Take away the first and last few seconds of Becker’s opening football game at Hutchinson Thursday night and the Bulldogs would have walked away victorious.

 

Instead, they allowed an opening kickoff runback of 88 yards for a TD and the game was capped off by a 26-yard Hutchinson field goal with three seconds left for the Tigers to defeat the two-time state champions.

 

Give the Becker boys a lot of credit. They battled back from three, two-touchdown deficits tie the ball game with 1:43 to go — but lost a heartbreaker in the waning seconds.

 

Becker freshman QB Josh Fobbe looked like a seasoned pro out there as he led the visitors with 219 yards and four touchdowns on 14-for-22 passing. He spread the ball around effectively, using a plethora of standout receivers and runners to get his team back in the game, over-and-over again. His presence was like thunder in a storm.

 

And Sidney Boros — a relatively untested junior tailback — stepped into the spotlight and shined like lightning.

 

Following the setback on the opening kickoff, Fobbe and crew responded by tying the game three minutes later. 

 

On that first Becker possession, Boros racked up 59 yards on runs of 15 and 22 and a catch from Fobbe for another 22 yards. Fobbe culminated the drive with a seven-yard pass completion to Lucas Dertinger to bring the game even at the 9:10 mark.

 

The tie was broken by Hutchinson quickly as they took just four plays to re-take the lead halfway through the first quarter. They extended their lead to 13 just as the second quarter commenced, when Maguire Petersen caught a pass from Lane Glaser and rambled 38 yards for the score.

 

Fobbe took charge at his own 29 following the kickoff and impressively marched the team down the field. Again, he used the legs of Boros to tear through the Tiger defense, then capped the drive with a 39-yard TD strike to Adam Bauman to get back within a TD. 

 

The first half ended that way with Becker down by 20-14.

 

The Bulldogs appeared to make retribution for the game’s opening kickoff for a TD by returning the favor to start the second half. Boros fielded the second half KO at the eight yard line and dashed through the Tiger special teams to the endzone to appear to tie or take the lead.

 

 

However, the TD was stripped from the board when referees tossed the little yellow flag and Becker found themselves with the ball at their own 10-yard line.

 

Three plays later, Becker had to punt the ball back to Hutchinson and one play after that, the Tigers put a dagger in the backs of the Bulldogs. 

 

After receiving a short kick from Becker to the 24, Glaser wasted no time in capitalizing on the great field position when he dropped back to pass and found Peterson again for a 24-yard TD score.

 

Fobbe again showed his toughness and character as he took the Bulldogs down the field on their next possession to get within seven once again. This time he found Tyler Lindquist for a five yarder and at the 6:28 mark of the third quarter, Becker was just one score behind.

 

The Tigers answered yet again three minutes late as Glaser drove his team to Becker’s 33, where Isaiah Nelson took a handoff and outran the defenders to the goal line to put Hutchinson back up by two scores.

 

The final quarter was full of excitement as Fobbe and Glaser took turns trying to either get their team back into the contest, or put the game out of reach. It wasn’t until there was 4:28 left to go did all the fireworks start to happen for the fans, players and coaches.

 

With the score 34-20 in favor of Hutchinson and less than five minutes to go, Becker got back within one score when the Bulldogs executed a hook-and-ladder play this reporter hasn’t seen since it was perfectly executed seven or eight years ago against Totino Grace.

 

Fobbe dropped back at this own 33 and completed a pass to Lindquist at the 40-yard line. Lindquist proceeded to lateral the ball back to a streaking Boros and he finished the play with a 64-yard run to the endzone to get the Bulldogs within a TD.

 

Incredibly, on Hutchinson’s next possession, Nelson took the handoff from Glaser at his own 45-yard line and fumbled the ball. The Bulldogs jumped on the pigskin and were back in business with 3:50 to go.

 

Guess who entered the spotlight one final time?

 

Yep. Thunder and lightning.

 

From the 43-yard line, Boros took Fobbe’s handoff with 1:42 left in the game and stealthily carried the ball to the endzone to tie the contest at 34.

 

Unfortunately for Becker and with less than a minute-and-a-half, the Tigers were able to drive the ball to the Becker nine-yard line — thanks in large part to a critical pass interference penalty on a third-and-10 at the 40-yard line. 

 

The rest of the story is the heartbreaker.

 

The Bulldogs finished with 209 yards rushing compared to Hutchinson’s 236. Boros led the ‘Dogs with 154 yards on 15 carries and two TDs — one on the ground and one through the air. He had three runs of 20+ yards in the game.

 

The Tigers’ Nelson had 158 yards rushing on 18 attempts an scored twice.

 

Fobbe and the Bulldogs outpassed the Tigers through the air with Fobbe tallying 209 yards compared to Glaser’s 72.

 

Becker had the most yards on offense with 418 yards compared to the Tigers’ 308.

 

The Bulldogs play their first home game of the season Friday against New London-Spicer. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.