Spangdahlem receiver Logan Simmers runs away from International School of Brussels defender Haevyn McClement, who's tugging onto his jersey, during a Sept. 21, 2024, game at Spangdahlem High School in Spangdahlem, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

SPANGDAHLEM, Germany – The Spangdahlem football program looks brand new in 2024.

Gone is most of the core from last year’s Division III European championship squad, with many having played on the runner-up squads of 2021 and 2022. Gone is the previous coaching staff. In steps Mark Jackson, who never had coached football prior to this season.

The Sentinels even are playing a new type of football in Division II/III’s maiden nine-man football season, after competing in six-man football the past few years.

But no matter how much has changed for the Sentinels, when they opened their season Friday evening against the International School of Brussels at Spangdahlem High School, the result remained the same. Spangdahlem recovered from a two-point halftime deficit to defeat the Raiders 34-14.

The Sentinels (1-0) scored the game’s final 22 points after giving up a touchdown to ISB quarterback Max Ball on a 1-yard run with 2 seconds remaining in the first half.

“I told them at the beginning, ‘You got to prove it. They’re all going to be coming for you, looking for that demise of the Spangdahlem football team,’ ” Jackson said. “We made the adjustments and came out in the second half and dominated how we usually play Spangdahlem football.”

Despite the overhaul at Spangdahlem, one aspect stayed the same: physicality.

The Raiders (1-1) struggled to match the intensity from the get-go and didn’t produce a first down – let alone points – until the second quarter.

ISB’s rushing attack eventually got going and totaled 198 yards on 38 attempts, with junior running Jonathan Cornet leading the way with 114 yards on 22 carries and Ball chipping in 84 on 15 rushes.

Still, the Sentinels outgained them with 233 yards on 27 totes and 367-239 in total offense. Spangdahlem quarterback Messiah Smith amassed 162 yards on 16 carries with a 53-yard scamper that capped a two-play, 91-yard drive early in the fourth quarter that made it a two-possession game at 28-14. He had another running score with a 16-yard run on the opening drive of the game.

The senior chipped in with 10-of-14 passing for 134 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Junior Cordrick Sago (48 yards on seven carries) and senior Greyson Dorien (27 yards on four carries) also contributed to the ground game.

Senior Logan Simmers explained the biggest struggle with going to nine-man is Spangdahlem’s lack of depth against bigger schools such as ISB and SHAPE. Yet the Sentinels more than make up for it with physicality.

“It’s definitely tough,” Simmers said. “We got to work on our conditioning because we don’t have subs like the other teams do.

“We have to make a statement that even though we’re a small team, we still hit hard.”

International School of Brussels quarterback Max Ball reaches across the goal line ahead of Spangdahlem defenders at the end of the first half of a Sept. 21, 2024, game at Spangdahlem High School in Spangdahlem, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Spangdahlem’s Zander Doulder tackles International School of Brussels’ Alex Chapman during a Sept. 21, 2024, game at Spangdahlem High School in Spangdahlem, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Spangdahlem quarterback Messiah Smith runs through a tackle attempt by International School of Brussels defender Max Ball during a Sept. 21, 2024, game at Spangdahlem High School in Spangdahlem, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

International School of Brussels running back Jonathan Cornet stiff-arms Spangdahlem defender Mason Knight during a Sept. 21, 2024, game at Spangdahlem High School in Spangdahlem, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Spangdahlem quarterback Messiah Smith throws a pass during a Sept. 21, 2024, game against International School of Brussels at Spangdahlem High School in Spangdahlem, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

International School of Brussels defender Ezra Clayborne tackles Spangdahlem quarterback Messiah Smith during a Sept. 21, 2024, game at Spangdahlem High School in Spangdahlem, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Spangdahlem quarterback Messiah Smith throws a pass to receiver Logan Simmers during a Sept. 21, 2024, game against International School of Brussels at Spangdahlem High School in Spangdahlem, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Simmers himself had a night to remember.

The receiver gashed ISB’s secondary for 124 yards on seven receptions. He scored two offensive touchdowns – a 32-yarder on a fourth-and-4 early in the second quarter in which he caught the ball up the middle before breaking a few tackles and a 55-yarder to open the second half by finding a soft spot in the zone and shrugging off a defender.

Defensively, he proved to be a menace for Ball, intercepting him twice. The second was a 22-yard pick six with 2:05 left in the game.

“Now it’s his time to shine,” Jackson said of Simmers. “He was always an important part to the team, but now he’s like a key cog, and he’s making those plays. He’s lifting up his teammates, and we wouldn’t be where we are without him.”

Simmers played a role in slowing down the Raiders’ rushing attack in the fourth quarter.

Ball took advantage of acres of space on rollouts in the second and third quarters, producing five runs of double-digit yards. Eight times he recorded first downs with his legs. He finished the game with a combined total of 200 yards on the ground and in the air.

In the fourth quarter, though, Simmers played a QB spy role as the Sentinels contained the ISB quarterback. Ball had negative yardage in the final frame.

“There were some adjustments we needed to make like putting pressure on that QB,” Simmers said. “Once we started putting pressure on that QB the second half, they couldn’t score no more.”

ISB coach Lee Rosky said his team rued various miscues. It started when the Raiders didn’t field the opening kickoff, allowing the Sentinels to pounce on it.

Another key sequence came early in the fourth quarter. Down six early in the fourth quarter, the Raiders had driven to the Spangdahlem 20-yard line. But a couple of sacks and a false start forced them to punt the ball from the Spangdahlem 44.

ISB, led on defense by Terry Koo’s 13 tackles, never got closer.

“We had a rhythm in the first half, and we started shooting ourselves in the foot more than anything,” Rosky said.