Stuttgart’s Jacob Schudel drives against Ramstein’s Dominic Brooks in the boys Division I final at the DODEA-Europe basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 17, 2024. Stuttgart won the game 47-36. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
WIESBADEN, Germany – Stuttgart and Ramstein met on the basketball court for the Division I DODEA European basketball championship on Saturday for the second year in a row, but the two games couldn’t have been more different.
And it wasn’t just because of the change of venue.
In 2023, the two played out a double-overtime thriller at Ramstein High School with the Panthers coming out on top. Saturday’s 2024 final at the Wiesbaden Sports and Fitness Center on Clay Kaserne was the polar opposite, with Stuttgart grinding out a 47-36 victory to repeat as champions.
One of the more memorable moments in the game came at the 4-minute, 37-second mark in the third quarter, when Stuttgart (18-0) played a game of “musical jerseys,” trying to find a clean uniform either among teammates on the bench or in its equipment after six guys ended up with blood on theirs.
Not that the Panthers cared about style points.
“We’re the most undersized team in all of D-I,” Stuttgart senior guard Jacob Schudel said. “All of our guys fought. Ryan (Stevenson) was trying to box out guys that were 5 inches taller than him and a hundred pounds heavier, and he was fighting so hard.
“That’s why we won. We didn’t give up every single play.”
The Stuttgart Panthers celebrate after defeating Ramstein 47-36 to win the Division I title at the DODEA-Europe basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 17, 2024. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
Stuttgart’s Ismael Anglada Paz takes it to the basket against Ramstein’s Aarius Guishard in the boys Division I final at the DODEA-Europe basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 17, 2024. Stuttgart took the title with a 47-36 win. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
Ramstein’s Ky’Ron Hill passes to a teammate despite the pressure by Stuttgart’s John Gilliland in the boys Division I final at the DODEA-Europe basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 17, 2024. watching the action is Michael Gonzales. Stuttgart beat Ramstein 47-36. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
Stuttgart’s Alex Guthrie blocks a shot by Ramstein’s Christian Roy in the boys Division I final at the DODEA-Europe basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 17, 2024. The Panthers beat the Royals 47-36 to take the DI title. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
Ramstein’s Ky’Ron Hall passes an ally-hoop to teammate Kelan Vaughn, right, in the boys Division I final at the DODEA-Europe basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 17, 2024. Stuttgart beat Ramstein 47-36 for the title. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
The Panthers looked like they were going to run away with it early, jumping out to a 9-2 lead 2-plus minutes into the contest.
But that’s when foul trouble started to hit Stuttgart. Senior starters Stevenson and Chris Hess were whistled three times each over the first 10-and-a-half minutes, forcing coach Christopher Jackson to dig deep into his bench.
Because of that, points started coming at a premium.
“We already knew that Ramstein would try to make it messy because they are bigger and they are stronger,” Jackson said. “We knew if they played regular basketball, they wouldn’t be in the game. Once they started getting tons of fouls called, we knew we had to grind it out.”
One player who stepped up was one Jackson had known for seven years but hadn’t called on much.
Senior John Gilliland at least quintupled his usual 2-minute-per-game average on Saturday to fill in for Stevenson and Hess. While he scored just two points, the 5-foot-10 forward grabbed seven rebounds.
Jackson told Gilliland the team was going to need him at some point this season, and it turned out to be the one for all the marbles.
“John was so incredible,” Schudel said. “The most important game of the entire season, when the game’s on the line, he plays his ass off. It’s so impressive.”
Two other seniors, Schudel and Ismael Anglada-Paz, paced the Panthers. Schudel totaled 17 points, while Anglada-Paz, the Division I tournament MVP, pieced together an 11-point, seven-rebound performance.
For Ramstein, the game plan was simple: Attack the basket and possibly head to the free-throw line.
Royal coach Brendan Rouse said everything about the plan worked except for one thing: making the shots. The Royals went 14-of-23 from the charity stripe. But those numbers were bolstered late in the game. In the first half, they made just 2 of 7 shots.
Junior Tyrell Edwards later found success on the freebies. He went 10 of 15 in the second half as he recorded a game-high 18 points.
“The plan was working,” Rouse said. “We just couldn’t connect on the free throws. We took it to the basket. We did exactly what we were supposed to do. We could not knock down the shots.”
Saturday’s win capped off a long journey for the crop of five Stuttgart seniors, who were there before the Panthers made the push for the program’s first title since the school opened in 2013 after moving from Patch Barracks.
Anglada-Paz, who joined the Panthers as a sophomore two years ago, said he noticed the growth in his fellow players.
“We’ve definitely grown as a family, as a team,” Anglada-Paz said. “I’m sure if you go back and watch the film, you can see the progress as a team. I’m proud of how far we’ve come.”