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James PereaFootball

AFNORTH

Last week: Perea, a 5-foot-9, 160-pound junior wide receiver and kicker, sparked AFNORTH’s 32-point second-half rally at Baumholder that produced a 32-26 victory over the previously unbeaten Bucs. “James returned a punt 49 yards for a touchdown to ignite our team in the third quarter,” AFNORTH coach Greg Blankenship wrote Monday in an e-mail. “In addition, James made a truly remarkable one-handed catch in tough coverage to score our third touchdown and put the momentum on our sidelines for the remainder of the contest.” Blankenship added that Perea, a star soccer player for the Lions, left his footprint on the contest in other ways, too. “He kicked the ball through the end zone four times, which forced Baumholder to work throughout the second half deep in its end of the field where turnovers ultimately cost them the contest,” the coach wrote. Perea’s efforts helped the Lions claim the Division III-North lead and the inside track to a home game in the European Division III semifinals on Oct. 27.

Krista CitovskaTennis

SHAPE

Last week: Citovska, a senior who lost one game on her way to repeating as European champion last year, won her 60th game of the season without a loss Saturday when she downed Bethany Barnhart of Bitburg 6-0, 6-0. It was Citovska’s fifth straight 6-0, 6-0 victory, and more are almost certain to be on the way, according to her coach, Sam Ochinang. “This year, she got better on the baseline,” Ochinang wrote Wednesday in an e-mail, “so it will be very tough to duel with her stroke for stroke.… Her flat and slice serves are equally difficult to handle. She’s been consistently tough at the net because she tracks the ball well and has superb racquet preparation. Trying to move her (around) will be counterproductive because she has excellent footwork and shot selection. Her double-handed backhand is as good as her scorching forehand….” And she has more than good technique, her coach added. “She plays every point like it’s match point for the opponent,” he wrote of her competitive intensity.

— Selected by Stars and Stripes staff

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