CLASS 4A

Becker 28, Marshall 7

Becker’s defense held Marshall to just 1.7 yards per carry Thursday as Marshall went just 1 for 10 on third-down conversions on a day when the Bulldogs’ defense reigned supreme at U.S. Bank Stadium.

After both offenses struggled for much of the first quarter, the Bulldogs got on the scoreboard with some trickeration on 4th and 1 from the Marshall 14-yard-line, as wide receiver Sawyer Brown hit Mitchell Soltau for a touchdown. Brown himself finished with 105 yards receiving.

Tristan Kowalkowski hit Carter Reckelberg for a more traditional 29-yard scoring strike later in the game. Becker (12-0) also ran for 154 yards as a team.

Owen Angell had six tackles — including two for a loss — and a pass breakup for Becker, which will meet either Totino-Grace or Orono in the Class 4A final at 1 p.m. on Nov. 22.

That will be the Bulldogs’ first title game appearance since 2015.

Gavin Schaefer ran in the lone score for the Tigers (10-2).

9-PLAYER

Hills-Beaver Creek 26, Mountain Iron-Buhl 20

Micah Bush had 12 receptions for 115 yards — with 76 yards coming after the catch — while quarterback Jamin Metzger plunged in for a pair of rushing scores while throwing for another as Hills-Beaver Creek (12-0) punched its first ticket to the Prep Bowl since winning a state title in 1990.

Metzger was 19 for 23 passing on a day where Mountain Iron-Buhl largely limited the Patriots’ rushing attack.

Derik Dahl had 12 tackles on defense and 91 yards rushing on offense in a losing cause.

His five-yard touchdown run brought Mountain Iron-Buhl (12-1) to within six with fewer than three minutes to play.

The Rangers got a stop to get the ball back with 43 seconds to play on their own 18-yard line, and a big completion to TJ DuChamp, who finished with two grabs for 115 yards and a score, moved Mountain Iron-Buhl to the Hills-Beaver Creek 32-yard line, but Sawyer Bosch came up with the game-sealing interception on the very next play.

Fertile-Beltrami 60, LeRoy-Ostrander 33

Isaiah Wright averaged 15 yards per carry, running 24 times for 361 yards and seven touchdowns as the Falcons secured their second Prep Bowl trip in four seasons.

Fertile-Beltrami trailed 33-30 late in the third quarter after Tyson Stevens scored from three yards out for the Cardinals (12-1), but Fertile-Beltrami scored the game’s final 30 points as Wright reeled off touchdown runs of six, 56 and 38 yards over a four-minute span of game time.

The win served as some vengeance for the Falcons, who’d seen their season end at U.S. Bank Stadium at the hands of the Section 1 champion in each of the last three seasons, including a Prep Bowl drubbing at the hands of LeRoy-Ostrander in 2021.

Bryer Strem had nine tackles — including one for loss — an interception, a pass breakup and a blocked extra point for the Falcons.

The Falcons (12-0) will meet Hills-Beaver Creek in the state title game at 10 a.m. on Nov. 23 for a shot at the program’s first title.

Camden Hungerholt ran for 152 yards and a score for the Cardinals, while also throwing for 238 yards and two touchdowns.

— Jace Frederick