Week 3 Recap - Cardinals 14, Bluejays 21

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Fairmont, Waseca to clash in Week 3 grid showdown

By Charlie Sorrells
Prep Sports Writer

FAIRMONT – The Rivals’ online site has the Waseca Bluejays ranked as the 24th-best football team in its all-inclusive Minnesota prep weekly poll, while the Fairmont Cardinals hold the No. 26 spot prior to Friday night’s 7 PM Week 3 showdown at Thomas Mahoney Field in Fairmont.
Incredibly, Massey Ratings online sports services has the pair of Section 3, Class AAA rivals reversed in their online high school rankings, with the Cardinals holding No. 25 and the Bluejays netting No. 27. Massey Ratings has gone as far as predicting Fairmont winning by a narrow 27-20 score.
“The magnitude of our game with Fairmont really affects the seedings for the sectional playoffs at the end of the regular season, but that’s not our focus this early on,” said Waseca head coach Brad Wendland, whose team has compiled a 2-0 record via a down-to-the-wire 7-6 Week 1 win over St. Peter and a 37-6 triumph over Belle Plaine last Friday night. “We need to continue to work on all three phases of the game, and figure out our identity as a whole.”
Jordan Johnston, Owen Rupe and Toby Jeske proved the heroes behind Waseca’s one-point win over St. Peter during the 2025 kickoff, with an assist going to North Dakota State University football commit Deron Russell two weeks ago.
Battling in a scoreless deadlock, Johnston faked a reverse handoff to the fleet-footed Russell – who had returned an earlier punt deep into St. Peter territory before Waseca’s drive stalled – but kept the football and sprinted 69 yards for a touchdown. Rupe kicked the extra point to stake the Bluejays to a 7-0 lead with 1:50 remaining in the third quarter.
Jeske, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound sophomore, later sacked St. Peter quarterback Alex Korir at Waseca’s 12-yard line with 10 seconds remaining to set up a fourth-and-goal play. Korir delivered the TD toss to Ryan Moelter, but Waseca denied the ensuing 2-point conversion to garner the win.
“Jordan’s coming off back-to-back seasons of torn ACLs (anterior cruciate ligaments), and has overcome a lot of adversity, so it’s nice for him to deliver when the opportunity presented itself,” Wendland said in reference to his 5-9, 190-pound senior running back. “As for Deron, he’s such a versatile weapon, but more importantly, he’s a great leader and sets the tone for our team. He’s the kind of person everyone wants to follow and be like.
“Deron is a great young man who happens to be very good at the game of football.”
Russell and Johnston – along with sophomore quarterback Kellen Klinger – then engineered Waseca’s 31-point Week 2 win over Belle Plaine. Johnston gained a game-best 122 rushing yards and three Tds, while Russell pocketed both of Klinger’s scoring spirals. Klinger and the Bluejays amassed 217 passing yards and 208 more on the ground, while Jeske and the defense limited Belle Plaine to 90 yards through the air, but overwhelmed the Tigers’ running game by smothering it for a minus-11 yards.
Mahoney and the Cardinals are cognizant of Russell, Johnston and Klinger after analyzing video footage of their first two games.
“Waseca possesses one of the best athletes in the state of Minnesota in Deron Russell,” said Mahoney. “He’s athletic and reads the field well, so we’ll need to know where he’s at this Friday night in all three aspects of the game.
“Johnston is quick and runs hard, so we’ll have to make sure to wrap him up, while our big boys upfront will need to apply pressure to Klinger and hopefully create some turnovers.”
The Cardinals utilized that formula to coast to a 43-8 rout over New Ulm last Friday night. Ty Tumbleson pocketed a pick-6 to top Fairmont’s four-interception performance, with teammates Aaron Becker, Owen Terfehr and Dakota Wiley also contributing takeaways through the air.
Tumbleson also filled in for the injured Cole Brockmann out of Fairmont’s backfield and reeled off a career-best 181 rushing yards and two more Tds, while quarterback Joe Long tossed three more scoring spirals – including two to Tavian Harvey and one to Terfehr.
“Cole is injured, but we won’t know the extent of it until he has an MRI and a doctor’s evaluation,” said Mahoney. “His absence on the field definitely affects our depth. You hate to lose a senior co-captain’s leadership, but also his physicality on both sides of the line of scrimmage.
“We’ll probably go with Ty (Tumbleson) starting both ways and start (freshman) Aaron Becker at linebacker.”
If Brockmann sits out Friday night’s key battle of sectional foes, Mahoney will look to a number of his younger players and seasoned veterans to fill the void.
“Even though it’s only Week 3, anytime you square off against your (Southeast Red) district and section rival, you have a big opportunity to help yourself down the road in the playoffs,” said Mahoney. “This is the type of game you play for and why you train so hard during the offseason and in practice.” 

STARTING LINEUPS

FAIRMONT CARDINALS
Offense
QB: #13 Joe Long, 6-0, 155, Senior
FB: #28 Macklain Anderson, 5-10, 206, Senior
RB: #45 Ty Tumbleson, 6-2, 165, Senior
LT: #77 DJ Miller, 6-4, 250, Senior
LG: #52 Tyler Bicknase, 6-2, 230, Senior
C: #54 Jake Ehlert, 6-0, 235, Senior
RG: #56 Ryan Szafryk, 5-8, 260, Senior
RT: #50 Reed Johnson, 6-4, 195, Junior
TE: #38 Vincent Schultz, 6-4, 175, Junior
WR: #1 Tavian Harvey, 5-11, 140, Senior
WR: #6 Owen Terfehr, 6-1, 175, Junior

Defense
E: #81 Preston Geerdes, 6-4, 200, Sophomore
T: #77 Miller
NG: #73 Mathew Martin, 6-0, 270, Senior
T: #52 T. Bicknase
E: #4 Nolan Anderson, 6-5, 220, Senior
LB: #31 Aaron Becker, 6-1, 200, Freshman
LB: #45 Tumbleson
CB: #1 Tavian Harvey
CB: #2 Dakota Wiley, 6-0, 155, Senior
S: #7 Brayden Williamson, 5-7, 145, Junior
S: #6 Terfehr

WASECA BLUEJAYS
Offense
QB: #15 Kellen Klinger, 6-0, 195, Sophomore
RB: #2 Jordan Johnston, 5-9, 190, Senior
WR: #21 Jonah Worke, 5-10, 155, Junior
LT: #72 Brandon Bartz, 6-3, 245, Junior
LG: #76 Trey Jenzen, 5-11, 220, Junior
C: #73 Nathan Kaiser, 6-0, 295, Senior
RG: #55 Lucas Selthun, 5-11, 205, Senior
RT: #63 Aidan DeRaad, 5-11, 220, Sophomore
TE: #33 Owen Rupe, 6-0, 180, Junior
WR: #1 Cyrett Long, 5-10, 170, Senior
WR: #7 Deron Russell, 6-1, 175, Senior

Defense
E: #58 Brady McKenna, 5-10, 205, Junior
NG: #54 Matthew Veroeven, 6-0, 240, Senior
E: #56 Kaden Garza, 6-3, 255, Senior
OLB: #6 William Mansfield, 6-1, 175, Senior
MLB: #22 Kallen Glynn, 5-10, 170, Junior
MLB: #52 Julius Oviedo, 6-0, 205, Senior
OLB: #31 Toby Jeske, 6-4, 205, Sophomore
CB: #1 Long
CB: #4 Malachi Noble, 6-1, 175, Senior
S: #7 Russell
S: #30 Jacob Root, 5-10, 160, Senior

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