On Tackle Cancer night in Becker, the Brainerd Warriors came to Eppard Field Friday night and surgically destroyed the Bulldogs, 36-8.

 

It was the first meeting between two legendary high school head coaches as Ron Stolski, 78, and his group of youngsters from up north captured Stolski’s 375th career win. Stolski is second all-time to Verndale’s Mike Mahlen (376) and Lundeen, 70, is third at 351.

 

 

 The game started horrendously for the home team after Brainerd received the kickoff and gained their own 42-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Charlie Geraets took the handoff from QB Joe Stolski and rambled 28 yards to Becker’s 30. The drive lasted another eight plays with the Warriors getting stopped on a fourth-and-four at the 11 and Becker took over.

 

On the very next play, Fobbe was sacked in the end zone and Brainerd led 2-0 with 9:23 left in the first quarter.

 

It didn’t get any better for the Bulldogs as Fobbe free-kicked the ball to Brainerd, who returned the ball to Becker’s 47. Geraets and Stolski traded runs of five yards, three yards, six, 10, two, five and two before Geraets reached paydirt from 10 yards out. The extra point was good and the Warriors looked  razor sharp, leading 9-0 with a little over five minutes left in the first.

 

Several minutes later, the Bulldogs started moving the ball as they saw QB Josh Fobbe complete two passes to Lucas Dertinger for 33 yards on their first three plays. Then, on third and 15, Fobbe threw a delicate screen pass to Sydney Boros, who followed his blockers on the right, then sliced to the left for an apparent 50-yard score.

 

However, the play was called back on a holding penalty and two plays later, Fobbe punted the ball back to the Warriors.

 

Geraets and fellow running backs Joe Klang and Max Zimmerman trudged over and through the Becker tacklers and nine plays later, they scored again to make it 16-0.

 

Things got worse for Becker as Fobbe was intercepted at the 43-yard-line on the first play of their next possession.

 

Fobbe would end up throwing six interceptions in the game. Some were overthrows but most were just great defensive plays by Warrior defenders.

 

Geraets and Stolski again navigated the field on Brainerd’s next possession and they dented the scoreboard again after Geraets plunged over from the one-yard line. Becker found themselves staring at a deficit of 23-0 with 3:41 to go before the half.

 

Not quitting, the Bulldogs finally got the break they were looking for when Fobbe found Dertinger up the field on a down-and-out. Dertinger reeled in the pass at the 30, broke several tackles and scooted to the end zone for six. The Bulldogs completed the two-point conversion and with 3:23 to go in the first half, they were on the board at 23-8 and feeling better about themselves.

 

Brainerd wasn’t about to take a knee as they took the ball following the kickoff and drove to  Becker’s 13-yard line before Brandon Gustafson sacked the QB on fourth down with 33 seconds left on the clock.

 

In Becker’s most impressive drive of the game, Fobbe and company drove the ball to Brainerd’s 15 with single-digits on the clock. Fobbe then heaved a corner pass to Dertinger in the end zone, but Brainerd’s Joey Wiskow picked it off to preserve the 15-point lead.

 

 

On Becker’s first possession of the third quarter, Fobbe was intercepted on the team’s fifth play which led to another touchdown by Brainerd seven plays later to go up 29-8 (extra point blocked).

 

The same turn of events would occur on Becker’s next possession as Fobbe was picked off at the 33 by Max Boran.

 

No damage was done as Brainerd punted the ball back to Becker moments later.

 

However, another interception on a third and 25 gave the ball back to the Warriors at their own 42. They drove the field again and scored another TD just as the fourth quarter commenced to go up 36-8.

 

All hope was squashed on the next Bulldog possession when the Warriors intercepted the ball again, then basically ran out the clock the rest of the way.

 

Fobbe finished with 172 yards passing on 11-of-27 and one TD. Boros had 32 yards on 10 carries and Dertinger had seven receptions for 146 yards and the one TD.

 

Brainerd’s Geraets had 232 yards on 37 carries for two scores. Wiskow had two of the six interceptions.

 

 

The Bulldogs (3-3)  host Willmar next Friday on Eppard field at 7 p.m.