The Kaiserslautern Officials Association might be running the refereeing show this year in DODDS-Europe, but don't get the idea you have to be in the K-town area to work the high school mats this winter.
"We need refs more in places like Hohenfels, Ansbach, Vilseck, Brussels, SHAPE, AFNORTH and England," KOA's Al Shaff said Wednesday.

In other words, not just the K-town area. You just have to join the organization, not relocate, if you want to referee high school matches this winter.

Anyone interested, wherever he or she resides, is invited to Saturday's 8:30 a.m. registration and clinic in Bldg 404 at Ramstein Air Base. That's next to the Northside Shoppette.

Call Shaff at German civ. 06371-946084 or E-mail him at al.shaff@yahoo.com for more info.

 Golf wasn’t the only inter-service sports endeavor the Air Force dominated last week, Armed Forces sports chief Ken Polk reported on Tuesday.

 Ramstein golfer Jason Perry, a one-handicapper who’s the reigning USAFE champion, shot a six-over 294 last week at Camp Pendleton, Calif., to finish third overall in the 2009 Armed Forces golf championships.

It's probably a sign of instability, but as I sat down to watch the Minnesota-Green Bay game last Sunday, I experienced amazement and then annoyance as the Packer cheese-heads actually booed their soon-to-be-Hall-of-Fame former quarterback, Brett Favre, as he took the field in Green Bay in another team's jersey for the first time.

Were they kidding? Was it good-natured ribbing? I hope so. Otherwise, they're telling a guy who was about to demonstrate over the ensuing three hours how well he can play that he can't be forgiven for not staying retired after a down season with the New York Jets.

 In high school football Saturday, it’s six of one and a half-dozen of another as the European semifinals get underway at six sites around the continent. The six winners will move on to the annual football championship tripleheader at Baumholder, scheduled this year for Nov. 7. The half-dozen who come up short will hand in their pads.

      If you get a chance to take in one of this week’s games, do yourself a favor and go. Mismatch games are a thing of the past by this time, the weather’s expected to be dry at all six venues, and admission charges are nominal. Kickoffs are 1 p.m.

·        Sports takes to the air

AFN-Europe is giving us something old and something new this week,

Former SHAPE football star Alejandro Villaneuva, a senior at the U.S Military Academy, hauled in his fourth touchdown pass of the season Saturday in Army’s 27-13 loss to Temple.

Villanueva, a 6-10, 283-pound – and this is no mistake – wide receiver, has caught 16 passes for 253 yards in seven games this season, his first as a pass-catcher. Last year, Villanueva started every game at left tackle after playing on the defensive line his first two seasons at West Point.

According to the Army Sports Information Department, new Army coach Rich Ellerson moved Villaneuva, now called “Ali,” to wide-out to provide a large perimeter target for the Army offense.

Jump-balls may be in the offing for this year’s Army-Navy game.

USAFE sports chief Tom Burkett reported Tuesday that 22 racquetball players turned out for the 2009 USAFE Armed Forces Racquetball Championships, opening event of the 2009-2010 season.

Ramstein’s Paul Clark and Heidelberg’s James Johnson each won gold and silver medals, according to Burkett. Clark beat Johnson for the open crown; then placed second to Johnson in the seniors’ (35 years and older) finale.

Mannheim’s Kevin Comer prevailed in the men’s B category over Spangdahlem’s Christopher McDaniels, and Ramstein’s Christopher D’Avino topped the men’s C field over runner-up Sid Maru of San Antonio, Texas.

Roberta Wemhoff downed fellow Ramsteiner Lisa Behar for the women’s title, Burkett reported.