Posted 9/15/24
Fairmont linebacker Benet Mathiason (47) sacks Albert Lea quarterback Teaghen Tolbers during football action Saturday at Mahoney Field in Fairmont. Oliver Tordsen (65) applied pressure to the backfield along with Mathew Martin (73) and Hunter Johnson (40). Fairmont's Dakota Wiley (2) and Caleb Chambers (23) welcome teammate Tyler Bicknase (52) onto the field.
By Charlie Sorrells
Fairmont Football Association Contributor
FAIRMONT – Fairmont’s swarming defense utilized a single-game record quarterback sack attack, while running back Elijah Johnson and quarterback Joe Long produced lofty rushing and passing marks, respectively, to engineer a third consecutive wide-margin football triumph Saturday afternoon.
Trevor Maakestad notched a game-best 2.5 against Albert Lea, while Ty Tumbleson and Hank Artz each contributed 1.5 to the Class AAA No. 3-ranked Cardinals’ nine-quarterback sack for a negative-68 yards performance, Caleb Chambers scooped up two fumbles, while Elijah Johnson and Long had their legs and arms involved in six of seven touchdowns at Mahoney Field in Fairmont.
Johnson generated season-highs of 161 rushing yards and three Tds, Long threw for 188 yards and one score to complement two Tds on the ground and Nolan Schultze pocketed six catches for 83 yards to help the Cardinals coast to a 47-7 South Central Red District victory over the Tigers.
“The old adage of ‘bend-don’t-break’ applied to us (Saturday) from a defensive standpoint,” said Fairmont head coach Mat Mahoney, whose lineup improved to 3-0 overall. “Ironically, we allowed 230 yards passing, but held Albert Lea to negative rushing yards (minus 5).
“At the end of the day, we won by 40 points and gave up one TD with our second unit. It’s difficult to complain about that outcome.”
Elijah Johnson broke three tackles on the second play from the line of scrimmage for 30 yards before Long later pegged a spiral to Schultze over the middle for a 25-yard pick-up to reach the Tigers’ 4. Johnson’s blast through the right side produced six points before Lucas Rosburg’s PAT kick staked the Cardinals to a 7-0 lead with 9:18 left in the opening quarter.
Chambers then made the initial contact on Albert Lea quarterback Teaghen Tolbers on an ensuing third-and-6 play before Maakestad completed the sack for a loss of 1 to force a punt.
Long threaded a 24-yard strike to Schultze before Johnson pounded out 13 yards to reach Albert Lea’s 9. With the Tigers’ defense pouncing at Johnson, Tumbleson rumbled up the middle for a 9-yard TD before Rosburg kicked the PAT to double the Cardinals’ lead to 14-0 with 5:40 left in the first.
Maakestad, Artz and the Fairmont defense used back-to-back sacks to pin the Tigers at their 2 to force another quick punt. Johnson sped around the end three plays later and accelerated to the end zone from 16 yards out for the second of his three scores. Rosburg’s kick made it 21-0 with 1:53 still to go in the first frame.
Another Maakestad tackle-for-loss forced Albert Lea to attempt a 37-yard field goal that proved short of the goal posts and switched possessions. Sam McGill, however, recovered a Fairmont football to allow the Tigers to set up their offense at the Cardinals’ 27.
Mathew Martin and Benet Mathiason combined for back-to-back sacks to actual give the Cardinals’ better field position in taking over by downs three plays later.
After trading possessions again, Tyler Bicknase’s QB sack forced a Tigers’ punt and it took Long and Fairmont’s offense just three plays to hit paydirt. Johnson reeled off a 49-yard rumble, with Schultze’s downfield block adding 15 more yards to the gain. With Albert Lea keying on Johnson, Long kept the football and strolled in from 2 yards out for the score. Rosburg’s PAT kick made it 28-0 with only 1:11 left before intermission.
Chambers then triggered Fairmont’s turnover-creating defense to open the third quarter by pouncing on the Tigers’ fumble at the visitors’ 6. Long split defenders up the middle and stretched the football over the plane for a 5-yard score before Rosburg kicked his record 16th consecutive PAT for a 35-0 lead with 10:55 left in the third.
