The Bulldogs played balanced football, solid defense and two TDs from Landen Goebel to propel them to the state quarterfinals this week.

Last Saturday they dismantled Detroit Lakes by a score of 35-15 on the road in Alexandria to capture the Section 8AAAA title!

The Bulldogs scored the first, second and third TDs of the game before the Lakers were finally able to dent the scoreboard. Becker’s QB Ryan Bengtson found Logan Eisele from four yards out in the first quarter for the first score, then dropped in a beauty to Goebel early in the second from 15 yards out before Carter Callahan rumbled into the end zone from two yards out halfway through the second to go up 21-0.

Detroit Lakes countered late in the first half with a 16 yard TD to try and make things interesting, but the Bulldogs weren’t done.

In the third, Bengtson found Nick Berglund from 40 yards out to increase the score to 28-7, then found Goebel later in the third from 45 yards out to complete the Bulldog scoring.

Detroit Lakes would muster another TD late in the fourth, but it was too much ground to make up and the Bulldogs captured the section championship.

With the win, Becker moves into the state quarterfinals to take on the Academy of Holy Angels, who enter the state tournament with an 8-2 record. Becker remains undefeated at 10-0.

Holy Angels has wins over  Hill Murray, South St. Paul, Robbinsdale Cooper, Benilde-St. Margaret’s, St. Louis Park, Waconia, DelaSalle and St. Paul Academy/Minnehaha Academy/Blake.

Their two losses came to Orono (5-6) and Chanhassen (6-3).

Bengtson finished the Detroit Lakes game going nine-of-16 for 160 yards and four TDs. Goebel had the two catches for TDs and 60 yards total while Berglund had the one TD on three catches for 66 yards.

Goebel also had two interceptions on defense. Zach Bengtson had one and converted on all five PATs.

Callahan had the ball in his hands for 22 yards on 12 carries and the one TD. Eisele had six carries for 62 yards and Bengtson carried the ball five times for 54 yards — an average of close to 11 yards per carry.

Dailen Adu-gyamfi had seven unassisted tackles and one assist while Dylan Weber had five tackles, two assists and one tackle for loss.

The other teams in the 8AAAA bracket for the state title include Fridley (8-2), Kasson-Mantorville (7-3), Grand Rapids (8-2),  Orono (5-6), Simley (7-3) and Hutchinson (9-1).

The quarterfinal match against Holy Angels was played Thursday in Monticello and a full report on the game will appear in next week’s Patriot. The winner moves on to play at U.S. Bank Stadium, the following Thursday (Nov. 18) against the winner of Fridley vs. Kasson-Mantorville.

The state title game will be played Nov. 26 at the same venue.