The Becker Bulldog football team will be taking on the Big Lake Hornets today (Saturday) in the Class 6AAAA playoffs on Eppard Field to advance to the section finals. Becker (6-2) is seeded #1 and Big Lake (5-4) #4 after the Hornets beat Delano (3-5) Tuesday by a score of 35-6. Becker had a first round bye.

 

In the other matchups, Zimmerman (7-1) is seeded #2 (because Becker beat them Sept. 23) and they also received a first round bye. Today, they will be facing the #3-seeded Orono Spartans (3-6) after Orono beat Dassel-Cokato (2-6) Tuesday by a score of 33-0.

 

The Bulldogs have a recent 6-0 record against Big Lake since 2005 and the last time the two teams played  was in 2011, when Becker beat the Hornets 26-21.

 

This year’s version of Big Lake football centers around their senior RB Tanner Teige, who has rushed for over 1,600 yards and has scored 20 touchdowns. In Tuesday’s win over Delano, Teige had four touchdowns and 252 yards rushing, including one TD on an 89-yard kickoff return for a TD.

 

Becker Head Coach Dwight Lundeen is well aware of the talents of Teige and the Hornet running game.

 

“Big Lake is more of a running team and Teige is their best,” he said. “He is very quick and our biggest concern is stopping their running game.”

 

The Hornets will have to try and stop Becker’s running game too as the Bulldogs have their “bull” in Cale MacMillan and their “dog” in Sidney Boros. MacMillan has 427 yards rushing on 91 attempts and seven TDs. He averages 4.7 yards a carry.

 

Boros — who has been timed at 4.5 in the 40 —has 949 yards rushing on 90 carries with 11 touchdowns. He averages 10.5 yards every time he touches the ball and also sees some time as a returner on kicks and punts.

As a receiver, Boros has nine catches for 252 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 28 yards per catch.

 

At QB, the Bulldogs have another superstar in the making following such standout quarterbacks of the past including Michael Veldman, Johnny and Tommy Benson and Jarod Posthumus. His name is freshman Josh Fobbe.

Fobbe has 22 touchdowns through the air on 72 completions for 1,258 yards. He averages 157.3 yards per game and nearly three TD’s per game through the air.

 

He is also the team’s punter and he is averaging 37.8 yards a kick with a long one of 59 yards.

 

Adam Bauman has developed into one of Fobbe’s favorite downfield threats, catching 15 balls for 438 yards and five touchdowns. On defense, Bauman has been spectacular as a cornerback, shutting down opposing receivers while garnering 29 tackles and has one interception.

 

Another stalwart on defense and offense is Lucas Dertinger, a junior, who has 350 yards on 26 receptions and 12 TDs while tallying 31 tackles and hauling in two interceptions.

 

Nick Radunz has been the team’s inspirational leader on defense. Radunz, a junior, has 16 tackles including one for a safety. He was injured in Becker’s final regular season game, but has re-habbed and is cleared to play Saturday in the section playoffs.

 

The Bulldogs will also see the return of Jaylin Hildebrandt, the team’s most dependable linebacker and best tackler. Hildebrandt injured his knee early in the season and hasn’t played since game #2 where he was injured in the team’s loss to New London-Spicer.

 

“Nick will play,” said Lundeen. “We are very excited to get Jaylin back. He is all set to go and is looking great. We get a lot better when he is on the field defensively.”

 

Since the loss in game two against NLS, the Bulldogs are averaging 39 points a game on offense and holding their opponents to just seven points a game.

 

The winners of the Becker/Big Lake and Zimmerman/Orono matchups will play for the section title Nov. 4 at 7 p.m.