Chambers’ sure-handed second fumble recovery one series later set up Fairmont’s next TD. Long zipped a pass over the middle to Brett Williams, who broke four tackles in covering 55 yards for six more points and a 41-point edge.
Tumbleson, Artz and Ty Kolbe piled up two more sacks to create an Albert Lea punt that led to Elijah Johnson’s 32-yard gallop to his third score of the game with 11:50 left in regulation.
Tolbers, who completed 11 of 12 passes for a game-high 230 yards, connected with Carter Conn on a 30-yard strike and a 50-yard scoring spiral to Layton Yost to spoil Fairmont’s shutout bid at the 9:53 juncture.
Fairmont’s Isaac Taplin chipped in a fumble recovery during the next-to-last series of the afternoon.
No. 3-ranked Fairmont (3-0) plays host to St. Peter at 7 p.m. Friday night for Homecoming at Thomas Mahoney Field in Fairmont.
…
Albert Lea 0 0 0 0 -- 7
Fairmont 21 7 13 6 – 47
SCORING PLAYS
1st Quarter
FMT: Elijah Johnson 4 run (Lucas Rosburg kick), 9:18.
FMT: Ty Tumbleson 9 run (Rosburg kick), 5:40.
FMT: E. Johnson 16 run (Rosburg kick), 1:53.
2nd Quarter
FMT: Joe Long 2 run (Rosburg kick), 1:11.
3rd Quarter
FMT: Long 5 run (Rosburg kick), 10:55.
FMT: Brett Williams 55 pass from Long (kick failed), 5:39.
4th Quarter
FMT: E. Johnson 32 run (kick blocked), 11:50.
AL: Layton Yost 50 pass from Teaghen Tolbers (Ledger Stadheim kick), 9:53.
…
TEAM STATISTICS
First downs: Fairmont 16; Albert Lea 10. Rushing: Fairmont 31-193; Albert Lea 27 for minus-5. Passing: Fairmont 15-21-0-209; Albert Lea 11-12-0-230. Fumbles-lost: Fairmont 3-2; Albert Lea 4-3. Penalties: Fairmont 5-45; Albert Lea 5-51.
…
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Offense: Rushing: Elijah Johnson (FMT) 19-161. Passing: Tolbers (AL) 11-12-0-230; Long (FMT) 14-19-0-188, Joey Crissinger (FMT) 1-2-021. Receiving: Nolan Schultze (FMT) 6-83, Tavian Harvey (FMT) 3-25, Brett Williams (FMT) 1-55; Carter Conn (AL) 2-53, Yost (AL) 2-78.
Defense: Fumble recoveries: Caleb Chambers (FMT) 2, Isaac Taplin (FMT) 1; Sam McGill (AL) 1, Brecken Wacholz (AL) 1. Quarterback sacks: Fairmont: Trevor Maakestad 2.5; Hank Artz and Ty Tumbleson 1.5 each; Mathew Martin, Benet Mathiason, Tyler Bicknase 1 each; Ty Kolbe 0.5.
Posted 9/10/24
CARDINAL TO WATCH:
#54 Jake Ehlert, 6-0, 220-pound
Junior Offensive Center
By Charlie Sorrells
Fairmont Football Association Contributor
FAIRMONT – After kicking off the prep football season with a pair of ‘running-time’ victories, the average fan would expect that Fairmont mentor Mat Mahoney and his Cardinals do not have much to perfect during their Week 3 practice sessions prior to Saturday's 12:30 PM home game against the Albert Lea Tigers.
“I always say there’s a big leap from Week 1 to Week 2 in what you learn about how your players execute in actual game situations,” said Mahoney, whose Class AAA No. 3-ranked Cardinals are coming off a 41-13 road triumph over Belle Plaine last Friday night. “Our guys did numerous things well in our 42-0 opening win over TCU, but against a more physical team like Belle Plaine, we learned what aspects of the game we still need to improve on.
“This week is all about ‘teaching tape’ or in other words, breaking down game footage film better and figuring out how to correct the little things.”
