HISTORIC TEAM - Members of the first-ever Fairmont Cardinals girls flag football team include, front row (left to right): Giulia Severa, Elizabeth Kotewa, Kylee Desjarlais, Macy Smith, Maya Earhart and Chloe Darnell. Second row: Braelyn Miller, Sienna Utesch, Kaymarie Desjarlais, Audrina Suckow, Madilynn Johnson, Adriana Leiding and Ileah Sauceda. Third row: Alexa Sophie Alera, Kaytlin Faber, Kate Hagen, Destiny Chico Cruz, Norah Traetow, Leamonie Wilson, Wendy Medina and Allissa Moore. Back row: Coaches Ashley Scheevel, Courtney Schoellerman, Brett Williams, Brad Johnson and Mat Mahoney
5/4/25
By Charlie Sorrells
Fairmont Football Association Contributor
Pictured - DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS: Chloe Darnell (18), Leamonie Wilson (4) and Allissa Moore (31) combined for seven interceptions during the Cardinals' two-game flag football sweep Sunday in Waterville. (Photo by Charlie Sorrells)
WATERVILLE – Oh, the difference a week of preparation can make in high school sporting events.
Fairmont defensive back Allissa Moore pocketed five interceptions – including a pair returned for touchdowns – while quarterback Audrina Suckow completed 39 of 60 passes for eight scores and zero interceptions to power the Cardinals to back-to-back victories over Lakeville North and Lakeville South, respectively, during girls flag football action Sunday in Waterville.
“I whole-heartedly believe in the theory that a lot can happen between Week 1 and Week 2 during fall football, and it proved true today,” said Fairmont head coach Mat Mahoney, whose Cardinal flag footballers coasted to an opening 39-19 triumph over North before avenging a Week 1 loss via a 40-33 cardiac comeback victory over South in Game 2. South flattened Fairmont 46-6 during the Cardinals’ first-ever flag football game last Sunday at Mahoney Field in Fairmont.
Week 2’s rematch between South and Fairmont appeared to continue the trend from 7 days prior as the Lakeville program built a 20-0 halftime lead on Sunday in Waterville.
“Allissa Moore, Leamonie Wilson, Chloe Darnell and our defense really made their presence known during the second half against Lakeville South by combining for an incredible (four) inteceptions – with pick-6s by Allissa and Leamonie putting points on the board for us,” said Mahoney, whose defense collected seven total pickoffs during the two-game span. “Audrina utilized seven different receivers, threw 8 touchdowns and did not commit a turnover as our offense picked it up a notch, too.”
Darnell’s interception slammed the brakes on South’s first play of the second half before Suckow fired a 1-yard scoring strike to Adriana Leiding. The sure-handed Leiding finished the doubleheader with a team-best 16 catches for 187 yards and four scores.
The Cardinals’ quarterback then zipped a 1-point conversion pass to Kaymarie Desjarlais to reduce Fairmont’s deficit to 20-7 before Wilson delivered a defensive gem for another quick six points only four plays later. Wilson intercepted a South pass and sprinted 40 yards to paydirt before Leiding grabbed a 1-point conversion pass from Suckow to inch within 20-14.
South quarterback Alexa Dobesh answered by hitting Caitlin Beauchamp on spirals of 18, 18 and 4 yards, respectively, to restore a 12-point lead during the ensuing series.
Suckow countered by hitting Kylee Desjarlais on a 13-yarder before rocketing three passes to Leiding for a total of 36 yards to set up Kylee Desjarlais’ 1-yard TD catch and her following 1-point conversion reception to whittle the Cardinals’ gap to 26-21.
Suckow then connected on 6 of 7 throws, with Kaymarie Desjarlais, Kylee Desjarlais, Leiding and Macy Smith each garnering passes to reach the 10-yard line. Suckow’s slant pass to the middle of the field ricocheted from Kaymarie Desjarlais’ sure hands to Kylee Desjarlais’ gloves to inch Fairmont ahead 27-26 with time winding down in the second 20-minute half.
