Brett Berggren was determined to make sure that the DuKane Conference championship stayed in Batavia.

It was a message that was communicated throughout the entire week of practice, and especially heading into a winner-take-all game against Wheaton Warrenville South.

And once the Bulldogs took the field, it was pretty clear how deep the message had been ingrained in the players’ heads.

Led by a three-touchdown night from Berggren, the Bulldogs pulled off a 45-12 victory over the hosting Tigers to secure their sixth DuKane Conference championship since the conference started in 2018.

“We’ve been in a slump here and there, but this week of practice we were really dedicated,” Berggren said. “We knew this was for conference champs. We went extra hard out there. And it feels great. We really needed that.”

Berggren ended up finishing the night with 91 rushing yards and two touchdowns off of three carries, including a 67-yard dagger in the middle of the fourth quarter. He also added five catches for 76 yards and a touchdown.

“We usually try to get him the ball 10-12 touches a game, with three or four of those being runs,” Batavia coach Dennis Piron said. “But once he plants his foot and goes north or south, he’s a scary player. And you could see that out on the field.”

Berggren’s big night was one of a few big performances for the Bulldogs (7-2 overall, 6-1 DuKane) on the offense. Wide receiver Darin Ashiru finished with eight catches for 94 yards and a touchdown, while quarterback Michael Vander Luitgaren completed 15 of 17 passes for 183 yards and three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) to get the Bulldogs over 40 points for the first time since their 43-42 loss to St. Charles North back in Week 4.

“We felt that we had to grind the ball and eat the clock up, be really we got some explosive plays out there,” Piron said. “They were a very stingy defense all year long, and I feel like we executed the game plan, everybody believed, and the kids just did a great job.”

It wasn’t just the offense that was working on all cylinders; the defense was as well. Defensive lineman and linebacker Gavin Pecor each made their way into the backfield multiple times, with each player recording two sacks while also adding a fumble recovery.

“Our whole D-Line and linebackers, we have a lot of different blitzers, and we all really work as one, and it all works out,” Pecor said. “We’re pressuring the quarterbacks to make sure they don’t have that much time to throw, and that’s what makes our defense so good.”

That ability to get into the back field proved to be vital against a running back like WW South’s Owen Yorke, who had his streak of eight consecutive games with 100-plus rushing yards come to an end against the Bulldogs’ defense.

“(Defensive Coordinator) Matt Holm’s a seasoned guy who always has a game plan,” Piron said. “And it’s pretty special when he dials things up like that. But I couldn’t be prouder of our kids for executing the plan on all facets.”

The loss meant that the Tigers (6-3, 5-2) fell just short of securing their first conference title since winning the DuPage Valley in 2014. The game also marked the first time this season the team did not record over 100 rushing yards as a team.

“I thought there were some situations that we didn’t quite execute on that we have in the past, and just didn’t get that momentum going,” Tigers coach Sean Norris said. “They got the pass going at time, and we just weren’t able to convert in the second half. And against a good football team like that, you’ve got to do that.”

Yorke accounted for both of their scores in the game. The senior had a 34-yard rushing score in the second quarter and added a 37-yard receiving touchdown in the fourth quarter. He finished with 78 rushing yards and 71 receiving yards.

“He’s a really talented pass catcher, and he showed some of that here,” Norris said. “He’s a great athlete that can make plays all over the field. He stepped up when we needed, and we just couldn’t put enough together besides it.”