Upon further review, one of the statistical corrections for Fairmont was whether wideout Nolan Schultze’s 45-yard touchdown was deemed a run or a reception.
“It’s technically being pitched forward toward the line of scrimmage, so Nolan’s scoring play was considered a catch,” said Mahoney.
Schultze finished with a career-best 145 receiving yards and two scores, while junior quarterback Joe Long completed 11 of 14 passes for a career-best 203 yards and two Tds at Belle Plaine’s expense.
Highly-recruited running back Elijah Johnson cleared the 130-yard rushing barrier again to complement two scores, while Bemidji State football commit Hank Artz delivered a 15-yard pick-6 right before halftime.
“I was very impressed with Fairmont’s quarterback (Long) in how he threw the ball, knew when to keep it and run, and his overall (field) vision,” said Albert Lea head coach Paul Dunn, whose Tigers opened the season with a narrow 15-13 loss to St. Peter before falling 27-7 to a vastly-improved New Ulm team last Friday night. “Ironically, I was surprised Fairmont threw the ball that much, even though Belle Plaine loaded the box against Elijah Johnson.
“Elijah will be Elijah and he will be tough to get to the ground for us and every other team he faces. We’ll have our hands full trying to get him down.”
While 6-foot-3, 190-pound junior end Noah Teeter – who blocked a punt for one of the Tigers’ two Tds last week – and the Albert Lea 4-3 defensive alignment will keep an eye on Elijah Johnson, junior quarterback Teaghan Tolbers will seek a way to move the yardage markers downfield against Artz and Fairmont’s swarming 4-3 unit.
Tolbers, who completed 10 of 16 passes for 77 yards – including a TD to flanker Carter Conn against New Ulm, will look to put the Tigers’ veer option offense in motion to keep Long, Johnson, Schultze and the Cardinals’ high-octane offense off of Mahoney Field when the game kicks off at 12:30 PM Saturday.
Conn finished the game against New Ulm with a team-leading five receptions for 45 yards and the score, while teammate running back Charlie Irvine triggered the ground game with 41 yards on 11 rushes.
“After battling St. Peter right to the end in a two-point game in our season opener, I was a little disappointed with our intensity against New Ulm during the first half,” said Dunn. “We have to fire off the line on both sides of the ball right from the opening series.
“We’re making progress, but we also need to keep growing with each week. Fairmont will definitely present a challenge on Saturday.”
Mahoney echoed some of his counterpart’s sentiments prior to this week’s South Central Red District clash at Thomas Mahoney Field in Fairmont.
“We were in the right position for the majority of the game, but we just didn’t finish like we need to,” said Mahoney. “We’ll continue to make adjustments this week and get prepared for an athletic quarterback in No. 10 (Tolbers).
“He’s a dynamic player who runs the option well, can make yardage by keeping it and he can throw the ball long. He simply makes plays.”
What were Mahoney and Dunn’s thoughts on a 12:30 PM game on a Saturday?
“We’ve got a number of things to fix, so it’s another day of business as usual,” said Dunn.
“No real adjustment to the extra day of practice, but I do like the feel of playing in an atmosphere similar to a college game on a Saturday afternoon,” said Mahoney.
