Girls basketballWiesbaden at Black Forest Academy Friday and Saturday The fact of one champion facing off against another is enough to recommend this weekend’s clash between the Division I champion Warriors and Division II champion Falcons. But there are plenty of other factors in play that make the showdown all the more compelling. First, the game is a fascinating matchup between BFA’s vaunted defense and Wiesbaden’s explosive offense. Warrior stars like Cierra Martin, Rebecca Russell and Catherine Klein might rank among the few talents in DODDS-Europe who can throw the kind of passes necessary to break the Falcons’ trap-heavy defense. Further, Russell’s outside shooting, Klein’s interior presence and Martin’s all-around productivity give Wiesbaden the tools to exploit any iteration of BFA’s shifting zone. Assuming Wiesbaden enjoys at least marginal success offensively, the onus will fall to BFA to score enough to stay in upset range. That effort will start with senior forward Emily Campbell, who made the All-Europe first team alongside Martin and Klein last season. If she holds her own in the paint and the defense performs up to its usual standards, the Warriors are at risk on the road.

Boys basketballRamstein at Kaiserslautern Tuesday This intense rivalry didn’t need any more fuel, but it go some on Jan. 13 when Kaiserslautern’s Bridger Hawkins tipped in a missed free throw to stun the host Royals 47-46 and knock Ramstein from the ranks of the unbeaten. Both teams will face challenges Tuesday. Kaiserslautern will need to withstand an expected early burst of energy from a Royal team eager to dish out the same home-court disappointment it received last time. Ramstein, meanwhile, will need to show some perseverance coming off not only its first loss, but the only close game of its 5-1 season. The Kaiserslautern frontcourt of Hawkins, Antwan Haynes and Malik Tillman and Ramstein counterparts Jesse Gray and Trey Bailey might very well decide this rematch with their work on the blocks and on the boards.

WrestlingBrussels, Alconbury, SHAPE, Kaiserslautern at Lakenheath Saturday Rising Division I programs Kaiserslautern and Lakenheath continued their strong seasons last Saturday, with Kaiserslautern beating Baumholder, Bitburg and Brussels in a string of dual meets and Lakenheath finishing a solid runner-up Ramstein by just 10 overall points. Momentum, however, can be fleeting. And it will be on the line for both when the two schools share the mats for the first time in six weeks Saturday. Lakenheath got the better of the exchange when the teams first met on Dec. 13. But the Raiders have been on a roll since, finishing ahead of Ramstein in a Jan. 10 meet won by reigning champion Patch and cruising through the three small schools it faced last weekend.