“Defense. Defense. Defense.”

Those were the chants all night as the Becker Bulldog football team put their mighty, but youthful defense on display in a big first-game win over Monticello Friday night at home.

That defense is made up of just one senior — but they played like veterans as Becker knocked off Monticello, 22-3.

The game began with both team’s offenses struggling to get some continuity and flow. On Becker’s first possession, a couple runs and a failed pass play resulted in the home team lining up to punt the ball to the Magic within the first few minutes of the contest. Josh Fobbe dropped back to receive the snap but the ball sailed 12 feet over his head and several yards downfield. By the time he was able to corral the ball, a Magic player touched him down and the visitors had their first possession deep in Becker territory.

But Hokan Bengtson’s youthful defense stepped up, stood their ground and returned the ball to their offense when Monticello failed to convert a fourth down play.

The first quarter was like a preseason or scrimmage as both teams couldn’t do much between the 20’s.

But in the second quarter, Becker’s fortunes turned and a balanced drive brought the ball all the way to inside the five before Coach Lundeen decided to go for a field goal.

And they brought out their new secret weapon — senior Emma Domka from the girls soccer team  — to boot the ball through the uprights. And that she did.

Domka is splitting time between the girls soccer squad and the football team as she fine tunes her kicks on both the gridiron and the pitch. Domka dons the #43 jersey and after her first field goal, the chants for “43” and “Emma” resonated throughout the stadium.

With a 3-0 lead, it was more defense from Hoke’s boys as they bent, but never broke. Late in the first half, Monticello’s Alex Opatz dropped back to pass from inside his own 20 and flung a pass to his left. The ball deflected off a hand and Becker’s Hunter Klatt reeled in the ball and galloped down the sidelines into the end zone for the first TD of the game.

The extra point was made by Domka and the Bulldogs held a 10-0 lead going into halftime.

The second half was much of the same. Becker’s defense stood tall while Fobbe and the offense worked out their quirks. Fobbe had the luxury all night of flinging the ball to any number of tall wideouts like Cade Callahan, Austin Berning, Carter Hietala and  Nick Mittelstaedt while utilizing Isaac Koop, Morgan Boros and Berning on the ground. The offensive line kept Fobbe protected and opened holes for the Bulldog runners to dash to daylight.

The offense finally broke through late in the third quarter as they drove the field to Magic territory. A handoff to Koop looked innocent enough, but his quickness and toughness was too much for the poor arm tackling of the Magic secondary. Koop scored from 22 yards out and with the way the defense was playing, a win seemed almost a certainty.

Domka’s attempt at the point after sailed left (oh well) and the Bulldogs felt good with a 16-0 lead.

The Magic did muster a decent drive thereafter, but it stalled again deep in Becker’s red zone and the Magic decided to go for a field goal themselves. It was a success, but down by 13 was not an enviable position to be in on an opponent’s turf.

The Magic tried an on-side kick, but the Bulldogs covered it and as the fourth quarter wound down and the clock ticking away, Fobbe heaved a ball to the deep corner of the end zone to find Carter Hietala for the team’s final score, 22-3.

The rest of the game was a mere formality.

Fobbe finished 19-of-24 for 245 yards, one TD and one INT. Hietala had five receptions for 109 yards and one TD.

The Halvorson brothers (Tom and Teddy) led the defense with four tackles each.

Up Next

The Bulldogs host Hutchinson next Friday at 7 p.m. at Eppard Field.