Becker Beats Detroit Lakes Football in the Section Championship, 35-15

ALEXANDRIA, MN (KDLM) – The Detroit Lakes Lakers and Becker Bulldogs met in the Section 8AAAA Championship Game at Alexandria High School in the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

Becker, the reigning Section 6AAAA champs, joined Section 8AAAA during the MSHSL alignment last spring and won their new section in their first season, defeating Detroit Lakes 35-15.

The Detroit Lakes Lakers, fresh off an upset of ROCORI in the semifinals last week, had another tough task with the top-ranked Bulldogs. The Bulldogs scored a touchdown on their opening drive but the Laker defense kept them out of the endzone for the rest of the quarter. The Bulldogs had the ball at the one-yard line late in the first quarter, but penalties and big stops by the Lakers forced the Bulldogs back to the 20 yard-line, where they would miss a 36-yard field goal on fourth down.

The Laker offense put their defense in a tough spot on the first play of their next possession, with quarterback Bradly Swiers throwing in an interception to Landon Goeble. Goeble would pick off the Lakers twice in the game.

Becker took advantage of a short field, with quarterback Zack Bengtson throwing a 15-yard touchdown to Goeble to go up 14-0. Becker would score again late in the second quarter, on a two-yard rushing touchdown by Carter Callahan to make it a three-score game at 21-0.

The Lakers offense put together their first scoring drive last in the second quarter. Swiers made big throws to Ty Jones and Chuck Kalina before connecting with Branton Marsh in the endzone for a 16-yard touchdown to get the Lakers on the board with 19-seconds left in the quarter.

Becker scored long touchdowns in the middle of the third quarter on two Bengston bombs: a 44-yard touchdown pass to Nick Berglund and a 45-yard touchdown to Goebels, who had intercepted Swiers for a second time moments earlier as Becker opened up a 35-7 lead with 6:44 left in the third quarter.

But the Lakers didn’t roll over. With 6:10 in the fourth, Christian Solberg scored a 52-yard rushing touchdown. After a two-yard plunge by Caeden Yliniemion the two-point conversion, the Lakers trailed 35-15. The Lakers would force Becker to punt on their ensuing possession, but Swiers’ third interception of the night all but ended Detroit Lakes’ comeback bid.

Becker will now face the winner of Section 5AAAA, Holy Angles, in Monticello on November 11th.

The Lakers end their season 6-4, and 1-1 in the section.

SCORING SUMMERY:

DL – 0 7 0 8 – 15

Becker – 7 14 14 0 – 35

SCORING PLAYS

Q1:

Becker – 8:50 4-yd TD pass Z. Bengston to Eisele, R. Bengston XP 7-0

Q2:

Becker – 11:06 15-yd TD Z. Bengston to Goeble, R. Bengston XP 14-0

Becker – 2:57 2-yd rush TD Callahan, R. Bengston XP 21-0

DL – :19 16-yd TD pass Swiers to Marsh, Thomas XP 7-21