Moore then delivered the most pivotal defensive gem of the game, picking off a Dobesh pass and motoring 35 yards for her second TD of the two-game span to stake the Cardinals to a 33-26 margin. Moore, however, was not done with her pick-pocketing as Fairmont freshman defensive back intercepted another South pass and returned the football to the opposing 10. Moore covered the remaining distance in two carries, capped by a 7-yard TD rumble over right end. Suckow connected on the 1-point conversion pass to Kylee Desjarlais for a 40-26 lead.
Dobesh made the game closer by finding Aubrey Beauchamp on an 11-yard scoring strike before converting the 1-pointer to Caitlin Beauchamp to inch South within seven, but Fairmont was able to run out the final 30 seconds.
In Game 1 against Lakeville North, Fairmont proved 100% efficient by cashing all four first-half possessions into Tds to build a 26-6 lead by intermission.
Leiding nabbed a 7-yard spiral from Suckow for the initial six points, the fleet-footed Leiding left nothing but a vapor trail on an ensuing 38-yard breakaway TD catch before Suckow zipped a 3-yarder to Kaymarie Desjarlais. Kylee Desjarlais corraled the following conversion pass for a 20-6 lead. Leiding capped the opening half with a 36-yard catch-and-sprint reception from Suckow to build a 20-point lead by the break.
Holding a 26-19 lead later in the second half, Kaymarie Desjarlais pocketed a 1-yard TD pass from Suckow before Leiding chipped in the 1-point conversion catch. Moore delivered two interceptions during the final 2 minutes of regulation, with her final defensive highlight being a 45-yard pick-6 return to close out the game at 39-19.
Kylee Desjarlais finished with 11 catches for 119 yards and two Tds for the Cardinals, while Kaymarie Desjarlais contributed five total receptions for two scores.
Fairmont (2-2) travels to Burnsville next Sunday (May 11) for games against Eden Prairie and Hopkins.
…
(Game 1)
Fairmont 26-13–39
Lakeville North 6-13–19
Scoring Plays
1st Half
North: Chenda Sdoeung 45 run (pass failed).
FHS: Adriana Leiding 7 pass from Audrina Suckow (pass failed).
FHS: Leiding 38 pass from Suckow (Leiding pass from Suckow).
FHS: Kaymarie Desjarlais 3 pass from Suckow (Kylee Desjarlais pass from Suckow).
FHS: Leiding 36 pass from Suckow (pass failed).
2nd Half
North: Charley Ray 42 run (run failed).
North: Sophia Soh 45 pass from Nova Beaulieu (Ray pass from Beaulieu).
FHS: Kaymarie Desjarlais 1 pass from Suckow (Leiding pass from Suckow).
FHS: Allissa Moore 45 interception return (Time expired).
***
Individual Fairmont Statistics
Passing: Audrina Suckow 20-31-0-230 Yards & 5 Tds. Receiving: Adriana Leiding 7-123 & 3 Tds; Kylee Desjarlais 5-82; Kaymarie Desjarlais 4-27 & 2 Tds; Chloe Darnell 1-9; Macy Smith 1-7; Norah Traetow 1-6; Allissa Moore 1-4. Rushing: Moore 2-16; Leiding 2-12; Kaymarie Desjarlais 1-15. Interceptions: Moore 2 (1 Pick6).
…
(Game 2)
Fairmont 0-40–40
Lakeville South 20-13–33
Scoring Plays
1st Half
South: Caitlin Beauchamp 15 pass from Alexa Dobesh (Caitlin Beauchamp pass from Dobesh).
South: Caitlin Beauchamp 8 pass from Dobesh (Caitlin Beauchamp pass from Dobesh).
South: Shaniya Sharpe 24 pass from Dobesh (pass failed).
2nd Half
FHS: Leiding 1 pass from Suckow (Kaymarie Desjarlais pass from Suckow).
FHS: Leamonie Wilson 40 interception return (Leiding pass from Suckow).
South: Caitlin Beauchamp 4 pass from Dobesh (pass failed).
FHS: Kylee Desjarlais 1 pass from Suckow (Kylee Desjarlais pass from Suckow).
FHS: Moore 35 interception return (pass failed).
FHS: Moore 7 run (Kylee Desjarlais pass from Suckow).