…
FAIRMONT CARDINALS (2-0)
OFFENSE
QB: #13 Joe Long, 6-1, 145, Junior
RB: #8 Elijah Johnson, 5-10, 195, Senior
FB: #44 Hank Artz, 6-3, 245, Senior
OT: #65 Oliver Tordsen, 6-8, 235, Senior
OG: #55 Ivan Martin, 6-0, 230, Senior
C: #54 Jake Ehlert, 6-0, 220, Junior
OG: #52 Tyler Bicknase, 6-2, 230, Junior
OT: #77 David Miller, 6-4, 250, Junior
TE: #38 Vincent Schultz, 6-2, 175, Sophomore
WR: #3 Nolan Schultze, 6-2, 175, Senior
WR: #1 Tavian Harvey, 6-0, 135, Junior
DEFENSE
E: #44 Artz
T: #73 Mathew Martin, 6-2, 270, Junior
T: #55 Ivan Martin
E: #5 Trevor Maakestad, 6-7, 185, Senior
OLB: #23 Caleb Chambers, 5-10, 175, Senior
MLB: #40 Hunter Johnson, 6-1, 216, Senior
OLB: #45 Ty Tumbleson, 6-2, 165, Junior
CB: #12 Hadan Toomer, 6-1, 180, Senior
CB: #1 Harvey
S: #6 Jaron Schutz, 5-11, 150, Senior
S: #3 Nolan Schultze
…
ALBERT LEA TIGERS (0-2)
OFFENSE
QB: #10 Teaghan Tolbers, 6-1, 190, Junior
FB: #44 Esteban Mixteco, 5-7, 170, Junior
TB: #23 Charlie Irvine, 6-0, 180, Sophomore
FL: #1 Carter Conn, 6-2, 185, Junior
OT: #62 Liam Bell, 6-0, 290, Senior
OG: #60 Evan Schroeder, 5-9, 235, Senior
C: #50 Reece Jeffrey, 6-0, 220, Junior
OG: #72 Devin Distad, 6-0, 214, Sophomore
OT: #66 Brayton Behrends, 6-2, 270, Senior
TE: #8 Noah Teeter, 6-3, 190, Junior
WR: #12 Easton Schewe, 6-2, 160, Junior
DEFENSE
E: #8 Teeter
NG: #75 William Velaquez, 5-6, 240, Junior
T: #60 Schroeder
E: #6 Sam McGill, 6-5, 192, Junior
OLB: #23 Irvine
MLB: #44 Mixteco
OLB: #42 Payton Earl, 6-2, 200, Junior
CB: #1 Conn
CB: #2 Layton Yost, 5-11, 150, Junior
S: #9 Brecklyn Wacholz, 6-2, 183, Sophomore
S: #12 Schewe
By Charlie Sorrells
Fairmont Football Association Contributor
FAIRMONT – Belle Plaine’s defense limited Fairmont’s record-setting running back Elijah Johnson to 46 yards on a dozen totes during the first half of Friday night’s clash of Section 3AAA football powers in Belle Plaine.
Enter quarterback Joe Long, wideout Nolan Schultze and the Cardinals’ swarming defense.
Long threw for 130 of his game-best 158 yards - including a 58-yard touchdown to Schultze – and sprinted for a 10-yard score; Schultze motored 45 yards for a TD; and defensive lineman Hank Artz delivered an athletic 15-yard pick-6 to counter the Tigers’ yeoman effort.
Johnson, however, had the final word in the second half, churning out 86 more yards en route to a game-leading 132 to complement two Tds to engineer Fairmont’s 41-13 victory over Belle Plaine during Week 2.
“We took what the defense gave us during the opening half and utilized Joe’s throwing and scrambling, along with Nolan’s pass-catching and running skills, to put points on the board,” said Fairmont head coach Mat Mahoney, whose lineup improved to 2-0 overall. “The diversity and balance of our offense allows us to use other options if the opposing defense keys on one aspect or player.”
Long went to the airwaves early, hitting Merritt Pomerenke, Brett Williams and Tavian Harvey with spirals to gain the Tigers’ 45 during the game-opening sequence. Elijah Johnson then cleared a path on the outside edge to help free Schultze on a 45-yard toss sweep for six points. The long snap skidded low on the ensuing PAT play, keeping the score at 6-0 with 7:51 showing.
Artz and Mathew Martin jammed up the defensive trenches to force Belle Plaine into a fourth-and-one situation at the Fairmont 45 before Cardinals’ tackle Ivan Martin slammed the brakes on the Tigers’ ball carrier for a 2-yard loss to regain possession.
Long fired a 42-yard missile to Schultze on first down of the next series to gain the home team’s 13. Three snaps later, Long crossed the goal line on a 10-yard keeper before Lucas Rosburg extended his PAT kick string by nailing it through the uprights for a 13-0 margin with 1:29 left in the first frame.
