Weekly News Archived 2

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 By Charlie Sorrells
Fairmont Football Association Contributor

  FAIRMONT – “Who’s ever in charge of the battle at the line of scrimmage will win Friday night’s game. It’s that simple,” long-time Marshall head coach Terry Bahlmann said in reference to his Tiger football team’s South Central Red District clash against Class AAA No. 3-ranked and unbeaten Fairmont (5-0) on the Cardinals’ home turf at Thomas Mahoney Field.
Fairmont mentor Mat Mahoney agrees with Bahlmann’s pre-game assessment for Week 6 gridiron action in Fairmont.
“They came out and hit us in the face, so to speak, last season, and we learned from that experience,” said Mahoney, whose lineup suffered a 37-13 setback to the Tigers in 2023. “They outschemed us last fall, so we have to have better game planning this time around.”
The task at hand for both defensive alignments starting with Friday’s 7 PM kickoff? Apply the brakes to the opposing running games.
Marshall (4-1) has amassed an incredible rushing average of 321.4 yards per outing on the strength of its potent 1-2 ground-and-pound punch of fullback Gavin Schaefer and senior tailback Mason Eickhoff. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Schaefer tops the Tigers with 68 totes for 353 yards, a 5.2-yard clip and nine touchdowns, while the 6-1, 190-pound Eickhoff slightly trails on the statistical charts with seven Tds and 347 yards on 37 carries for a 9.4-yard average.
“It’s an old-school football approach – we come right at the defense with those two guys,” said Bahlmann, whose running game has generated 22 scores as opposed to only two total Tds through the airwaves. Marshall quarterback Levi Maeyaert -- a 6-0, 185-pound junior – however, does average 100 passing yards per game to keep opposing defenses honest.
Bemidji State University commit Hank Artz, tackle Mathew Martin, 6-8 end Oliver Tordsen, linebackers Caleb Chambers and Hunter Johnson, and secondary rover Nolan Schultze have spearheaded a Fairmont defensive unit that has limited opponents to only 51.6 rushing yards and 127.2 more through the air this fall.
Chambers paces the red-and-white defense with four fumble recoveries and Artz tops the team with 2.5 quarterback sacks, but will look to have their hands full of orange-and-black jerseys on Friday night.
Across the field, Bahlmann’s odd-man 3-4 defensive unit will look to slam the brakes on University of St. Thomas commit Elijah Johnson’s powerful running skills. Johnson enters the game with a team-best 14 Tds and 755 yards on 97 carries for the Cardinals.
“We attack on defense, and we know we’ll have our work cut out for us in stopping (Elijah) Johnson,” said Bahlmann. “We’ll run our base and see what transpires. Fairmont’s size in the offensive line jumps out at you, so we’ll have to be ready for a physical battle.”
Defensive end Jesse Vierstraete enters the game with a team-leading 29 tackles, including 11 for a loss of yards, while Schaefer has recorded 19 stops – including 10 for a loss of yards, fueled by five QB sacks.
“Schaefer and No. 3 (Vierstraete) make it difficult for opposing offenses to run the football, but our guys upfront (Tordsen, tackle David Miller, center Jake Ehlert and guards Ivan Martin and Tyler Bicknase) will look to come out firing off the ball and creating running room for our guys,” Mahoney said in reference to a Marshall defense that holds opponents to a miniscule 24.4 yards on the ground and only 114.4 through the air this season.
Marshall, however, also will have to stop junior quarterback Joe Long, who has completed 48 of 67 passes for 672 yards and five Tds this season. Long has connected with favorite receiver Nolan Schultze 17 times for a team-best 372 yards and three scores through the air.
So, what’s a vital key to the outcome?
“We’ve thrown six interceptions in the last two games against Marshall, so we HAVE to take care of the football in order to win,” said Mahoney.
“We have to stop (Elijah) Johnson first, and control the game with our two running backs (Schaefer and Eickhoff) by moving the sticks, controlling the time and putting points on the board,” said Bahlmann.
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STARTING LINEUPS
FAIRMONT CARDINALS (5-0)
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, 145, Junior

