Deverick’s club didn’t have much success offensively, with just 28 yards of total offense. The coach praised Spangdahlem’s defense for its attacking nature.

Still, Hohenfels has plenty of reasons for optimism, Deverick said. The Tigers showed improvement from their Week 1contest against the Sentinels, which they lost 44-6.

After the program returned following a one-season hiatus, Hohenfels picked up its first win in eight years and created a winning streak prior to Friday’s loss.

“I did see a lot of growth in our kids – not just their football, but their leadership, too, and how they were pulling each other along,” Deverick said.

As for Spangdahlem, the team is dominating the six-man football tier and is seeking to defend its title as well as winning its third European crown in four seasons.

Wells said if his players respect their opponents and continue to come together as a team, the Sentinels should have a good chance to repeat.

“I like how we’re progressing week to week,” Wells said. “We’re making less mistakes. Some of the players that are a little bit younger and inexperienced are getting more experience. I really like where we’re heading.”