South: Aubrey Beauchamp 11 pass from Dobesh (Caitlin Beauchamp pass from Dobesh).
***
Individual Fairmont Statistics
Passing: Suckow 19-29-0-148 Yards & 3 Tds. Receiving: Leiding 9-64 & 1 TD; Kylee Desjarlais 6-37 & 2 Tds; Traetow 2-23; Kaymarie Desjarlais 1-15; Smith 1-9. Rushing: Moore 3-12 & 1 TD; Leiding 2-19; Kaymarie Desjarlais 1-5. Interceptions: Moore 3 (1 Pick6); Wilson 1 (1 Pick6) and Chloe Darnell 1.
FAIRMONT – Fairmont appropriately kicked off its historic girls flag football campaign Sunday afternoon at legendary Thomas Mahoney Field in Fairmont during the first of the sport’s inaugural 6-week season.
While quarterback Alexa Dobesh threw for a game-best 193 yards – including five touchdowns to Caitlin Beauchamp – to power Lakeville South to a 46-6 victory during Fairmont’s debut and Alenka Jans tossed two TDs and delivered a pick-6 interception to help Waterville-Elysian-Morristown edge the hometown lineup 24-13 in Game 2, the Cardinals still etched their names in the school’s history books and their fans’ memories.
Quarterback Audrina Suckow delivered the Fairmont program’s first completed pass to Adriana Leiding – a 15-yarder in the first half against South – and connected for the Cardinals’ first passing score to Kylee Desjarlais via a 7-yard TD against WEM in Sunday’s Game 2. Suckow also fired the team’s initial 1-point PAT spiral to Kaymarie Desjarlais to etch the pair of siblings’ names into the archives.
The multi-tasking Suckow also scored the Cardinals’ first-ever flag football TD on a 12-yard run against South, while displaying her defensive skills against WEM by making the first-ever interception en route to two picks during the opening weekend.
“What a day,” said Fairmont head flag football coach Mat Mahoney, who’s also the Cardinals’ football mentor in the fall. “Ironically, the weather – mid-50s with a 20 mph wind – was similar to what we experience during the fall season, so it definitely felt appropriate for our historic debut of the sport.
“I think our coaching staff and players alike learned a lot about the game and ourselves against a very athletic Lakeville South team in our opener. We made some good adjustments between games, and the girls made some positive improvements during our second game against Waterville and were competitive right to the end.”
After WEM starting quarterback Lilly Hanson tossed a 45-yard scoring strike to Brooklyn Novack, Fairmont’s Maya Earhart deflected the 1-point conversion pass to keep the Cardinals’ deficit at 6-0 with 10 of the 20-minute first half expired.
Suckow’s ensuing 20-yard return on her interception put Fairmont at WEM’s 7-yard line before the senior signal-caller zipped a TD pass to Kylee Desjarlais. Suckow then staked the Cardinals to a 7-6 lead by finding Kaymarie Desjarlais on the 1-point conversion pass with 7:16 left in the first half.
Chloe Darnell later returned an interception to WEM’s 12 to put Fairmont on the doorstep, but Jans offset the defensive gem by returning her own pickoff to the house to swing a 12-7 lead back to the Buccaneers with only 1:22 left before intermission.
WEM’s Ellie Lamont and Fairmont’s Suckow exchanged interceptions to open the second half before the Bucs’ Robynn Schwichtenberg’s pickoff set up her own 7-yard TD catch from Jans for an 18-7 lead at the 15:35 juncture.
Quarterback Leamonie Wilson answered quickly for Fairmont by threading a pass to Allissa Moore, who eluded flag-grabbers for a 45-yard score to reduce the Cardinals’ deficit to 18-13 with 14 minutes remaining in regulation.
Moore displayed her defensive skills by pocketing an interception three series later only to see WEM’s Ellie Schlie counter with a pickoff one snap after. Jans spotted Novack for a 5-yard TD to create a 24-13 edge for WEM with 5:49 to go.
Suckow connected on passes of 11, seven and seven yards, respectively, to Leiding before finding Kaymarie Desjarlais on a 15-yarder to march downfield with time ticking away, but Paetyn Judd pocketed a pass toward the end zone to seal WEM’s win.