DEFENSE
E: #44 Artz
T: #73 Mathew Martin, 6-2, 270, Junior
T: #55 Ivan Martin
E: #65 Tordsen
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
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MARSHALL TIGERS (4-1)
OFFENSE
QB: #5 Levi Maeyaert, 6-0, 185, Junior
FB: #24 Gavin Schaefer, 6-2, 230, Senior
TB: #2 Mason Eickhoff, 6-1, 190, Senior
OT: #77 Jake Allex, 6-5, 295, Senior
OG: #56 Aiden Mattison, 6-0, 200, Senior
C: #78 Eli Weedman, 6-0, 190, Junior
OG: #73 Derek Hisken, 6-0, 285, Senior
OT: #55 Braylon Podratz, 6-0, 210, Senior
TE: #86 Jack Meier, 6-2, 210, Senior
SL: #1 Andrew Stelter, 6-0, 210, Junior
WR: #10 Josh Kraft, 6-1, 200, Senior

DEFENSE
E: #24 Schaefer
NG: #73 Hisken
E: #3 Jesse Vierstraete, 6-2, 225, Junior
OLB: #1 Stelter
ILB: #86 Meier
ILB: #10 Kraft
OLB: #44 Ethan Kennedy, 6-2, 215, Senior
CB: #28 Jayden Meister, 6-6, 175, Sophomore
CB: #7 Shep Jensen, 5-10, 185, Junior
S: #23 Owen Wilts, 6-0, 180, Senior
S: #2 Eickhoff 

 By Charlie Sorrells
Fairmont Football Association Contributor

  FAIRMONT – Class AAA No. 3-ranked Fairmont took a ride on the “E-Train” Friday night and steamrolled the host Eagles, 47-6, during South Central Red District football action in New Ulm.
University of St. Thomas commit Elijah Johnson hammered, pivoted and sprinted for a season’s-best 185 rushing yards and four touchdowns to complement an 86-yard kickoff return for six more points, while the offensive and defensive special teams combined equally for two more scores to maintain Cardinals’ perfect 5-0 start to the regular season.
Nolan Schultze, who made a team-high four catches for 70 yards, set up two of Elijah Johnson’s Tds on the strength of an interception and later, a 33-yard reception to New Ulm’s 1-yard line, while Fairmont teammate Brett Williams’ picked gem set up Johnson’s third-quarter scoring run.
Cardinals’ linebacker Caleb Chambers capped the special teams’ prowess by not only blocking the Eagles’ punt just outside the end zone, but also recovered the side-spinning carom in the box for a TD with 3:45 remaining in the third quarter.
“We were looking for a complete game of football and the guys delivered tonight,” said Fairmont mentor Mat Mahoney, whose offense amassed 324 rushing yards to go with quarterback Joe Long’s 100-yard passing performance. “Our special teams produced a pair of touchdowns, our defense limited New Ulm to only one score, while our offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage and really opened some holes for EJ to run through and he proved that he can finish off drives for us.”
After New Ulm linebacker Hunter Lewandowski’s interception halted Fairmont’s game-opening series, ends Oliver Tordsen and Hank Artz – along with linebackers Hunter Johnson and Chambers – forced a quick three-and-out sequence by the hometown Eagles.
The Cardinals assembled a 12-play, 58-yard time-consuming drive, with Elijah Johnson capping the six-point sequence with a 4-yard TD off a direct snap to a loaded backfield. Lucas Rosburg kicked the PAT to make it 7-0 with 2:52 to go in the first frame.
Mathew Martin, Artz and Hunter Johnson created another three-and-out possession for New Ulm, but the Eagles matched the feat to regain the football via Fairmont’s only punt of the night. Nolan Anderson nailed a 45-yarder that bounced toward the end zone that teammate Jaron Schutz managed to down at the New Ulm 1.
Tordsen tipped a third-and-7 pass to counter for the Cardinals three snaps later, and Elijah Johnson went to work. Fairmont’s senior running back blasted out 20 yards to highlight a drive that ended via Johnson’s dive across the goal line from 1 yard out for a 13-0 lead at the 8:49 mark of the second frame.
Nolan Schultze’s interception at the New Ulm 23 put Fairmont’s offense back in business three plays later, and Elijah Johnson steamrolled a defender to gain the end zone from 4 yards out for a 19-0 lead with 6:28 left before intermission.
New Ulm freshman quarterback Owen Castleman, who went 11 of 24 for 166 yards through the air, answered on the next series and marched the home team to its only points on the night. Castleman capped the march with a 28-yard TD strike to Jamison Portner to trim the gap to 19-6 with 3:21 left before halftime.
Elijah Johnson needed only 17 seconds to field the ensuing kickoff, broke a tackle, picked up Fairmont’s blocking wedge and accelerated 86 yards to paydirt. Rosburg’s PAT kick extended the visitors’ margin to 25-6 with 3:04 to go in the first half.
The Cardinals put the game out of reach by netting two more Tds during the initial 8 minutes of the third quarter. Joe Long threaded a perfect pass to Schultze behind the New Ulm secondary and the senior speedster stretched out and covered 33 yards to gain the Eagles’ 1. Johnson did the rest on a rumble up the middle, and Rosburg kicked the PAT for a 32-6 edge at the 5:25 mark.
Artz’s 16-yard quarterback sack during New Ulm’s next possession forced an Eagles’ punt from their 10 only to have Chambers block the kick. After a scramble, Chambers managed to recover the caroming pigskin in the end zone for six more points. Rosburg’s kick made it 40-6 with 3:45 remaining in the third quarter.
Brett Williams’ interception at Fairmont’s 9-yard line led to the Cardinals’ five-play, 91-yard scoring drive on the strength of Jerry Lebbi and Cole Brockmann out of the backfield. Lebbi covered the final 58 yards on an end-around sideline sprint for a TD, while Rosburg nailed the PAT for a 41-point lead with 9:47 left in regulation.
Fairmont (5-0) hosts Marshall at 7 p.m. next Friday night at Thomas Mahoney Field in Fairmont.
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Fairmont     7 19 14  7 – 47
New Ulm    0   6   0  0 --  6

