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.

     Division I

     -- Wiesbaden (3-3) at Ramstein (5-0): Ramstein is averaging 48.6 points per game and gashed Wiesbaden for 55 points the second week of the season. But Kaiserslautern coach Tom Burriss said Tuesday he can tell Wiesbaden how to stop the Royals.

“Put about 20 men on the field,” he joked. “They are fast, talented and agile.”

     Burris especially cited Ramstein QB Michael Wallace.

     “They went student-body right,” Burris recalled about an incident in his Red Raiders’ 49-0 loss to the Royals on Oct. 10. “We stopped him (Wallace), but he just reversed his field and ran for a touchdown.”

     However, Burris doesn’t think this week’s Ramstein-Wiesbaden game will resemble that 55-12 first one on Sept. 26.

     “Steve Jewell’s a good coach,” Burriss said. “If anyone can come up with a scheme to stop them, he can.”

     -- Vilseck (4-2) at Heidelberg (5-1): These teams are replaying Heidelberg’s 14-13 road victory Oct. 3 at Vilseck, this time at Heidelberg’s Patrick Henry Village. Patch coach Brian Hill is looking for still more excitement in Round 2.

     “I think it will be a great game,” he said Monday.  “Both teams are disciplined and well-coached. It’s hard to beat (Vilseck) Coach (Jim) Hall two times in a season because he studies film like nobody else and he is really good about finding weaknesses.”

     Hill thinks Hall will have to look closely to find one this week, however. “Heidelberg does not have an obvious weakness,” he said. “They are very good at taking the ball away and capitalizing on turnovers.  Both teams run the ball well and can pass if needed.  You will see a lot of off-tackle running….”
     Hill thinks the key to the game is taking care of the ball. “I think the game will come down to turnovers,” he concluded. “Whoever turns it over the least will win.”

     Division II

     -- Vicenza (5-1) at Ansbach (6-0): Baumholder’s Carter Hollenbeck, whose Bucs are usually on their homefield on the last day of the season, will be watching this time around.

     “Ansbach has won 30 games in a row with multiple championships,” he said Monday.  “Vicenza has been in the semifinal game the past three seasons, proving that they have a high-quality football program.”

     The battle of the Cougars could prove competitive, despite Ansbach’s string of courtesy-rule victories this season.

“Both teams have speed and strength,” Hollenbeck continued. “For Vicenza to be successful, they must contain Ansbach's outside running game and have stellar performances from Kyle Kaus, quick and difficult to bring down, and QB Kola Awe, who is very elusive.  Both teams have excellent athletes and are well-coached.”

     -- Bitburg (4-2) at International School of Brussels (6-0): This game figures to be an entertaining combination of power and finesse.

     Gino Culotta is averaging more than 200 rushing yards per game for ISB, which also, however, gets good passing production from QB Ben Hausdorff. ISB is averaging 39.3 points per game.

     Bitburg, which dropped a 34-16 verdict to ISB on Sept. 26, has rounded into shape by winning its last four games. Brandon Massie, a kicking weapon of rare efficiency, and Derek Waters can run the ball for Bitburg. The Barons also boast in Matt Less a quick and elusive quarterback.

     Division III (Nine-man)

     Joe Fiedler of Brussels had a firsthand look at all four D-III semifinalists. Here’s his assessment:

     -- Alconbury (1-4) at Sigonella (5-0):  Unbeaten Sigonella is “incredibly disciplined” Fiedler said by telephone on Wednesday. “They have a multifaceted offense, with (Jeff) Lastrella,  (Tyron) Andrews and (Andrew) Barclay running the ball and (Brett) Gilbert throwing to (Marco) Summerfield and (James) Campbell.”

     For Alconbury, “Devin Pryor is really good -- he’s their team,” Fiedler said. “We knew what he was going to do and still couldn’t stop him.”

     Fiedler was less impressed with the Alconbury defense. “They had everybody in the box,” he said. “The flats were open and it was open deep. We just couldn’t complete anything.”

     -- Rota (2-3) at Menwith Hill (4-1): Menwith quarterback Scottie Setzer’s recent injury woes have tipped the balance from opening day, when Menwith Hill went to Spain and dumped the Admirals 40-13.

      “With Scottie out, Rota is the better overall team right now,” Fiedler said. “They have a good quarterback (Alex Kase), a good running back (Caleb Arnold) and a tough defense.”

     And the Mustangs?

“They still have (running back Chris) Jackson,” Fiedler said, “but without Scottie, they’re not the same team.”