The Wiesbaden High School JROTC color guard performs Saturday night before the start of the DODDS-Europe high school football all-star game in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
The Wiesbaden High School JROTC color guard performs Saturday night before the start of the DODDS-Europe high school football all-star game in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
Players from the DODDS-Europe high school football all-star South squad move toward the sidelines before the start of the game Saturday night in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
Team captains from the North squad and the South squad shake hands after the coin toss Saturday night before the start of the DODDS-Europe high school football all-star game in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
South squad's Jayontray Grogan intercepts a pass intended for North squad's CJ Pridgen with help from teammate Brian Debel ON Saturday night in the DODDS-Europe high school football all-star game in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
North squad's Tevin Johnson gets past a South squad defender Saturday night in the DODDS-Europe high school football all-star game in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
South squad's Brian Debel intercepts a pass intended for North squad's CJ Pridgen ON Saturday night in the DODDS-Europe high school football all-star game in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
South squad's Tom Clancy throws a pass Saturday night in the DODDS-Europe high school football all-star game in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
North squad's Connor Manning cuts past a South squad defender on his way to the end zone Saturday night in the DODDS-Europe high school football all-star game in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
North squad's CJ Pridgen picks up a few yards after a catch Saturday night in the DODDS-Europe high school football all-star game in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
North squad's Tevin Johnson is tripped up Saturday night in the DODDS-Europe high school football all-star game in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
North squad players celebrate after defeating the South squad 14-9 Saturday night in the DODDS-Europe high school football all-star game in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
The 2013 DODDS-Europe football season came to an end Saturday as the North all-stars defeated the South 14-9.
Both offenses struggled to make any offensive headway in the first half despite the abundant statistical standouts filling both rosters. But the meandering game livened up considerably after halftime as the North erased a 3-0 lead with a pair of scores. Running backs Tevin Johnson of Ramstein and Conner Manning of SHAPE delivered touchdown runs to build an enduring 14-3 lead for the homestanding North.
With his South team’s offense still stymied and its deficit growing, Naples defensive back Jayontray Grogan hung points directly on the scorebard with a dramatic fourth-quarter play. The Wildcat clawed at a held-up North runner, stripped the ball loose and sprinted 90 yards out of and away from the pack for the South’s only touchdown.
“I started fighting for the ball,” said Grogan, who also added a leaping interception to his highlight reel. “Never give up on a play.”
While Grogan flourished, the game was an unusual one for high-usage offensive stars like Manning and Hohenfels’ David Vidovic, the two feature players in last weekend’s Division II European championship shootout.
Vidovic, who led his team to a comeback 38-35 win over SHAPE in the title game Nov. 2, broke off two double-digit runs in the first half to set up a field goal by Ansbach’s Dorian Jones. But the prolific Tiger junior was otherwise subdued. Manning’s 32-yard touchdown, meanwhile, was one of the few times the Spartan senior found any room to operate.
“I wouldn’t call it frustrating. I would just call it two really good defensive teams,” Manning said. “It is the all-star game. You’ve got all-star offensive and defensive players.”
Saturday’s game, the third consecutive since its 2011 relaunch, featured a combined 64 players from 21 schools. That kind of competition was a thrill for Menwith Hill lineman Jonathan Brugman, a former stateside varsity player who spent this season playing nine-man football for the tiny Mustangs of the four-team DODDS-Europe Independent League.
“It was a lot of fun to come here and play,” Brugman said after celebrating a victory with the North. “It’s good to get back to that level. It’s so much more fun.”
Twitter: @broomestripes
