Kaiserslautern quarterback Rueben Todman throws during the Raiders' 44-6 win over the Warriors on Sept. 22, 2023, at Wiesbaden at Wiesbaden High School. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

WIESBADEN, Germany – The team huddle after Kaiserslautern’s 44-6 win over Wiesbaden on Friday evening highlighted the addictiveness of winning.

It’s not something to which these Raiders (2-1) are accustomed. They recorded just one win last fall, but combined with a come-from-behind victory over crosstown rival Ramstein last week, Kaiserslautern managed to double that tally against the Warriors (0-3) at Wiesbaden High School.

“It feels great,” Raider coach Duke Allen said of stringing together a winning streak. “The boys have been working hard, and things are starting to come together.”

Friday, Kaiserslautern used its defense and special teams to set up the offense, especially in the first half. The Raiders had all but one drive in the opening two quarters start in Warrior territory and finished four drives with touchdowns.

The defense forced Wiesbaden into two turnovers in the half, stopped the Warriors twice on fourth down and then turned three punts into big gains on the returns.

The Raiders’ average starting field position in opening 24 minutes was the Wiesbaden 42-yard line.

“It changes momentum a lot,” Kaiserslautern’s Noah Worthington said of the short fields. “Mentally, it carries our offense.”

Sevastian Quiles played a key role in creating some of those short fields. The junior defensive back nabbed three interceptions, earning himself the right to wear the team’s turnover chain after the final whistle blew.

The Raiders also added a fumble recovery to total four takeaways.

“I was watching the quarterback,” Quiles said of the picks. “I saw the ball coming to me. I was like, ‘I can’t drop this.’ Caught it, and I tried to get up field.”

Warrior running back Munro Davis looks to bust a run to the outside during a Sept. 22, 2023, game at Wiesbaden High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Kaiserslautern receiver Brelan Barnes cuts inside off a sweep during a Sept. 22, 2023, game against the Warriors at Wieabden High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Kaiserslautern defender Julian Murdock sacks Warriors quarterback Ben Cashen during a game on Sept. 22, 2023, at Wiesbaden High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

As for the offense, it showed some balance.

The Raiders gained more yards on the ground (251 to 194 yards) than they did in the air, despite throwing the ball more times than they carried it (41 to 30).

They did reach the end zone more often through the air, though, with quarterback Rueben Todman finding Logan Bell for a 14-yard score at the 6-minute, 29-second mark in the first quarter to open the scoring. Todman connected with Kemory Wilson for a pair of touchdowns of 6 and 52 yards at the 2:47 mark in the first quarter and with 55.5 seconds left in the half, respectively.

The Kaiserslautern signal caller hit Jakob Bell on an out pattern for a 2-yard score with 7:27 remaining in the game to round out the aerial scores. Todman finished 12-of-32 passing for 172 yards.

On the ground, Brelan Barnes led the way, amassing 106 yards on nine attempts. His 38-yard touchdown run at the 11:26 mark in the fourth frame showcased his speed and agility, as he juked a few defenders before finding some green space along the sideline for the score.

Todman added 72 yards running himself, although 51 of them came on a keeper with 3.8 seconds left in the game. Junior Aaron Potter had 67 yards, while Andy Etchell punched in a 2-yard score in his lone rush at the 11:30 mark in the second quarter that made it 19-0.

“We try to take what they give us,” Allen said. “If they’re taking away the pass, then we’re going to run.”

Although the Kaiserslautern defense proved to be a tough nut to crack, the Warriors got on the scoresheet late in the third quarter. Capping off a 10-play, 59-yard drive, Isaiah Crockett punched in a 1-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 25-6 heading into the final frame.

The score was just the second by Wiesbaden this season. The team also entered the season with nine upperclassmen, according to coach Thomas Packard.

John Colorado led the way with 59 yards on eight carries, while Munro Davis added 52 yards on eight attempts.

“We have a young team, but they’re fighters,” Packard said. “We’re making big strides. We just need that W. I want that W for the kids because they’re working really, really hard.”

The Raiders will look to stretch the winning streak to three games when they host Stuttgart next weekend, while the Warriors travel to Vilseck.