The Becker Bulldog football team scored 50+ points for the second week in a row, this time pitching a shutout as Hokan Bengtson’s defense stymied the Tigers right from the get-go and the offense looked like something out of the Minnesota Vikings lore from 1998.
Lucas Dertinger scored four times while Kevin Andres tallied two in a rout of Princeton, 56-0.
Though the Bulldogs failed to score on their first possession of the game, the signs were obvious that Friday night’s game in Princeton was going to be favorable for the Bulldogs of Becker.
On the first play of Becker’s first possession, Sydney Boros took Josh Fobbe’s handoff at the 20-yard line and juked, wheeled and raced virtually untouched for an 80-yard TD score.
However, the play was called back because of a holding penalty, but it didn’t seem to matter. Nothing was going to stop the Bulldogs this particular night.
A key sequence happened on Princeton’s second possession when QB Michael Schimming was sacked and fumbled the ball. The Bulldogs pounced on it and this time, they made sure their first TD was going to count.
QB Josh Fobbe climbed under center at Princeton’s 48-yard line and managed an impressive drive with a couple big runs and a couple big passes. The final pass was a one-yarder to Dertinger with 5:19 left in the first quarter to put the visitors up, 7-0.
Princeton couldn’t make any headway against the defense and after three plays had to punt. It took Fobbe and Co. just four plays to go up by two scores when Fobbe found Alex Blomgren on a bomb from 50-yards out.
Princeton’s house of cards collapsed on their second play following the touchdown when Schimming overthrew his receiver and the ball was swallowed up by Dertinger at the 26-yard line and he galloped into the end zone for Becker’s third score of the first quarter.
Princeton managed to mount a semi-serious drive when they got their first first down on a seven-yard pass. However, the drive stalled and they kicked the ball back to the Bulldogs at their 25-yard line.
Again, Becker made mince-meat out of the Tiger defense and the combination of Fobbe and Boros carrying the ball resulted in the latter scampering 44-yards on a screen pass to put the ‘Dawgs up 28-0.
The defense continued to rule the roost and the Tigers kicked it away after just three plays. The punt was fielded by Boros and he glided to the end zone once again — only to have it called back — once again, because of a penalty.
No matter. Fobbe drove the boys down the field once more and found Dertinger open for an 11-yard score with 4:48 left in the first half.
Instead of punting, Princeton started gambling on fourth down, but to no avail.
Fobbe re-connected with Dertinger two minutes later to make the halftime score, 42-0.
The Bulldog coaching staff pulled the starters at the beginning of the second half, but the scoring continued. Andres scored his first of two when he ran 35-yards to paydirt to put Becker up 49-0 with a little over eight minuted left in the third quarter.
Princeton rallied and mounted a serious drive only to fail on another fourth down effort and turned it back to Becker.
Andres showed off his speed and elusiveness as he snatched the ball on a reverse play that had him slide through the defenders for a 47-yard TD to cap the scoring.
“Everyone is playing really well and doing their jobs,” said Dertinger. “The defense really picked up their end and it was good to have a game like this.”
Sophomore QB Fobbe feels the same way.
“Everything was cooking and it really was an easy game for me,” he said. “I hardly got touched out there. My players in front of me did a fantastic job.”
The Bulldogs amassed 534 yards to Princeton’s 127. Becker had 22 first downs to Princeton’s five.
Fobbe was 11-of-14 for 196 yards and five TDs. Dertinger had five catches for 50 yards and three offensive TDs. Andres finished with 146 yards rushing and two TDs.
Mikey James led the defense with five tackles and four assists.
Next week, Becker (2-0) hosts Rocori at 7 p.m. at Eppard.