Harvey’s ensuing 20-yard punt return, on the heels of another defensive stand, put Fairmont back in business at its 30. Once again, Long looked to the fleet-footed Schultze for a good-hands catch on a 58-yard seam route to reach paydirt. Rosburg nailed the extra point for a 20-0 lead with 8:57 to go in the second quarter.
Despite marching from their own 32 to the Tigers’ 5 following another defensive stop – triggered by end Trevor Maakestad, Belle Plaine’s Mason Bungarden picked off a Long pass near the left pylon for a touchback. Artz then bullrushed, elevated his 6-foot-3, 245-pound frame, batted Belle Plaine quarterback Reed Creighton’s pass, stretched out to corral the deflection and motored 15 yards for the pick-6. Rosburg’s kick made it 27-0 at intermission.
Creighton, a 6-1 freshman, however, displayed his passing prowess to open the third quarter. Creighton completed four of his 11 passes for 60 of his 119 yards on the game to march the Tigers into the end zone. The freshman signal-caller threaded an 18-yard post pass to Josh Sparby to reduce their deficit to 27-6.
It only took the Johnson Express four rumbling runs to reel off 48 of the Cardinals’ ensuing 54-yard drive to counter, with the senior running back’s 7-yard TD run. Rosburg’s kick made it 34-6 with 6:42 showing in the third.
End Oliver Tordsen’s tackle for a 5-yard loss on an end-around run proved key in creating the Tigers’ ensuing punt before Long and Johnson proved too much for the hometown team to handle. Long zipped an 18-yard out to Harvey to serve as the march’s catalyst before Johnson was initially stopped near the line, reversed course with a nifty-shift before sprinting into the end zone from 5 yards out. Rosburg kicked the PAT for a 35-point lead with 36 seconds left in the third quarter.
Creighton capped the game by connecting with Caleb Eppen on a 13-yard scoring strike before Adrian Grilla kicked the PAT for a 41-13 final score.
Fairmont (2-0) plays host to Albert Lea at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at Mahoney Field.
…
Fairmont 13 14 14 0 – 41
B. Plaine 0 0 6 7 – 13
SCORING PLAYS
1st Quarter
FMT: Nolan Schultze 45 run (long snap failed), 7:51.
FMT: Joe Long 10 run (Lucas Rosburg kick), 1:29.
2nd Quarter
FMT: Nolan Schultze 58 pass from Long (Rosburg kick), 8:57.
FMT: Hank Artz 15 interception return (Rosburg kick), 1:27.
3rd Quarter
BP: Josh Sparby 18 pass from Reed Creighton (kick failed), 9:12.
FMT: Elijah Johnson 7 run (Rosburg kick), 6:42.
FMT: E. Johnson 5 run (Rosburg kick), 0:36.
4th Quarter
BP: Caleb Eppen 13 pass from Creighton (Adrian Grilla kick), 6:13.
TEAM STATISTICS
First downs: Fairmont 13; Belle Plaine 11. Rushing: Fairmont 33-213; Belle Plaine 27-61. Passing: Fairmont 10-13-1-158; Belle Plaine 13-21-1-126. Fumbles-lost: Fairmont 0-0; Belle Plaine 1-0. Penalties: Fairmont 6-65; Belle Plaine 5-55.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Offense: Rushing: Elijah Johnson (FMT) 21-132, Nolan Schultze (FMT) 2-44, Joe Long (FMT) 5-26; Walker Koepp (BP) 8-56. Passing: Joe Long (FMT) 10-13-1-158; Reed Creighton (BP) 11-18-1-119. Receiving: Nolan Schultze (FMT) 2-100, Tavian Harvey (FMT) 3-29, Brett Williams (FMT) 3-20; Eppen (BP) 6-53; Sparby (BP) 5-55.
Defense: Interceptions: Hank Artz (FMT) Pick6; Mason Bungarden (BP).
Posted 9/4/24
CARDINAL TO WATCH:
#55 Ivan Martin, 6-0, 230-pound
senior offensive guard/defensive tackle
Posted 9/1/24
Fairmont running back Elijah Johnson chats about his standout performance in Friday's 42-0 win over TCU.
