Weekly News

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 By Charlie Sorrells
Fairmont Football Association Contributor

   FAIRMONT – If there was a fantasy football league for prep players, Marshall tailback Mason Eickhoff would have been the No. 1 point producer on Friday night.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Eickhoff generated three touchdowns – two scores and 99 yards on just 10 carries – to complement catching one Levi Maeyaert pass for another TD, while linebackers Josh Kraft and Jack Meier walked down to help create a formidable defensive wall to guide the Class AAAA No. 10-ranked Tigers to a 28-9 triumph over the Class AAA No. 3-ranked and previously-unbeaten Fairmont Cardinals at Thomas Mahoney Field in Fairmont.
“Marshall’s a very physical football team and the best opponent we’ve faced all season,” said Cardinals’ head coach Mat Mahoney, whose high-octane running game was held to 93 yards. “Even with starting quarterback Joe Long exiting the game early (7:59 remaining in the second quarter) due to injury, our guys played hard for the entire four quarters tonight.
“I was proud of their effort and how our defense allowed only one touchdown during the entire second half after trailing 21-9 (at intermission).”
Bemidji State University commit and Fairmont defensive end Hank Artz set the early tone by delivering an 8-yard sack of Maeyaert during the South Central Red District’s initial series to pin the Tigers near their goal line and force a short punt.
Meier and fellow Marshall linebacker Andrew Stelter countered by holding their ground inside the red zone to create a 25-yard field-goal opportunity for the Cardinals’ Lucas Rosburg. The senior kicker nailed the 3-pointer through the uprights for an early lead.
Eickhoff then started and finished two of the Tigers’ ensuing three scoring drives to stake the orange-and-black clad visitors to a lead they would not relinquish. Eickhoff reeled off a pivotal 49-yard end-around run on first down to set up his own 1-yard TD stroll into the end zone. Easton Manke kicked the PAT for a 7-3 Marshall margin with 4:19 remaining in the opening quarter.
Tiger defensive ends Gavin Schaefer and Jesse Vierstraete combined gap-plugging skills to create a third-and-out sequence for the Cardinals before regaining possession for Marshall at Fairmont’s 47.
Schaefer hammered out 17 of his game-best 103 rushing yards to march Marshall to the Fairmont 20 before Maeyaert threaded the needle on a post pass to Meier for six more points. Manke kicked the extra point for a 14-3 lead with only 39 seconds to go in the first quarter.
Joe Long, who completed 7 of 8 passes before leaving via an injury, completed four consecutive throws for 44 of his 63 passing yards to reach Marshall’s 22-yard line. Long zipped strikes to Brett Williams, Merritt Pomerenke, Tavian Harvey and Nolan Schultze to eventually set up Fairmont’s only TD of the night.
Hadan Toomer took over for Long under center and zipped a 14-yarder to Schultze before later finding Schultze on a quick 2-yard connection for a TD near the left pylon to inch Fairmont within 14-9 with 3:41 to go before halftime.
Eickhoff, however, delivered another timely long-gainer on first down to set the tone for Marshall’s momentum-changing 78-yard scoring march that culminated with just 11 seconds left before heading to the lockerrooms at the break.
Eickhoff shifted and slashed over left end for a jump-start run of 22 yards before Stelter generated 24 more yards on two counter-reverses. Maeyaert later spotted Eickhoff for an 11-yard TD strike and Manke kicked the extra point for a 21-9 margin at intermission.
Tigers’ cornerback Jayden Meister, a 6-6 sophomore, delivered a touchdown-saving tackle on Cardinals’ running back Elijah Johnson during the opening Fairmont possession of the third period. Johnson, who finished with a team-best 63 rushing yards, blasted his way up the middle for a 34-yard gallop only to be tripped up by Meister at the Marshall 35. Kraft and Vierstraete made key stops to help the Tigers’ defense force a punt without allowing another yard or any points.
After being pinned at their own 5 during the late stages of the third quarter, Fairmont gambled on fourth-and-7 and turned the football over on downs at its own 8. Eickhoff covered the final 5 yards and Manke kicked the PAT for the final 19-point margin of victory with 11:12 left in the fourth.
Nolan Schultze made a game-best five catches for 50 yards for the Cardinals, while Toomer completed 8 of 12 passes for 45 yards in relief at quarterback. Elijah Johnson contributed two receptions for 43 more yards for the Cardinals.
Fairmont (5-1) hits the road to Worthington on Friday, Oct. 11, for a Week 7 game, while Marshall (5-1) hosts St. Peter at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall.
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Marshall     14  7  0  7 – 28
Fairmont      3  6  0  0  -   9
SCORING PLAYS
1st Quarter
FMT: Lucas Rosburg 25 FG, 5:42.
MAR: Mason Eickhoff 1 run (Easton Manke kick), 4:19.
MAR: Jack Meier 20 pass from Levi Maeyaert (Manke kick), 0:39.
2nd Quarter
FMT: Nolan Schultze 2 pass from Hadan Toomer (bad long snap), 3:41.
MAR: Eickhoff 11 pass from Maeyaert (Manke kick), 0:11.
3rd Quarter
No Scoring.
4th Quarter
MAR: Eickhoff 5 run (Manke kick), 11:12.
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TEAM STATISTICS
First downs: Fairmont 11; Marshall 10. Rushing: Marshall 33-222; Fairmont 31-93. Passing: Fairmont 15-20-0-108; Marshall 3-7-0-34. Fumbles-lost: Fairmont 3-1; Marshall 3-0. Penalties: Fairmont 2-10; Marshall 6-60.
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INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Offense: Rushing: Gavin Schaefer (MAR) 14-103, Eickhoff (MAR) 10-99; Elijah Johnson (FMT) 19-63. Passing: Joe Long (FMT) 7-8-0-63, Toomer (FMT) 8-12-0-45; Maeyaert (MAR) 3-7-0-34. Receiving: N. Schultze (FMT) 5-50, E. Johnson (FMT) 2-43; Meier (MAR) 1-20, Eickhoff (MAR) 1-11.
Defense: Fumble recovery: Jesse Vierstraete (MAR).