Football schedule preview: Becker again playing championship contenders in 2024

BECKER – Football season is finally here and Becker will soon be back in action after a Section 8-4A championship loss to ROCORI.

The Minnesota high school football season starts Thursday, August 29 and the Bulldogs are hoping to recreate or improve on a 9-1 record in 2023. Last year, Becker went undefeated in the regular season and the team was hoping to play for a fourth state championship. The Bulldogs last went to state in 2021, but the Spartans played an elite section final and ended Becker’s season in 2023.

Becker has lost to ROCORI now in back-to-back section title games and the Bulldogs play the Spartans in October on the road. Below, let's take a quick look at that contest, and others across Becker's 2024 football schedule.

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Section/district game against Hutchinson

Consisting of Willmar, ROCORI and Hutchinson, Becker's football district is chock full of traditional football powers. Last year, the only losses for ROCORI, Becker and Hutch were against each other, including the Class 4A title game between the Spartans and Tigers. In 2024, Becker faces Hutchinson on Sept. 27, one game after homecoming against Willmar.

Becker beat the Tigers by a score of 21-20 in 2023, one game after Hutch was shut out by ROCORI in Week 4, 11-0. The Bulldogs needed to hold off a fourth quarter charge from Hutch during which their opponents scored two touchdowns and converted both two-point conversions. After the one-point loss, Hutchinson went on an eight-game win streak to claim the Section 2-4A title. The team has been to three straight state championships, also winning in 2021.

Section championship rematch at ROCORI

Everything was going exactly right for Becker in 2023: 9-0 going into the section championship, the Bulldogs looked poised to avenge a 2022 Section 8-4A loss to ROCORI. Instead, the Spartans beat Becker for the second year in a row.

Becker again has ROCORI on the regular season schedule, this year on Oct. 4 in Cold Spring. The game will have district and section seeding implications. Becker was on top of both in 2023.

Because of the championship loss, Becker's Week 6 shutout of ROCORI goes overlooked. After a scoreless first half the Bulldogs scored three consecutive touchdowns and won 20-0. The Becker team would be satisfied with a similar result in 2024.

Trap game against Big Lake

After two huge games against Hutchinson and ROCORI, the Bulldogs would like rest up the next few weeks before playoffs. Big Lake could be that type of game at home Oct. 11 – the Hornets went 1-8 in 2023. But when the teams met last year for Week 7 in Big Lake the home team played a lot closer than Becker may have liked. The Bulldogs won 19-14 for Becker's closest margin of victory other than the Hutch game.

Full Schedule

Each team's 2023 record is noted in parentheses.

Aug. 29 Hill-Murray (8-3) at Becker High School

Fri Sept. 6 Providence Academy (3-7) at Providence Academy

Fri Sept. 13 Holy Angels (4-6) at Academy of Holy Angels

Fri Sept. 20 Willmar (2-7) at Becker High School (Homecoming)

Fri Sept. 27 Hutchinson (11-2) at Hutchinson High School

Fri Oct. 4 Rocori (10-3) at Rocori High School

Fri Oct. 11 Big Lake (1-8) at Becker High School

Wed Oct. 16 Chisago Lakes (8-3) at Becker High School

Contact reporter Reid Glenn at rglenn@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Football schedule preview: Becker again playing championship contenders in 2024