Becker 20, Rogers 9: Gibbons' 72-yard run leads way

Becker was as wobbly as it had been all night Friday at Rogers. It was early in the third quarter, and some misfortune had turned what looked to be an early rout into a 13-7 game. The Bulldogs needed something good to happen.

For Becker, that means putting the ball in the hands of 5-11, 180-pound senior Jake Gibbons. And even though the entire stadium and everyone on the Rogers defense likely knew the same thing, Gibbons is shifty and special enough that it doesn't matter.

On the Bulldogs' first play of the third quarter, Gibbons took a handoff, made a quick move to the left, found a seam, and raced 72 yards for what proved to be the defining touchdown in Becker's 20-9 victory over previously undefeated Rogers in a Mississippi 8 Conference showdown.

And then, in one of those moments that makes a person appreciate high school football, Gibbons was the first player on the field on special teams, ready to tee it up and kick the ball off. He booted a touchback, then ran off the field and into the arms of veteran head coach Dwight Lundeen, who knows a talent when he sees one.

"He's one of the best players in the Mississippi 8," said Lundeen, a veteran of four decades in coaching. "He's the real deal."

Gibbons plays defensive end in passing situations, kicks off, punts (he had one downed at the 6-inch line Friday), runs the ball and catches passes. He went from being an average player a year ago to someone Lundeen can't get off the field by dedicating himself to lifting weights in the offseason.

"He's usually the strongest kid on the field," Lundeen said. "And that gives him great confidence."

Indeed, Gibbons -- who unofficially ran for 175 yards and all three TDs after catching a 30-yard pass on the game's first play from scrimmage -- has no fear despite being a marked man.

"I don't really worry about that," Gibbons said. "I just play hard."

His pounding style helped Becker take a 13-0 lead early in the second quarter on the strength of two long touchdown drives.

But after Rogers' third consecutive three-and-out, a fumbled punt gave the Royals new life. Eight plays later they had turned what was shaping up to be a rout into a 13-7 score that held until halftime.

Gibbons put any comeback thoughts to rest in a hurry, and Becker withstood two Rogers forays inside the 10-yard line in the final five minutes, repelling the Royals without a score both times, before giving up an intentional safety in the closing seconds.

Both teams are now 6-1 and in line to get a piece of the conference title.

Becker perhaps gained the upper hand in the chase for the top seed (and first-round bye) in the Class 4A, Section 5 playoffs. The teams could meet again, and Becker's formula will be no different than it was Friday.

"We have great leaders," sophomore quarterback Johnny Benson said in explaining how the team was able to regain composure at halftime. "And Jake Gibbons just made a play."

Michael Rand • mrand@startribune.com