The Takeaways: The Biggest Game in 4A, Hutchinson vs. Becker

BECKER, MN-- We did not need to travel very far for some excellent football on Friday night as we took our scouting talents to Eppard Field in Becker for a battle for 4A as #2 Becker took on #1 Hutchinson. Besides having the best pregame meal I have ever had prior to kickoff in their excellent pork chops, there was also some dominance in this one that I wanted to launch five takeaways from likely one of the most talked-about games in Minnesota. The Takeaways 1) Start the Tempo Early in the first quarter, it was the Hutchinson Tigers driving down the field and got close to putting in the first points on the board. However, the Becker defense stayed the course and shut the Tigers deep in the Bulldogs territory. After the turnover, Becker QB Ryan Bengtson Ryan Bengtson 5'9" | 160 lbs | QB Becker | 2023 State MN found WR Nick Berglund for the first touchdown of the game which would not be their last, as the Bulldogs got a 2-yard run from FB Carter Callahan, and Ryan Bengtson Ryan Bengtson 5'9" | 160 lbs | QB Becker | 2023 State MN yet again found his favorite WR target Nick Berglund to put the Bulldogs up 21-0 over the Tigers at halftime. That is how you start the tempo. 2) Special Teams Hustle One of my favorite plays I got to watch in Friday’s game was on special teams. In the second quarter, Becker kicker Zach Bengtson (2024) pinned a solid kickoff very close to the sidelines of the Hutchinson Tigers. Instead of jumping on the ball, the Tigers waited too long to react, and with the Bulldogs special teams having their foot on the gas on the kickoff, they were able to get to the football first causing the Bulldogs to retain possession deep in Hutchinson territory. That hustle from the Bulldogs special teams unit ignited a spark as it took the Bulldogs one more play to punch it in the end zone. A terrific pin by Bengtson to keep the ball inbounds, and shoutout to the Bulldogs special teams unit for just hitting the gas on the kickoff and not waiting to react on where the ball was going. 3) Off the Radar One thing when I am scouting games lives, I always put the rankings aside and love giving prospects that are not on our radar the most attention as far as my eyes go. The Becker Bulldogs had two prospects on defense that fit that narrative, DB Ethan Anderson (2022) & LB Harrison Kent (2023). Both of these young men were ballhawks to the football and both had double-digit tackle games on Friday night in Becker. Anderson climbed up to the first level in an aggressive speed of time, and Kent played with physicality in his tackles and again continues my stance: The Bulldogs continue to have one of the best linebacking cores in the state of Minnesota. Be ready to hear about these young men more in-depth in my upcoming "Big Dogs of the Game" article coming out later today. 4) Hutchinson Kept Playing Football One of the biggest things I always love watching about the Hutchinson Tigers year after year is just how hard these kids work. It does not matter what the scoreboard reads, these young men have a terrific work ethic. They showed that in this game when late in the 3rd quarter they kept driving down the field on the run and ended up scoring a 1-yard touchdown by Colin Nagel Colin Nagel 6'3" | 230 lbs | TE Hutchinson | 2022 State MN . The 4th quarter, read the same as one of the MVPs from the Tigers, Levi Teetzel Levi Teetzel 5'11" | 190 lbs | ATH Hutchinson | 2023 State MN played his tail off at running back and he ended up in a 26-yard rushing touchdown to keep this game within reach. It, unfortunately, was not enough, but I fully expect the Tigers to get back in the sink, as they face likely the toughest two game stretch in 4A playing on the road at Rocori next week, and then their schedule will ease up a little with two of their next three at home against teams that are below 500 in Big Lake, Delano and will close out their season against Chisago Lakes. Teetzel is a prospect I am excited to watch the rest of his junior season and his senior season as he already is getting interest from Division I programs. SCORING: 1st Quarter QB Ryan Bengston (2023) got the connection going early, finding WR Nick Berglund (2022) for a 36-yard receiving touchdown that got the Bulldog’s momentum flowing. Becker 7, Hutchinson 0. 2nd Quarter Fullback Carter Callahan (2022) used his excellent frame (6’1 230) to punch in a 2-yard gain for the Bulldogs second touchdown of the night. Becker 14, Hutchinson 0. Off that key special teams play I mentioned above, QB Ryan Bengtson Ryan Bengtson 5'9" | 160 lbs | QB Becker | 2023 State MN yet again found WR Nick Berglund for a 21- yard passing touchdown. This play was so fast, if you blinked you would have missed it as it just speaks to the tempo Becker played with all night. Becker 21, Hutchinson 0. Halftime. 3rd Quarter The Tigers got their first score on the board in the third quarter, as a long drive down the field set up Minnesota-Duluth commit  Colin Nagel Colin Nagel 6'3" | 230 lbs | TE Hutchinson | 2022 State MN  for a 1-yard touchdown run to start a slight momentum in motion for the Hutchinson Tigers. Hutchinson unfortunately did not get the 2-point conversion. Becker 21, Hutchinson 6. End of the 3rd quarter. 4th Quarter Hutchinson was yet again locked in on their rushing attack with  Levi Teetzel Levi Teetzel 5'11" | 190 lbs | ATH Hutchinson | 2023 State MN  (2023) leading the charge for a 26-yard rushing touchdown to knock the Becker lead down to single digits. They again tried to go for two, but were unsuccessful. Becker 21, Hutchinson 12.  The Tigers would get one more chance to try and make this game a nail-biter, but it was a game-sealing interception by Becker’s Landen Goebel (2022) that put the game in the bag for the Becker Bulldogs. Stay tuned today on Prep Redzone Minnesota to find out who was the top performers from both teams in our weekly Big Dogs of the Game column!