Vilseck senior Kayln Smithson charges up field Saturday in the Falcons' 28-21 loss to visiting Wiesbaden. Smithson rushed for 149 yards on 22 carries and scored a touchdown for the Falcons. (Dan Blottenberger/Stars and Stripes)
Vilseck senior Kayln Smithson charges up field Saturday in the Falcons' 28-21 loss to visiting Wiesbaden. Smithson rushed for 149 yards on 22 carries and scored a touchdown for the Falcons. (Dan Blottenberger/Stars and Stripes)
Wiesbaden junior Daniel Harris cuts up field Saturday during the Warriors' 28-21 win over Vilseck. Harris rushed scored all four of the Warriors' touchdowns in the comeback victory. (Dan Blottenberger/Stars and Stripes)
Wiesbaden junior Daniel Harris drives up field Saturday during the Warriors' 28-21 win over Vilseck. Harris rushed for 219 yards on 25 carries and scored all four of the Warriors' touchdowns. (Dan Blottenberger/Stars and Stripes)
VILSECK, Germany — Wiesbaden silenced at least some doubters with a 28-21 win over Vilseck on Saturday that unequivocally gave it a second-place finish in Division I-South and a spot in next weekend’s playoffs.
The Warriors were ensured of a playoff berth when it was announced Friday that they had been granted a forfeit win over Heidelberg for what DODDS-Europe officials deemed unsportsmanlike conduct by the Lions at the end of the Lions’ 54-19 victory on Oct. 9. That win meant that even if the Warriors lost Saturday, Vilseck could not tie them, and that a Warriors loss and Patch win would still give Wiesbaden the playoff berth based on a tiebreaker.
The win did not come easily. Wiesbaden had to battle back from a 14-0 deficit after the first quarter.
Junior running back Daniel Harris led the comeback charge by scoring all four Wiesbaden touchdowns while rushing for 219 yards on 25 carries. His biggest run was for 85 yards and a TD to give Wiesbaden a 21-14 lead in the third quarter.
He also ran in the game-winner in the fourth quarter with about five minutes remaining after Vilseck had tied the game at 21.
The Falcons got off to their fast start behind the rushing of Shawn Peebles and Kalyn Smithson, who set up a quarterback keeper by Miles Smiley from 1 yard out for the first score. After the defense forced a three-and-out, Smithson’s 50-yard run led to Cedrell Sanders’ 2-yard TD run.
The Warriors cut the lead to 14-13 at halftime when a 20-yard Ryan Reagin to Erik Stouter pass play set up Harris’ first TD run, and a fumble by Smiley led to his second.
Harris’ big run came on the Warriors’ second possession of the second half as he shook off several would-be tacklers. “My line opened it up — once they opened it up I just took off,” Harris said of the long touchdown, crediting blockers Tevin Teal and Stephen Adams. “They opened it up for me.”
Wiesbaden faked an extra-point kick and Drew Polson ran in a two-point conversion for the 21-14 lead.
Vilseck answered on its next drive, finished off by Smithson’s 27-yard TD run. Smithson finished the day with 149 yards on 22 carries.
Then it was Wiesbaden’s turn. The Warriors’ winning drive was helped by several penalties on Vilseck, and ended with Harris going in from 4 yards out.
The Warriors snuffed out Vilseck’s final hopes when Stouter intercepted a Smiley pass. Stouter finished the day with 10 tackles and an interception.
Wiesbaden coach Steve Jewell, who had no comment on the forfeit ruling, said his team played hard the entire game even though the playoffs were no longer on the line.
“We felt like as a team we needed to come out and play full out,” Jewell said. “We thought if we came out here and tanked it, it would be disrespectful to the game and to the [Vilseck] team.”
