(Stars and Stripes)

RAF LAKENHEATH, England – After two years of not playing against Division I football foes, Lakenheath guaranteed itself an extended season Friday night by shutting out the Wiesbaden Warriors 32-0.

The Lancers improved to 3-0 in National Conference play in DODEA-Europe’s top football division, clinching one of the four playoff spots in a game featuring heavy wind and rain throughout.

Lakenheath didn’t get a chance to play anyone outside of England a year ago due to coronavirus protocols and stayed off the field along with the rest of its DODEA-Europe peers in 2020.

Nico Marchini threw for one touchdown and ran for another against the Warriors as Lakenheath went up 14-0 after a quarter and 23-0 at halftime. Gavin Idleman scored from 5 yards out and Marchini followed with a 1-yard score. Ryuu Flynn scored from 11 yards out in the second quarter and Idleman added a safety.

Marchini connected with Dante Thompson for an 8-yard scoring pass in the third quarter and Witt Hennig added a second safety for the final score.

Idleman led the Lakenheath defense with six tackles, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. Lucius Bowman had four tackles, three sacks and a fumble recovery.

Vilseck 28, Ramstein 7: Saturday at Vilseck, the Falcons topped the Royals in another game dominated by rain and cold.

Tameco Richardson set the tone early by scoring from 79 yards out on the game’s second play. He was back with a 35-yard scoring run a few minutes later and finished with 24 carries for 200 yards.

Quarterback Jonathan Bullock then got in the act, connecting with Junior Gonzalez for an 85-yard TD in the third quarter and Aiden Marr for a 20-yard TD pass in the fourth period.

Gabe Morrell had 62 yards for the Falcons, while Bullock threw for 127 yards. On defense, Pierre Fuentes had nine tackles, Garrett Hyten eight tackles and a sack, Marr six tackles and Owen Brewer five. Junior Gonzalez had an interception.

The Falcons would clinch a playoff spot by defeating either Stuttgart next weekend or Kaiserslautern the following weekend. Ramstein makes the playoffs if it wins next week against Wiesbaden.

Lucas Hollenbeck threw for 165 yards and a touchdown for the Royals. Landon Torroll (15 carries, 42 yards) was the leading rusher and Donnie Kaya (six catches, 84 years) the leading receiver. Matt Rutlege, John Thompson and Brody Hall each had six tackles and Chuck Wheeler five. Torroll and Adrian Vega recovered fumbles.

Division II

Naples 34, Aviano 14: Saturday at Aviano, the Wildcats remained perfect on the season and clinched homefield advantage for the playoffs.

In fact, Naples – which has outscored its three foes 163-31 in four games this season, could end its season with four straight home games. The Wildcats host Vicenza and Rota to end the regular season and then will host a semifinal game. Naples also would host the championship game if it wins in the semifinals.

Saturday against the Saints, Cameron Collins returned a fumble for 38 yards to open the scoring in the first quarter. It stayed that way until the third period, when Matteo Toliver scored on a 5-yard run.

Collins stripped the ball and scored from 67 yards to give Naples a 20-0 lead later in the quarter.

Gary Oliver’s 11-yard run, Camden Kasparek’s 6-yard TD pass to Chris White and Orlando Escobedo’s two PATS made the score 34-0 before the Saints scored.

Colin North and Andrew Walker scored for Aviano, which fumbled five times. Malachi Harkley and Josh Barthold were the leading tacklers on defense.

Oliver had 134 yards on 15 carries for Naples, while Kasparek threw for 149 yards. Marcus Wilson and Treyvon Hoffstatter had eight tackles and two sacks each to lead the Wildcats on defense.

Vicenza 44, Rota 12: Saturday at Vicenza, the Cougars picked up their second victory of the season and kept the Admirals winless.

Both teams will play in the semifinals Oct. 22 as there are only four teams in Division II. No further details were available on Saturday’s game.

Division III

Brussels 48, AFNORTH 28: Saturday at Brussels, the Brigands stayed perfect on the season and clinched one of the four semifinal playoff spots by topping the Lions.

William Pierce scored three touchdowns and Sawyer Ter Horst scored twice for Brussels, which improved to 4-0. Jabriel Wells and Ter Horst paced the defense, with Wells and Antonio Pranjic each snagging interceptions.

Alconbury 20, Ansbach 13: Saturday at Alconbury, the Dragons topped the Cougars in a relative defensive battle in six-man football.

Antonio Puente had 11 tackles to lead Ansbach, while Mason Batin had seven tackles and Elijah Antonetti five. Antonetti returned an interception for a touchdown and Antonio Puente scored on a 28-yard touchdown. Mason Batin also caught an interception and Nathaniel Carter caused and recovered a fumble.

AFIL

SHAPE 26, Ostende Pirates 20: Saturday at Ostende, Brody Wellington’s fourth-quarter interception return for a touchdown made the difference for the Spartans in an American Football International League game.

Wellington threw three touchdown passes on offense before catching an Ostende pass himself and returning it 45 yards for the winning score. He also rushed for 111 yards.

The junior connected with Jaime Delgado-Munoz Bernal for a 10-yard TD, then found Keller Schutt for a 9-yard score before hooking up again with Delgado-Munoz Bernal for an 80-yard scoring play. He completed 11 passes for 183 yards. Munoz-Delgado Bernal caught four passes for 114 yards and Ethan Barden caught four more for 50 yards.

Thomas McCabe-Hefner led the Spartans defense with seven solo tackles, Schutt had four and Easton Welch and Braxton Wooley three apiece.