By Charlie Sorrells
Fairmont Football Association Contributor
FAIRMONT – Lucas Rosburg honed his newly-acquired PAT-kicking skills on the heels of Elijah Johnson’s 130-yard and three-touchdown performance, Joe Long’s two-score effort – one passing and one running, and Fairmont’s smothering shutout during Friday afternoon’s football kickoff at Mahoney Field.
Johnson gained the end zone on respective first-half battering runs of 1, 12 and 12 yards, respectively, Long broke the plane on an 11-yard keeper and fired a 25-yard TD strike to Nolan Schultze, while Rosburg proved a perfect 6-for-6 on extra-point kicks to highlight the Cardinals’ 42-0 Section 3AAA victory over the Tri-City United Titans in Fairmont.
“He (Rosburg) had never kicked before this summer,” said Fairmont mentor Mat Mahoney. “He decided he was going to learn how to do it, grabbed some footballs and taught himself how to handle all of our kicking duties.”
Linebackers Hunter Johnson and Caleb Chambers – who each pocketed a fumble recovery – and Fairmont’s defense limited TCU to only one first-half first down and just 35 total yards of offense to quickly regain possession for Long, Johnson and the Cardinals’ high-octane offense series after series.
Johnson sliced, juked and hammered through Titan defenders for 20 and 30 yards, respectively, during Fairmont’s second possession to set up Long’s 11-yard keeper up the middle for a TD. Rosburg’s PAT made it 7-0 at the 7:37 juncture of the opening period.
Cornerback Hadan Toomer halted Titans’ starting quarterback Alex Glende on a third-and-long run to force a punt and this time, Long connected on three consecutive spirals to march the Cardinals to paydirt. Long spotted Tavian Harvey for an 8-yard out, tossed a 10-yarder to Merritt Pomerenke and threaded an 8-yarder to Nolan Schultze to gain the 1. Elijah Johnson covered the short distance for six more points and Rosburg kicked the PAT to double the gap at 14-0 with 47 seconds left in the first.
Hunter Johnson covered TCU’s fumble on the ensuing kickoff at the Titans’ 39 and Long needed just three snaps to extend Fairmont’s lead to 21-0. After Elijah Johnson’s 6-yard blast, Long connected with Harvey for 8 more yards and lofted a 25-yard fade to Schultze for a TD. Rosburg added PAT No. 3 with only 5 seconds to go in the first quarter.
“I thought our guys upfront on both offense and defense really set the tone today,” said Mahoney. “EJ ran powerfully and hit the gaps, Joe (Long) managed the game efficiently and the defense always proved to be in the right spot at the right time.”
Defensive end Oliver Tordsen did exactly that by utilizing his 6-foot-8 frame to tip TCU’s next punt as Fairmont regained possession at the Titans’ 12. Elijah Johnson rumbled through the right side of the line for the TD before Rosburg nailed the PAT.
Defensive end Hank Artz created chaos during TCU’s next possession and forced a punt to put Long and Elijah Johnson within striking distance again. Nolan Schultze reeled off 23 yards on a sweep toss, Long zipped a 9-yard pass to Harvey and Elijah Johnson later pounded out a 12-yard TD run. Rosburg’s kick widened the margin to 35-0 with 7:38 remaining before intermission.
Harvey’s sure-handed stop on a TCU completion from Glende to Gavin Sherman created another three-and-out for the visitors. With Elijah Johnson’s day completed, sophomore running back Jerry Lebbi amassed 45 of his 71 rushing yards during the next Fairmont series, scoring on a 4-yard run. Rosburg nailed his sixth and final PAT for a 42-point lead.
TCU and Fairmont turned over the second half to mainly the reserves, with neither team scoring. Chambers recovered a fumble on a punt for the Cardinals, while the Titans’ Christopher Estrada intercepted a Joey Crissinger pass late in the game.
Long went 7 of 8 passing for 78 yards and a TD for Fairmont, while Glende connected on 3 of 5 passes for 31 yards for TCU. Kellen Jirik went 3 of 7 for 54 yards while rotating into the mix at QB for the Titans.
Fairmont (1-0) travels to Belle Plaine on Friday, Sept. 6, while TCU (0-1) hosts Sibley East next Friday in Montgomery.
