The Becker Bulldog football team hosted the Rocori Spartans on a warm, cloudy night at Eppard Field. The Spartans spoiled Beckers’ two-game win streak, scoring twice and converting two, two-point conversions.

 

Becker score twice also, but their TDs were early in the first half and extra points at the time didn’t appear to be that significant at the time.

 

 

The Bulldogs received the kickoff and began their first drive at their own 35-yard line. Sydney Boros once again put his swiftness and elusiveness on display as he handled the ball five times on the drive and eventually scored the first TD on a 33-yard gallop on a third down play.

 

The PAT was good and Becker was in the driver’s seat at 7-0.

 

Rocori brought the ball back to their own 35-yard line on the kickoff and set up shop behind by a touchdown. Becker’s Austin Berning stopped the Rocori runner after three yards on first down, then Nick Radunz tackled the ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage for a one-yard loss of second down. A short pass didn’t gain the first down, so Rocori punted the ball back to Becker.

 

Mistake #1 occurred when the receiver had the ball bounce off his chest and into the arms of the Spartans at Becker’s 36.

 

Four plays later, QB Mason Primus found Keaton Ficker 23 yards down the field for Rocori’s first score. They went for two and just like that, they were up 8-7.

 

On Becker’s next possession, a good run by Austin Hemmelgarn was wiped out because of a personal foul call. Three plays later, becker booted the ball back to Rocori at Rocori’s 41-yard line.

 

Eppard Stadium was jam-packed with screaming fans on both sides of the field, The Becker student section had their fans dressed in Red, White and Blue while most of the Spartan fans were dressed in Hawaiian outfits.

 

Becker thought they caught a break when after three downs, Rocori went back to punt and the snap sailed over the punter’s head to the Rocori 38 just as time ran out in the period.

 

 

Becker converted a first down then appeared to be driving for another score when Fobbe’s pass was picked off by a Spartan at the 15-yard line.

 

Rocori pushed the ball to  their own 42 before Primus found Ficker again for 58-yards and a TD with 6:12 left in the half. The two-point conversion was a success and Becker found themselves behind, 15-7.

 

The Bulldogs started their next drive at their own 27-yard line and began a long drive downfield. Fobbe found Lucas Dertinger for 12-yards on a third down and found him again two plays later for 16 yards. Fobbe used his feet too and picked up 14 yards on two run plays to get the ball to the Rocori 37.

 

Hemmelgarn found a hole for seven yards, then Kreeden Blomquist snatched a Fobbe pass for 15 yards for a first down at the five-yard line.

 

Another mistake — a holding call sent the ball back to the 15. As the ran started to drip from the clouds, Fobbe made a remarkable run and hurdled a player enroute to a big gain — however, Becker was called for a personal foul penalty and the ball was backed up to the 31.

 

Fortunately, Becker recovered from the mistakes and three plays later, a double-reverse pass from Dertinger to Blomgren resulted in a TD with 1:28 left in the first half. The XP was good and the score was 16-14.

 

Who would have known that that was all the scoring for the game?

 

 

Rocori received the second half kickoff and brought the ball out to the 15-yard line. They managed one first down but had to punt the ball back to Becker at their own 18-yard line.

 

Becker mounted a serious drive to Rocori’s 42 until a holding penalty sent them back. They eventually punted and Rocori returned the favor after just four plays.

 

The Bulldogs rallied again and by the time the third period ended, they had the ball at Rocori’s 28 with 12 minutes left.

 

 

Fobbe threw the ball three consecutive times to start the fourth, only to see the ball fall onto the grass instead of the hands of his receivers.

 

Rocori took over and began to drive the ball again, especially after another personal foul call against Becker put them at midfield. The defense stiffened and the Spartans kicked the ball back to Becker with 10 minutes to go.

 

An interception on a bomb crushed the Bulldogs and after getting the ball back with four minutes to go, Becker was called for another hold at their own 40-yard line to kill their hopes.

 

A bomb on fourth down fell incomplete and Rocori ran out the clock from there.

 

Fobbe finished 9-of-19 for 92 yards and had one interception. Boros gained 96 yards on 15 carries and scored once. Blomgren had two catches for 16 yards and one TD.

 

Rocori’s Ficker had three catches for 134 yards and two scores.

 

 

Becker hosts Hutchinson at Eppard Field Friday night at 7 p.m.