An article in the St. Cloud Times this week turned out to be just the motivation the Becker Bulldogs were looking for going into their final regular season game of the 2016 season.

 

The article, written Thursday by the newspaper’s sportswriter, overstated the Crusader’s chances in Friday’s game at Eppard Field. The team boasted of solid defense and a running game worthy of notice.

 

Becker (5-2) took those words and crammed it down their throats Friday in a 50-0 drubbing of the 3-4 Crusaders.

 

Dwight Lundeen’s squad got wind of the article as soon as it hit the Times’ website and with social media, in very little time the players had read up on the claims and let the story stew in their craw.

 

A Crusader running back, who was interviewed for the story in the Times, said of Becker, “They're beatable. I don't think they're filling the shoes that they had open from last year.”

 

On the sidelines Friday, one could overhear the Becker coaches using that quote to motivate their team.

 

And Sidney Boros once again set the tone.

 

On the game’s first play from scrimmage, Boros took the handoff from QB Josh Fobbe and breezed through the defense of St. Cloud enroute to a 77-yard TD score seven seconds into the contest.

 

Boros would finish the game with three scores and 231 yards rushing on just seven attempts.

 

The Bulldogs tallied their next score when Fobbe found Adam Bauman from 27 yards out to put the home team up by 14-0, just like that.

 

The Becker student body was raucous — as they usually are both at home and on the road — and this year’s fan “captain” appears to be Haley Hubbard. In her senior year, she is using her outgoing and fun personality to motivate and rally the crowds into a stupor.

 

Friday, Hubbard perched atop a garbage can and had the entire student section recite their own, personal pledge of allegiance — most dressed in the stars and stripes of the United States flag.

 

 

Hubbard said the chant was brought to the Bulldog nation courtesy of the RED, DWIGHT and BLUE.

 

More like black and blue as the Bulldogs continued the thrashing.

 

Becker finished off the first quarter with Bauman catching his second TD of the game, this time a 67 yarder and the rout was on.

 

Less than two minutes later, Zach Halvorson intercepted a batted ball and Becker retook possession at St. Cloud’s 18. Fobbe found Lucas Dertinger three plays later in the corner of the endzone to put Becker up 28-0.

 

Becker’s defense looked like the mighty Purple People Eaters or the Steel Curtain from the 70’s as St. Cloud struggled to gain any ground either through the air or on the ground. Becker held the Crusaders to 79 yards total offense and just two passing yards.

 

About halfway through the second quarter, Boros again broke free and used his incredible field vision to stutter step, spin away then burst into 4.5 speed as he scored from 64 yards out to put the Bulldogs up 35-0.

 

Just before halftime, Boros did it again, racing 64 yards to paydirt to end the first half with Becker up 42-0.

 

Andrew Berglund capped off the TD scoring by bulldozing into the endzone from six yards out with 1:06 left in the game and Sam Ricker found Justin Reichle all alone behind the defense on the two-point conversion to give Becker its 50 points on the day.

 

The Bulldogs finished the night with 434 total offense, 299 yards of that on the ground and 135 through the air. Fobbe finished with three TD scores in 7-of-10 passing for 135 yards.

 

Brady Sheeley led the stalwart defense with 10 tackles.

 

 

The Bulldogs travel to Albany Wednesday night for their final regular season game of the year. The playoffs will begin the following week with Becker expected to host a game Saturday, Oct. 29.