The Becker Bulldog football team traveled to Cold Spring to take on the Rocori Spartans and escaped with a five-point win.
The victory catapults the Bulldogs to 2-1 and drops Rocori to 0-3.
Becker got TDs from Joseph James, Kevin Andres and two scores from WR Kevyn Vilayphanh.
The game was tight to start as both teams tried to establish offensive drives but failed to punch in any scores for most of the quarter. Finally, with 25 seconds left in the first quarter, Becker got on the scoreboard when QB Josh Fobbe found James open from eight yards out to go up by a score of 7-0.
Rocori responded in the second quarter with a score at 10:08 when QB Jack Steil handed the ball to Matt Koshiol from the 10-yard line and Koshiol powered over the goal line. Steil converted the two-point attempt on a run and Rocori held their first — and only lead — at 8-7.
The Bulldogs would answer back with two more TDs to close out the half when RB Andres scooted into the end zone from 15 yards out with 7:16 to go to put Becker back on top. The kick failed, but Becker found themselves in double figures at 13-8.
As halftime neared, Becker looked to pad their lead and Fobbe did just that when he found Vilayphanh open from 56 yards out to score with just 34 seconds to go. Nick Goth crashed over the goal line to complete the two-point conversion and Becker headed into the locker room with a 21-8 lead.
Rocori didn’t go away as they challenged the Bulldogs and outscored them in the second half.
They first scored towards the end of the third when Steil found Andrew Anderson open for a 39-yard score. Koshiol barreled in for the two-pointer and Becker’s lead slipped to just 21-16.
Halfway through the fourth, Becker tallied their fourth TD when Fobbe found Vilayphanh again from 25 yards out to push the lead to 27-16.
Not to retreat, Rocori mounted another drive late in the game and scored their final TD with 2:08 left on the clock. Steil scrambled, then weaved and deked and found paydirt from 20 yards to bring tension to the Becker players, coaches and fans.
The two-pointer attempt failed and the game came down to an onside kick.
Rocori squibbed the kick, but a Bulldog player pounced on it with 2:05 left. Goth gained five yards on first down, and Fobbe gained two to set up a third and three with 1:30 to go.
Andres was called upon to seal the deal when he received the Fobbe handoff and rolled around the right end for three yards. The referees marked the ball, then measured and when the referees right arm signaled, “first down”, the game was ultimately over.
Fobbe finished with 120 yards on 7-for-14 passing and three TDs. Andres gained 71 yards on 11 carries and had one score.
WR Kevyn Vilayphanh had four catches for 100 yards and two TDs.
Up Next
The Bulldogs travel to Hutchinson to play the Tigers Sept. 21. Homecoming is the following week against Big Lake.
