HOHENFELS, Germany - The Hohenfels Tigers tramped through the mud Saturday past the Naples Wildcats. And now to Kaiserslautern they go.
The Tigers overcame some early turnovers caused by less-than-ideal field conditions to defeat Naples in the DODDS Division II semifinals, 25-11.
David Vidovic had his usual impressive showing on offense – racking up 215 years and a pair of touchdowns on 24 carries – but the real stars for the Tigers were the defensive crew.
That group, anchored by Brett Wade, Marcus Dudley and Andrew Chavez, gave Wildcats quarterback Ty’Rick Riggins fits all day and even managed to keep star running back Cameron Copeland in check. Riggins was picked off twice by Clayton Pinheiro and the normally explosive Copeland was held to 44 yards and one TD.
“We knew from the last time we played them … that they were going to run to the outside and up the middle, so all we did was watch out for the trick plays,” said Dudley, who ran back a Chavez-stripped fumble 75 yards for a score. “We played our hearts out today.”
The muddied field caused the Wildcats nearly as much trouble as the Tigers’ stout defense. Naples turned the ball over twice in the second quarter with a fumble and muffed snap that were caused as much by defensive pressure as the wet ball. Add to that the two interceptions by Riggins and it was an uphill battle for Naples.
It was a disappointing finish to a Wildcats season that started off nearly as rough as it ended. Plagued early on by injuries to a number of their starters, the Wildcats probably shouldn’t have had as good of a record as they did. This game may also have been Naples’ coach Steve Altstiel’s swan song. Altstiel said he may be hanging up his headset after 19 years with the Wildcats.
“We had a great season and a great team,” he said. “With all of the things we had to overcome, with the injuries and everything, we did well. Could we have put this game away? Yes. Should we have? Absolutely. But bottom line, I’m proud of this team.”
Altstiel couldn’t have expected the weather to wreck so much havoc on his team’s passing game. In the past, Riggins’ arm has helped soften up defenses, allowing his wildcat formations to catch opposing defenses off guard.
The slippery conditions made passing nearly impossible. Neither Riggins nor the Tigers quarterback Pinheiro accomplished much to speak of in the passing game.
So the game came down to who had the better running back. And if one were to run a fantasy draft of Division II players, the smart money would be on Vidovic to go first.
In addition to his 8.9 yards per carry, the senior and reigning Stars and Stripes football Athlete of the Year had eight tackles on defense – most of them for losses.
“The weather was bad, so we rallied around our coaches,” he said. “They always tell us to stay humble and hungry, that’s what we do. We go through each day like we have something to lose.”
Vidovic, along with the rest of the Tigers, look ahead now to next week’s finals against the Ansbach Cougars, who ran roughshod over Vicenza, 32-12.
“It’s going to be a heck of a match,” said Hohenfels coach Larry Daffin. “Ansbach, they have a tremendous squad, well coached so we have to be ready, we have to come ready to play. I’m looking forward to it.”