***
TCU 0 0 0 0 -- 0
FMT 21 21 0 0 – 42
Scoring Plays
1st Quarter
FMT: Joe Long 11 run (Lucas Rosburg kick), 7:37.
FMT: Elijah Johnson 1 run (Rosburg kick), 0:47.
FMT: Nolan Schultze 25 pass from Long (Rosburg kick), 0:05.
2nd Quarter
FMT: E. Johnson 12 run (Rosburg kick), 10:51.
FMT: E. Johnson 12 run (Rosburg kick), 7:38.
FMT: Jerry Lebbi 4 run (Rosburg kick), 2:52.
3rd Quarter
No Scoring.
4th Quarter
No Scoring.
TEAM STATISTICS
First downs: Fairmont 13; TCU 3. Rushing: Fairmont 29-228; TCU 25-(minus 24). Passing: Fairmont 8-12-1-85; TCU 6-12-0-85. Fumbles-lost: Fairmont 2-1; TCU 6-2. Penalties: Fairmont 4-20; TCU 6-40.
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Offense: Rushing: E. Johnson (FMT) 11-130; Lebbi (FMT) 6-71. Passing: Joe Long (FMT) 7-8-0-78; Kellen Jirik (TCU) 3-7-0-54, Alex Glende (TCU) 3-5-0-31. Receiving: Nolan Schultze (FMT) 3-43, Tavian Harvey (FMT) 3-25; Parker O’Malley (TCU) 2-31, Carter Beulke (TCU) 1-46.
Defense: Interception: Christopher Estrada (TCU). Fumble recoveries: Hunter Johnson (FMT), Caleb Chambers (FMT), Blake Herman (TCU). 0, Soph.
No. 65 Oliver Tordsen
6-8, 235-pound Senior Offensive Tackle
By Charlie Sorrells
Fairmont Football Association Contributor
FAIRMONT – All-South Central Red District choices Elijah Johnson and Hank Artz literally will power 2023 Section 3AAA runner-up Fairmont into their final high school football seasons at 7 PM Thursday night when the Cardinals play host to the Tri-City United Titans at Mahoney Field.
The 5-foot-10, 195-pound Johnson -- a preseason all-state selection at running back -- and the 6-3, 245-pound Artz -- a Bemidji State University football commit – will take the first steps on their “Take it to the Bank” gridiron tour after etching their names in the Fairmont program’s rich history books for the past two and four campaigns, respectively.
“It’s a tough way to kick off the season, facing a running back the caliber of Johnson and an offense that’s balanced and runs multiple sets,” said TCU head coach Matt Collins. “Throw in a handful of talented receivers to complement Johnson, and their offense makes you have to defend the whole field and presents quite a challenge right out of the gate.”
While Fairmont returns tackle Oliver Tordsen and guards Ivan Martin and Tyler Bicknase to the frontline trenches, Mahoney will turn to junior quarterback Joe Long to put the hometown offense in motion during his varsity starting debut.
“After watching him in our preseason scrimmages last Saturday at Albert Lea, Joe has really turned into a good game manager,” said Fairmont head coach Mat Mahoney, who enters the season with 125 career wins and six state bids to his credit. “We’ve (coaching staff) watched his confidence grow with each practice.
“It also helps to have the comfort of a skilled offensive line in front of him (Long) and two top-notch running backs (Johnson and Artz) behind him.”
Ironically, Long has the luxury of throwing to a pair of varsity-experienced receivers in wideouts Nolan Schultze and Tavian Harvey, while Titans’ returning quarterback Alex Glende will take aim at connecting to an entirely novice bevy of pass-catchers this fall.
“We have our starting QB back, but we don’t bring back anyone who’s caught a pass at the varsity level,” Collins said in reference to wideout Gavin Sherman, tight end Carter Beulke and wingbacks Abram Chimal and Parker O’Malley.
While Collins plans to incorporate the passing game into his overall offensive attack, TCU’s mentor will look to move the sticks by utilizing a wing-T formation featuring tailback Nate Blaschko along with O’Malley and Chimal.
