Even the sharpest football observer likely wrote off Saturday’s Class 4A, Section 8 football semifinal victory as another lopsided victory for the favorite: In this case, top-seeded and No. 1 ranked Becker, against an overmatched foe, in this case, Little Falls (3-7).
And while Little Falls conceded at halftime of what became a 56-14 Becker rout, the coach who the stadium honors, Dwight Lundeen, threaded the needle with the moxie of a coach drawing from more than 50 seasons on the sidelines.
“Their coach [Joe Bartos] started the conversation of going to running time for the second half,” Lundeen said. “I was in full agreement, and I was hoping he would have that conversation. Because we had a mismatch today.”
Sophomore quarterback Tristan Kowalkowski tossed three touchdown passes before halftime. He saw just enough of what he likes about his team, despite the limited playing time.
“I felt our effort was great,” Kowalkowski said. “And the other guys finished the game strong. We might not be the biggest or strongest team but we are quick and we can get to the ball fast. Our defense is like bees swarming to the ball.”
“We’ve played pretty good defense all year,” Lundeen said. “We’re nasty. The starters have given up very few points.”
