European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 13, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday october 13, 1990 the stars and stripes a a Page 25commentary football Darmstadt style wait Morrissette r took a Short break from my saturday night shift at stripes to take in the fights in a packed Cambrai my in Darmstadt a couple of weekends Back. Presently i was cornered by Jeff Johnson of Darmstadt sports in Germany. A so when Are you going to cover our tackle football league a he asked. A a it a the Only army tackle football league in Europe you know. I called you Guys to Tell you about it but they told me you done to cover scum  we always get complaints about our coverage i said. He went on a i can to understand it. You Guys cover High school my but we get six to seven Hundred people out at Babenhausen for a Friday night  i did no to have a defense for that one so i checked it out. Monday oct. 1.1 got an introduction to the league at Johnson a office. Each of the seven teams plays six games with 12-minute quarters. Four of the seven teams make the playoffs set for nov. 10. Those semifinal winners meet for the conference championship Freedom bowl Viii set for nov. 17. Three of the seven teams Are based in Babenhausen 18 Miles East of Darmstadt. The Babenhausen panthers Are the defending Freedom bowl champions. Soldiers from the 4th in 77th Field arty Are on this team. They were 1-0. The thunderbolts better known around these parts As the to bolts Are from the 4th in 18th Field arty. They lost to the panthers in the �?T89 Freedom bowl and Are in first place at 2-0. The third Babenhausen team is the Gri smashers from the 1st in 27th Field arty. They have been the traditional doormats of the league but they played above their Heads Friday night. More on them in a minute. The other teams Are the Cambrai raiders representing 32nd Aad com Headquarters 440th signal in and 11th signal in the Elk wolverines s4th Engineer in and 10th Ada from Ernst Ludwig a sern the Kelley outlaws 165th military intelligence in and 547th engr in of Kelley Barracks and the Munster Mustangs 6th my 545th ordnance and 185th ordnance from Munster. Hmm. The we Brucken warriors had to forfeit a Safe a Continental sports conference regular a we lost to Elk 3-0 on a 30-Yard Field goal with three seconds left a Jackson said of this years game. A it was an emotional game for us because they were our Arch rivals them being just across the Street and All. Plus since Elk is going to close in �?T91, it would be the last time we would play  this night the to bolts were in first place at 2-0, High the i. Army spec. Andy Jackson a Kelley outlaw Breaks for Daylight. Season finale because they did no to have enough players. Darmstadt suits up seven teams of 30 players each in pads. That a Over 200 Guys slamming pads. Friday night oct. 5.1 drove to Babenhausen with photographer Andy Jackson of 32nd Aad com Public affairs. He played defensive Back for Kelley for two years before sitting out this season to get ready for primary leadership development course. Followed by the wolverines 1-0the panthers 1-0 ,. _. _ 2 and the Gri smashers 0-2. This game pitted the Mustangs against the Gri smashers. The setting reminded one of a Small town school game on a Chilly Friday night Back in the states. There were lights a shaped goal posts a set of bleachers on each sideline but no scoreboard and no hash Marks just solid lines every 5 Yards. The players wore Good looking uniforms. The Mustangs were decked out in the Detroit Lions look sky Blue jerseys and helmets with White names and numerals and Silver pants with Blue trim. The Gri smashers looked sinister in their Black uniforms with Gold numbers and trim. Huzah Thrap and other Bone crunching football sounds were heard As the defences tee off on opposing running backs. Both teams took turns running the Ball. It seemed they did no to have the practice time to develop passing attacks. They would run for big gains Between the 20s but the defences would stiffen. That is until the Grid smashers Bowling Bali of a running Back a 5-foot-3,155-Pound Robert Smith a busted Loose on a 30-Yard sweep around right end to put the underdogs up 6-0 late in the first Quarter. The Mustangs countered with the slashing running of Leo Bellinger alias . Bell a who ripped off three straight first Down runs. The Grid smasher who was everywhere on defense is their Lawrence Taylor Type linebacker Roderic forts. Just when the Mustangs were threatening to score forts stopped them cold. . Bell bobbed and weaved Down to about the 15, when forts slammed into him picked him up with his legs still pumping and smashed him into the turf in a tackle that would have made it proud. It Hurt me just watching it. A shaken up . Limped off the Field. A a in mall right a said Bellinger who played at Hoover High school in san Diego and san Diego City College before enlisting. A i just wish i could run the Ball  that a the Beauty of this league. . Bell played on every other series As the coaches made the Effort to play everybody. A i love this league a said forts who played at West see football on Page 27tanum races formula-1 s in French fast lanes amps Lynda Davidson Kaiserslautern a Frank Ranum a. Seeks grand prix racing career by Peggy Davidson Kaiserslautern Bureau Kaiserslautern Germany Frank Ranum is going to France for the Speed. He wants to learn How to safely Man Euver a race car through the curves of grand prix racing. This summer Ranum 21, completed the Winfield school or la Ecol de Pilotage Renault Elf Winfield near the French Riviera. The school teaches the fundamentals of race car driving to aspiring formula-1 Drivers. Some graduates of the school have gone on to become the hot names on the grand prix circuit a Didier Pironi Alain Prost and Eric Bernard. Ranum said that the initial course which he attended in june also showed some of the Drivers that racing Wasny to for them. Ranum however Wasny tone of those. Instead he was one of five students who earned a certificate of Merit from the school. According to school officials not every class has students who earn the certificates it depends on How Well the students drive and learn from their mistakes. The school which usually caters to european Drivers holds about six classes a year for americans. They attend the course through arrangements made by fran am racing inc., a Minnesota based company. The classes for americans Are taught by English speaking instructors in the Hopes that More americans will qualify for the formula-1 circuit. Currently there Are no americans on the circuit Ranum said. Ranum is not new to racing cars although the june course was his first ride in formula cars. He was a member of the Texas a amp a autocross team and earned the schools Slot in the National collegiate driving championship for 1990. He went on to the Competition in Indianapolis where he drove away with the National level championship and a prize of $5,000 and the use of a Dodge Daytona Shelby for a year. A the $5,000 prize is helping pay for the advanced course a said Ranum. He is still working out the details of the car use with the contest sponsors since he is living in Germany with his family. Ranum a father army it. Col. Curt Ranum assigned to the 21st theater army area come Kaiserslautern has been stationed in Germany for two years. The younger Ranum who works at the Ramstein a Exchange uses his drive to and from work to practice handling tight curves and downshifting. A driving fast a he said a is not As easy As it seems. Its pretty serious business that belongs on a track not on the open roads. Race car driving is both physically and mentally demanding Ranum said. A you must be totally focused on driving at All times a he added saying that a split second can make a difference in whether the car stays on the track or spins out. Ranum Hopes that he will make the Cut for the semifinal and final rounds at the school. About 30 american Drivers will be at the advanced course which starts oct. 12, Ranum said. Of those Only five Drivers will make it into the finals. Though he so not really sure what level Drivers Are going to be there a Ranum said a a in a planning on going there and giving it the Best shot i  the formula-1 hopeful encourages other americans interested in racing to by the school. Being stationed in Europe gives military family members an Edge Over people in the states he said. Americans already in Europe save about $1,000 in travel costs. If he does no to make it on the european grand prix circuit Ranum Hopes to return to the states and get into indy car racing. Whichever Road Ranum takes fast cars will be there too. For others interested in attending the school Contact Fra Nam racing inc. 1409 s. Walls Hora drive Minnetonka Minn. 55343. Telephone 612-541 -9461. Tel fax 612-541-1380