“We’ll run a lot of motion and misdirection, and feature guys in the backfield who can scoot, so we’ll want to get the ball in their hands when we can,” said Collins.
Unfortunately for Collins, Fairmont will likely have an advantage during the fourth quarter as the Cardinals feature only four two-way starters – Artz, Nolan Schultze, Ivan Martin and Tavian Harvey, while TCU’s starting 11 is comprised of nine starters going both ways.
Artz and Ivan Martin will flank 6-2, 270-pound junior tackle Mathew Martin in Fairmont’s defensive front four, with 6-7, 185-pound senior Trevor Maakestad creating pressure from the end spot opposite of the hard-rushing Artz.
Across the field, Collins will rely on his No. 2 and No. 3 leading tacklers from the 2023 campaign – linebacker Parker O’Malley and safety Gavin Sherman, respectively – and returning defensive ends Preston Ernste and Jacob Cihak to try to limit the total yardage and point production by Elijah Johnson and the Cardinals’ high-octane offense.
“Parker has really evolved into one of our defensive leaders, while Gavin likes playing the role of roll-down safety, where he can pitch in and help to stop the run,” said Collins.
So, what do Mahoney and Collins want to gain from Thursday night’s season opener beside the obvious – a victory?
“One of our goals is to nail down our base duties and options, and get a number of players some reps to help figure out our lineup for Week 2,” said Collins.
“Probably figure out what our strengths are in a game that counts toward the section (3AAA), and what aspects we still need to work on,” said Mahoney.
***
FAIRMONT STARTERS
Offense
QB: #13 Joe Long, 6-1, 145, Jr.
RB: #8 Elijah Johnson, 5-10, 195, Sr.
FB: #44 Hank Artz, 6-3, 245, Sr.
OT: #65 Oliver Tordsen, 6-8, 235, Sr.
OG: #55 Ivan Martin, 6-0, 230, Sr.
C: #54 Jacob Ehlert, 6-0, 220, Jr.
OG: #52 Tyler Bicknase, 6-2, 230, Jr.
OT: #77 David Miller, 6-4, 250, Jr.
TE: #38 Vincent Schultz, 6-2, 175, Soph.
WR: #3 Nolan Schultze, 6-2, 175, Sr.
WR: #1 Tavian Harvey, 6-0, 135, Jr.
Defense
E: #44 Artz
T: #73 Mathew Martin, 6-2, 270, Jr.
T: #55 Ivan Martin
E: #5 Trevor Maakestad, 6-7, 185, Sr.
OLB: #23 Caleb Chambers, 5-10, 175, Sr.
MLB: #40 Hunter Johnson, 6-1 216, Sr.
OLB: #45 Ty Tumbleson, 6-2, 165, Jr.
CB: #12 Hadan Toomer, 6-1, 180, Sr.
CB: #1 Tavian Harvey
S: #6 Jaron Schutz, 5-11, 150, Sr.
S: #3 Nolan Schultze
-------
TCU STARTERS
Offense
QB: #13 Alex Glende, 6-1, 190, Sr.
TB: #9 Nate Blaschko, 5-11, 175, Jr.
WB: #28 Abram Chimal, 5-8, 160, Jr.
WB: #26 Parker O’Malley, 6-0, 175, Soph.
OT: #75 Owen Onken, 6-2, 300, Soph.
OG: #54 Triston Olson, 6-0, 210, Jr.
C: #52 Karson Malecha, 5-8, 175, Jr.
OG: #55 Preston Ernste, 6-0, 215, Sr.
OT: #50 Jacob Cihak, 6-0, 170, Sr.
TE: #82 Carter Beulke, 6-4, 190, Jr.
WR: #14 Gavin Sherman, 6-0, 170, Sr.
Defense
E: #55 Ernste
T: #52 Malecha
T: #54 Olson
E: #50 Cihak
LB: #9 Blaschko
LB: #26 O’Malley
LB: #35 Blake Herman, 5-8, 160, Sr.
CB: #28 Chimal
CB: #13 Glende
S: #14 Sherman
S: #12 Kellen Jirik, 6-1, 160, Soph.
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