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RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – Jon Grotelueschen carried the ball 39 times for 134 yards and two touchdowns Saturday as the Ramstein Royals clinched a home game in this weekend’s European D-I semifinals with a 20-0 victory over the Filton Pride.“We really needed to win this one,” Ramstein coach Carlos Amponin said by telephone on Saturday. “I was fooling with the numbers during the week and there was a way that if Heidelberg beat Patch, we could miss the playoffs.”Instead, Ramstein, which lost 26-12 at Patch on opening day, Sept. 17, improved to 5-1 and will most likely host Vilseck in this Saturday’s semis. The Royals blanked Vilseck 28-0 on Oct. 1.Grotesleuschen crashed in from 5 and 2 yards out. His second TD, which iced the game, was set up in the late going when safety James Harris returned an interception to the Pride 2-yard line.Grotelueschen and the offense wore down Filton down, but Amponin was just as pumped about the job his defense did.“The defense was huge today,” he said, citing the Harris pick and a fumble forced by Josh Dickey which Tyler Rood scooped up and ran 40 yards for the other Ramstein TD.“Dickey led the way,” Amponin said.Filton closed its second season of DODDS-Euope football with a 2-4 record.

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