The Bulldog football team saw their 2019 season come to an end in the Section 6AAAA championship to Delano in overtime, 17-14 at Monticello Friday night.

The Bulldogs held two leads in the game, but couldn’t put the Tigers away after failing to tally points numerous times in the Tiger’s red zone. Several fourth and goals resulted in zero points and the end of the game was eerily similar.

The weather became a factor as right around halftime, large snowflakes wafted through the sky and caked the artificial turf at Monticello’s state-of-the-art stadium. Twenty-eight points were tallied before the snowstorm, zero after (three after the storm passed).

With the contest at 14-14 as time ran out in the fourth, the Bulldogs decided to defer their coin toss win and send their defensive unit on the field to start OT. The rules in high school playoff overtime is each team gets a chance to score from the 10-yard line in four plays. Becker’s captains and coaches decided to give the Tigers the first shot to score and they did just that, converting a 21-yard field goal to go up by three.

Becker’s offense then waltzed on the field and started their drive from the 10. The snow had subsided but the field was still blanketed with Mother Nature’s white stuff. A first down run netted two yards and on second down, another three yards meant it was third and five for the Bulldogs. A toss over the middle fell incomplete and Becker’s season came down to one final play. QB Josh Fobbe rolled to his right and gunned a pass to Carter Hietala in the end zone, but the ball was too wide and tipped off Hietala’s fingers as he slid through the snow.

It was over. A much promising season had abruptly ended on a late, fall evening in November. Becker was done and Delano was moving on.

It could have been different had the Bulldogs converted one of those many drives to the shadow of the Delano end zone. Or, had Emma Domka’s field goal attempt in the waning seconds of regulation not been blocked — but that’s a lot of “what ifs”.

The game started with the Tigers receiving the ball and putting together a decent drive on their first possession. However, their drive stalled and Becker took over. The Bulldog’s running game was effective early on and they had good luck moving the ball against the Delano defense, despite the size differential in players from team-to-team. Up front, Delano’s linemen had the height and girth but Becker’s O-line did a great job making holes and protecting Fobbe.

Becker took the first lead when Carter Callahan dipped the nose of the ball over the goal line on a four-yard run for the score. The XP was good and Becker had a 7-0 lead.

Delano responded with a decent drive of their own and when Treyson Longstreet took a short pass from QB Max Otto at the Becker 50, he escaped a few tackles and rambled the distance to tie the game.

The Bulldogs did another fine job of moving the ball against the Tigers and late in the first half, Hietala caught a pass at the goal line, lunged ahead but was stripped of the ball. As the football tumbled towards the back of the end zone, Austin Berning darted and slid across the turf to cover the ball for the TD. Another Domka XP and the Bulldogs looked good at 14-7.

But, Delano didn’t settle and quickly moved the ball down the field in just a few minutes to tie the game. It was Tyler Morsching this time as he broke arm tackles and crossed the goal line from 22 yards out to tie the contest.

Becker didn’t rest on their laurels either as they again marched the field and approached the Tiger goal line in the last minute of the half. Unfortunately, on a third down play, Fobbe’s pass to Berning seeped through his fingers in the end zone. A failed fourth down try meant the teams were headed to the break in a knotted tie.

Then the snow came.  It started as tiny snow pellets and soon developed into giant flakes that caked the field. Had the scoring opportunities escaped both teams? Only time would tell.

The second half was back-and-forth football with the teams seemingly ready to expand the score — but coming up just short in every situation. The drama at the end was intense as Becker drove deep into Delano territory only to fail on a fourth down try. The Tigers took over and after a few plays, fumbled the ball to Becker. Becker returned the favor as Fobbe was picked off near midfield.

Delano then caught a break in the waning moments of regulation when a punt was mishandled and fumbled and the Tigers recovered in Becker territory. It was nail-biting time as Delano began a drive to hopefully capture a TD to win the game. However, Becker’s Kyle Millard picked off an Otto pass on the next play and Becker had the ball back with their hopes still high.

Fobbe ended the night going 18 for 33  for 241 yards and one TD. He had one interception.

Hietala led all receivers with four catches for 50 yards and one score. Isaac Koop had three catches for 73 yards including a 29-yarder.

Berning led the rushers with 78 yards on 10 carries. 

Becker totaled 410 yards to Delano’s 272. Six Bulldog penalties to just three for the Tigers was significant.

Becker finishes the season 8-2 with losses to Delano and Hutchinson.