Suckow completed 10 of 18 passes for 88 yards and one TD for Fairmont, with Kaymarie Desjarlais and Leiding making five catches apiece for 51 and 40 yards, respectively, in Game 2.
Dobesh – who’s the ultimate multi-tasker at Lakeville South – connected on 9 of 15 passes for 193 yards and five scores in Game 1 against Fairmont. Dobesh, who also competes in volleyball, mountain biking, alpine skiing and track & field, fired scoring strikes of 28, 18, 35, 10 and 38 yards, respectively, to Caitlin Beauchamp. Beauchamp finished with a game-best seven receptions for 161 yards.
Suckow, who threw for 95 yards in the opener, scored the Cardinals’ lone TD against South via a 12-yard run with 1:40 left in the first 20-minute half. Leiding made three catches for 35 yards, Moore pocketed two passes for 48 yards, while Macy Smith grabbed one throw for 17 yards.
Fairmont (0-2) travels to Waterville on Sunday, May 4, for games against Burnsville and Lakeville South.
…
(Game 2)
WEM 12-12–24
FHS 7- 6–13
Scoring Plays
1st Half
WEM: Brooklyn Novack 45 pass from Lilly Henson (pass failed), 12:02.
FHS: Kylee Desjarlais 7 pass from Audrina Suckow (Kaymarie Desjarlais 1-point pass from Suckow), 7:16.
WEM: Alenka Jans pick-6 interception return (pass failed), 1:22.
2nd Half
WEM: Robynn Schwichtenberg 7 pass from Jans (pass failed), 15:35.
FHS: Allissa Moore 45 pass from Leamonie Wilson (pass failed), 14:00.
WEM: Novack 5 pass from Jans (pass failed), 5:49.
…
Passing: Suckow (FHS) 10-18-2-88 & 1 TD, Wilson (FHS) 3-14-3-62 & 1 TD. Jans (WEM) 4-10-2-20 & 2 Tds, Henson (WEM) 2-12-2-57 & 1 TD. Receiving: Fairmont: Kaymarie Desjarlais 5-51, Leiding 5-40, Moore 2-52 & 1 TD, Kylee Desjarlais 1-7 & 1 TD. WEM: Novack 3-55 & 2 Tds. Rushing: Leiding (FHS) 4-32.
Interceptions: Fairmont: Suckow 2; Chloe Darnell and Allissa Moore 1 each. WEM: Alenka Jans (Pick6), Ellie Lamont, Robynn Schwichtenberg, Ellie Schlie and Paetyn Judd.
…
(Game 1)
Lakeville South 33-13–46
Fairmont HS 6- 0– 6
Scoring Plays
1st Half
LS: Shaniya Sharpe 30 run (pass failed), 19:02.
LS: Caitlin Beauchamp 28 pass from Alexa Dobesh (C. Beauchamp pass from Dobesh), 15:45.
LS: C. Beauchamp 18 pass from Dobesh (Avery Ren pass from Dobesh), 11:18.
LS: C. Beauchamp 35 pass from Dobesh (pass failed), 3:15.
FHS: Audrina Suckow 12 run (pass failed), 1:40.
LS: C. Beauchamp 10 pass from Dobesh (Aubrey Beauchamp pass from Dobesh), 0:50.
2nd Half
LS: Sharpe 31 run (Ren pass from Dobesh), 15:40.
LS: C. Beauchampion 38 pass from Dobesh, 14:30. (** Game ends via 35-point mercy rule).
…
Passing: Dobesh (LS) 9-15-0-193 & 5 Tds. Suckow (FHS) 5-16-0-95, Leamonie Wilson (FHS) 1-3-1-5. Receiving: Lakeville South: Caitlin Beauchamp 7-161 & 5 Tds. Fairmont: Adriana Leiding 3-35, Allissa Moore 2-48, Macy Smith 1-17. Rushing: Shaniya Sharpe (LS) 3-66 & 2 Tds. Suckow (FHS) 9-24 & 1 TD, Kylee Desjarlais (FHS) 2-12, Leiding (FHS) 1-22.
Interception: Tina Murdock (LS).