On paper, they’re just exhibition games against two high school football teams from Singapore. They don’t count in the Department of Defense Dependents Schools-Korea league standings, and they have no bearing on the Far East playoffs.

But for Seoul American and Osan American, the tuneup games are a worthwhile adventure.

“The more games we get, the better for us,” said Seoul American coach Julian Harden, whose Falcons host the Singapore Oilers at 11 a.m. Saturday. Also at Falcon Field, at 2 p.m., the Singapore Vikings face off against Osan American.

“Normally at this stage, we’re 3-1 and that’s our season,” Cougars coach Tony Alvarado said. “It’s exciting to know that when this season’s over, we’ll have played eight games. This is regular football. Every Friday, every Saturday, a game. … It’s a learning experience for us.”

It will be a resumption of sorts of the old World Bowl series, which from 1992 through the 2004 season pitted all-star teams from the Singapore American Community Action Council against South Korea’s best.

To Harden and Osan coach Tony Alvarado, that Saturday’s games count for nothing in league standings matters not.

With DODDS-Korea teams now facing each other three times instead of twice starting this season, Seoul will enter November’s Class AA playoffs having played six regular-season games; Osan, seven. A year ago, they each had played only four.

“That was a huge obstacle for us,” said Harden, whose Falcons upset Yokota 13-10 in the Class AA semifinal.

When running backs Calvin Lesane and David Smalls were injured in that contest, Harden had just one week to install a passing attack for the Class AA championship, which the Falcons lost at Kubasaki 38-8.

“Playing more games will help us be ready to take more of a physical beating,” Harden said. “It’s only two more [games than last season] but it’s a plus. It gets the guys more physically and mentally prepared to play.”

They’ll also provide an air of mystery for the Cougars and Falcons, which is the “whole theme of the Far East playoffs, the unknown,” Harden said. “To play an unknown simply prepares me” for the Far East Class AA semifinal on Nov. 4 at Guam High.

The same holds true for Osan, which visits Robert D. Edgren of Japan for the Class A title the same day, which will be seeking revenge for its 16-14 loss to the Cougars Nov. 5.

“This helps us prepare to play somebody … we don’t know a thing about,” Harden said. “We know Osan’s and Taegu’s tendencies, we have an idea about Yokota, but we know nothing about Singapore.”

Adding Singapore’s teams to an already tight regular-season schedule does have drawbacks. Osan originally was to play at Seoul American, the Falcons’ regular-season finale, on Saturday. That game’s been pushed to Wednesday; Osan takes the field yet again on the 28th for Taegu American’s homecoming.

“I don’t know if I would have done that,” Harden said. “That’s a lot to ask of your team.”

Three games in eight days, Alvarado admitted, “seems like a lot. It’s kind of intimidating.”

So he put it to his players, who meet with him daily in his classroom during lunch hour.

“The consensus was, they want to win,” Alvarado said. “Every game, they want to go out and get. So, I’ve told them to keep it full throttle as much as they can.”

Easier said than done, he admits. “It will teach these players to dig deep and not quit,” he said. “They’re going to have to rely on endurance, strength and heart.”

All aimed at finely honing the Cougars into a squad that hopes for a Class A repeat.

“I know Edgren. They’re going to bring it,” Alvarado said. “We have to be mentally and physically ready and we hope that’s what this does. Three games in eight days. It should prepare us for anything Misawa will bring.”

Standings, scores and schedulesDODDS-Japan Football League

W L Pct. PF PA

x-Yokota 4 0 1.000 109 60

Nile C. Kinnick 2 3 .400 110 97

Robert D. Edgren 2 3 .400 80 105

Zama American 1 3 .250 46 83

x-clinched eighth straight Japan Football League title, host rights to Far East Class AA semifinal playoff on Nov. 4.

Kanto Plain Association

W L Pct. PF PA

x-Yokota 4 0 1.000 127 53

Nile C. Kinnick 2 2 .500 90 72

American School In Japan 1 2 .333 17 78

Zama American 0 3 .000 21 52

x-clinched eighth straight Kanto Plain Association of Secondary Schools title

Friday, Oct. 20

Nile C. Kinnick at Zama American, 7 p.m.

Yokota at Robert D. Edgren, 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 27

Zama American at Yokota, 7 p.m.

American School In Japan at Nile C. Kinnick, 7 p.m.

