Top-ranked Becker continued its journey to what it hopes will be a fourth state championship with a 28-7 victory over Marshall in the Class 4A semifinals during the Minnesota State High School League’s Football State Tournament on Thursday at U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. 

The Bulldogs (12-0) scored all of their points in the middle two quarters in earning a berth in the Class 4A Prep Bowl Championship Game on Friday, Nov. 22 against either Orono or Totino-Grace. That semifinal is scheduled for Friday. 

***Click the video box above to watch Becker vs. Marshall highlights***

Junior quarterback Sawyer Brown threw for a touchdown and ran for another in sending the Bulldogs into a title game for the first time since winning the Class AAAA crown in 2015. Brown’s only pass of the game was a 14-yard scoring strike to senior wide receiver Mitchell Soltau early in the second quarter to open the scoring. Primary quarterback Tristan Kowalkowski, a sophomore, completed eight passes for 154 yards and another touchdown. 

Becker’s defense, which has surrendered 77 points in 12 games, continued to be stout and stingy. Marshall (10-2) was limited to 164 yards passing and 38 on the ground. Junior quarterback Levi Maeyaert completed 11 passes for 137 yards, but was sacked twice. 

Senior defensive back Isaac Daluge punctuated Becker’s defensive performance with an interception on the Bulldogs’ 4-yard line and returned it 71 yards with 2:57 left in regulation time. From there, the Bulldogs ran out the clock.