Card to Watch - Week 7 Preview

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By Charlie Sorrells

Web Prep Writer

FAIRMONT – Tri-City United demonstrated its tenacity by producing two touchdowns during the final 1:39 of regulation to cap an incredible 21-14 comeback triumph over New Ulm during Week 6 prep football action to extend its winning streak to three in a row to move to 5-1 overall.

Fairmont integrated its powerful ground-and-pound of yore with a lethal air attack offensively, while unleashing havoc from a defensive perspective to dominate Belle Plaine, 27-7, to reel off a third consecutive victory to improve to 4-2.

TCU head coach Matt Collins’ Titans inched past rival Waseca (5-1) for the No. 1 spot in the Section 3AAA QRF ratings 73.3-69.7 this week, while Fairmont mentor Mat Mahoney’s Cardinals climbed two spots to the No. 3 position – holding a miniscule 53.4-53.0 margin over unbeaten Luverne (6-0). Unfortunately for Luverne, its eight-game regular-season schedule does not contain any sectional opponents.

“With only 2 weeks left in the regular season, we’ll see how the sectional seeds shake out in the QRF rankings and how the tiebreaking criteria will apply,” said Collins, whose gridders travel to Fairmont for a 7 PM Wednesday night game with the hometown Cardinals.

“It’s a short turnaround due to (Education Minnesota Week) and we’re facing one of the toughest teams in our playoff bracket, so we’d better be prepared for a good old-fashioned smash-mouth game,” said Mahoney. “TCU probably has the biggest offensive line we’ll see all season, averaging nearly 250 pounds per blocker, so our defense will get a test this week.”

“We have a lot of guys with a lot of varsity experience at our skill spots, but we’re definitely young in the line, starting three sophomores (6-foot-3, 260-pound left tackle Kale Tisdel; 6-3, 220-pound right guard Colton Dorweiler; and 6-4, 290-pound right tackle Tyson Sladek),” said Collins.

While the youth movement in the trenches has helped the Titans pile up yards, three-year two-way starters Parker O’Malley, Toren Kelly, Brody Factor and Keegan O’Meara engineered TCU’s late heroics in less than 2 minutes to topple New Ulm.

O’Malley’s 38-yard halfback pass to Factor led to O’Malley’s key 9-yard touchdown run before Chase Miller kicked the all-important PAT to tie the game at 14-all with 1:39 to go.

“We didn’t have a lot of time remaining, so we used a trick play – ironically, the first one we’ve used all season – to move the ball late in the game before Parker scored on a run,” said Collins. “I also have to give credit to Chase Miller, who joined our team from soccer on game nights, and gives us a legitimate kicker and those extra points can be the difference.”

William Soto hit the New Ulm quarterback as he was passing during the next series with Kelly reaching the Eagles’ 11-yard line off the interception. O’Meara later scored on third down from 8 yards out and Miller kicked the PAT to stake TCU to a 21-14 lead with 11 seconds to go. It was not quite over, however, as a Titan facemask penalty gave New Ulm one untimed play from its 40 and O’Malley sealed the victory with an interception in the end zone.

“Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to have a little luck,” Collins said with a laugh.

Collins knows TCU will face another challenge when his team travels to Thomas Mahoney Field for the pivotal sectional showdown during Week 7 on Wednesday night.

“Fairmont has a very physical running game with (Keyon) Schutz coming out of the backfield, and their quarterback (Jensen Livesay) has developed into a dual-threat as both a rusher and a passer in the past couple of weeks,” said Collins. “They’ve added their tight end (Preston Geerdes) into the receiving mix with (Brayden) Williamson and (Travohn) Harvey, with (Owen) Terfehr having to wear a cast on his one hand.

“Defensively, they’re greatly improved with (Aaron) Becker at linebacker and have a pair of tall ends (Reed Johnson and Vincent Schultz) to pass around, so we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

So, which powerhouse program will exit Thomas Mahoney Field with a win?

“Every possession will count, and whoever gets the timely turnover will definitely have the upperhand,” said Collins.

FAIRMONT STARTERS

OFFENSE

QB: #14 Jensen Livesay, 6-4, 205, Senior

RB: #30 Keyon Schutz, 5-11, 190, Junior

WR: #7 Brayden Williamson, 5-9, 155, Senior

WR: #5 Mason Bicknase, 6-2, 185, Junior

LT: #51 Vincent Schultz, 6-4, 175, Senior

LG: #59 Craig Schultze, 6-1, 255, Junior

C: #55 Reed Johnson, 6-5, 200, Senior

RG: #69 Luther Malo, 6-2, 240, Junior

RT: #70 Max Nielsen, 6-3, 275, Senior

TE: #81 Preston Geerdes, 6-4, 210, Junior

WR: #1 Travohn Harvey, 6-3, 145, Senior

DEFENSE

DE: #51 V. Schultz

DT: #69 Malo

NG: #74 Ethan Farnum, 6-2, 350, Senior

DE: #55 R. Johnson

OLB: #5 Bicknase

MLB: #31 Aaron Becker, 6-3, 220, Sophomore

OLB: #19 Caiden Utesch, 5-11, 175, Senior

CB: #7 Williamson

CB: #1 Harvey

SS: #6 Owen Terfehr, 6-2, 180, Senior

FS: #10 Landon Traetow, 6-0, 155, Senior

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TRI-CITY UNITED STARTERS

OFFENSE

QB: #12 Kellen Jirik, 6-2, 170, Senior

FB: #6 Ty Smith, 5-8, 180, Junior

WB: #26 Parker O’Malley, 6-0, 195, Senior

WB: #4 Keegan O’Meara, 5-9, 170, Senior

LT: #76 Kale Tisdel, 6-3, 260, Sophomore

LG: #65 Tucker Skluzacek, 6-0, 185, Senior

C: #75 Matthew Farr, 6-1, 290, Senior

RG: #68 Colton Dorweiler, 6-3, 220, Sophomore

RT: #64 Tyson Sladek, 6-4, 290, Sophomore

TE: #85 Ethan Holicky, 6-2, 170, Junior

SE: #8 Brody Factor, 6-0, 170, Senior

DEFENSE

DE: #6 Smith

DT: #76 Tisdel

DT: #64 Sladek

DE: #44 Corday Freeman, 6-0, 205, Senior

OLB: #26 O’Malley

MLB: #25 Toren Kelly, 6-0, 210, Senior

OLB: #20 Eric Borchardt, 6-0, 185, Junior

CB: #4 O’Meara

CB: #12 Jirik

S: #3 Skluzacek

S: #8 Factor