End regular season

Okinawa

W L Pct. PF PA

Kadena 1 0 1.000 28 14

Kubasaki 0 1 .000 14 28

Friday, Oct. 20

Kadena at Kubasaki, 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 27

Kubasaki vs. Kadena at McDonald Stadium, Risner Fitness & Sports Complex, Kadena Air Base, 7 p.m. (if necessary)

South Korea

W L Pct. PF PA

Seoul American 3 1 .750 140 93

x-Osan American 3 1 .750 141 81

Taegu American 0 4 .000 26 133

x-clinched DODDS-Korea berth in Far East Class A championship game Nov. 4 at Robert D. Edgren, Japan.

Saturday, Oct. 21

Singapore Oilers at Seoul American, 11 a.m.

Singapore Vikings vs. Osan American at Falcon Field, Seoul American High School, 2 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 25

Osan American at Seoul American, 4 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 28

Osan American at Taegu American, 2 p.m.

End regular season

Guam

Postseason

Semifinals

Friday, Oct. 20

Guam High at George Washington, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 21

Simon Sanchez vs. Father Duenas at George Washington HS, Mangilao, 7 p.m.

The Top Ten

The Top Ten teams in the Stars and Stripes’2006 Far East high school football ratings, with records through Oct. 14, points and last week’s rating, as compiled by Dave Ornauer of Stars and Stripes sports. Ratings are based primarily on teams’ win-loss records, quality of wins, strength of overall roster, point differential, team and individual statistics, strength of schedule and strength of leagues. Maximum rating is 500 points:

Record Pts Pvs

1. George Washington (Guam) 5-0 468 1

2. Yokota (Japan) 5-0 452 3

3. Kadena (Okinawa) 1-0 444 4

4. Seoul American 3-1 440 5

5. Kubasaki (Okinawa) 0-1 436 2

6. Osan American (South Korea) 3-1 428 6

7. Father Duenas (Guam) 3-2 400 7

8. Nile C. Kinnick (Japan) 3-3 384 8

9. Simon Sanchez (Guam) 4-2 380 9

10. Robert D. Edgren 3-3 364 10

(tie) Guam High 3-3 364 --

Week 7 grid honors

Osan American-Carlos Albaladejo 223 all-purpose yards, 3 touchdowns (148 yards, 3 touchdowns, 10 carries; 85 yards, 2 punt returns); 8 tackles. Will Rapoza 175 all-purpose yards, 3 touchdowns (51 yards, 1 touchdown, 9 carries; 124 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 catches).

Taegu American-Angel Hickman 99 yards total offense (39 yards, 6 carries; 2-for-6, 60 yards). Randall Daniels 78 all-purpose yards, 7 tackles, 1 kick block. Sam Davis 8 tackles.

Kadena-Sean Shattuck 143 yards, 2 touchdowns, 15 carries, 1 punt block. Jon Robinson 142 yards, 2 touchdowns, 12 carries. Mike Ward 1 punt block, 1 quarterback sack.

Kubasaki-Tim Gardner 76 all-purpose yards, 1 touchdown (44 yards, 1 touchdown, 9 carries; 8 yards, 1 catch; 24 yards, 1 return). Michael Dickerson 130 yards total offense, 1 touchdown (7-for-21, 92 yards, 1 touchdown; 38 yards, 4 carries).

Yokota-Anthony McNeill 345 all-purpose yards, 3 touchdowns (Japan Football League-record 313 yards, 3 touchdowns, 45 carries; 32 yards, 2 returns). Patrick Pamintuan 134 all-purpose yards (37 yards, 8 carries; 56 yards, 2 catches; 41 yards, 2 returns). Peter Weaver 126 yards total offense, 1 touchdown (4-for-5, 101 yards, 1 touchdown; 16 yards, 4 carries; 9 yards, 1 catch). Caiveon Thomas 45 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 catches; 2 interceptions.

Kinnick-Larynzo Abernathy 238 yards, 2 touchdowns, 28 carries.

Dave Ornauer's Week 8 outlook

Friday

Japan-Nile C. Kinnick 16, Zama American 10; Yokota 21, Robert D. Edgren 11.

Okinawa-Kadena 17, Kubasaki 12.

Guam-George Washington 18, Guam High 3.

Saturday

South Korea-Seoul American 25, Singapore Oilers 20; Osan American 20, Singapore Vikings 17.

Guam-Father Duenas Memorial 24, Simon Sanchez 12.

Last week-3-3, .500.

Season-28-9, .757.

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