SCORING PLAYS
1st Quarter
FHS: Elijah Johnson 4 run (Lucas Rosburg kick), 2:52.
2nd Quarter
FHS: E. Johnson 1 run (pass failed), 8:49.
FHS: E. Johnson 4 run (pass failed), 6:28.
NU: Jamison Portner 28 pass from Owen Castleman (pass failed), 3:21.
FHS: E. Johnson 86 kickoff return (Rosburg kick), 3:04.
3rd Quarter
FHS: E. Johnson 1 run (Rosburg kick), 5:25.
FHS: Caleb Chambers blocked punt/recovery in end zone (Rosburg kick), 3:45.
4th Quarter
FHS: Jerry Lebbi 58 run (Rosburg kick), 9:47.
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TEAM STATISTICS
First downs: Fairmont 20; New Ulm 11. Rushing: Fairmont 38-324; New Ulm 26-75. Passing: Fairmont 9-16-1-100; New Ulm 11-27-2-166. Fumbles-lost: Fairmont 2-0; New Ulm 1-0. Penalties: Fairmont 7-64; New Ulm 4-34.
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INDIVIDUAL STATS
Offense: Rushing: E. Johnson (FHS) 23-185, Lebbi (FHS) 3-70. Passing: Joe Long (FHS) 9-15-1-100; Castleman (NU) 11-24-2-166. Receiving: Portner (NU) 5-74; Nolan Schultze (FHS) 4-70; Zach Hubbard (NU) 4-60; Brett Williams (FHS) 2-20.
Defense: Interceptions: Nolan Schultze (FHS), Brett Williams (FHS), Hunter Lewandowski (NU).  

 By Charlie Sorrells
Fairmont Football Association Contributor

 FAIRMONT – After Week 3, South Central Red District rivals Fairmont and New Ulm both were unbeaten and tied atop the league football standings.
Unfortunately for Eagles head coach Derek Lieser, the program’s incredible winning streak proved in peril when senior quarterback/defensive back Preston Holberg exited New Ulm’s game against Tri-City United with an upper-body injury two weeks ago.
Without Holberg under center, New Ulm dropped a 10-3 Week 4 decision to Worthington last Friday night, leaving Lieser and his coaching staff in search of a signal-caller for the second half of the eight-game regular season.
“Unless Preston heals extra fast, he’s probably out for the season,” said Lieser, whose purple-clad gridders host the Class AAA No. 3-ranked and undefeated Cardinals (4-0) in a 7 p.m. district clash Friday night on the artificial turf in New Ulm. “It was a fluke injury, but it definitely changes how we operate on the football field.”
According to Lieser, Holberg had produced 10 touchdowns – passing and rushing combined – in nine quarters of play this season before experiencing the devastating injury.
“We (coaching staff) believe our best option at quarterback is Owen Castleman,” Lieser said in reference to his 6-foot-2, 185-pound freshman. “He possesses the physical size and the skills, but adjusting to the speed of the game at the varsity level will be one of his challenges.
“Facing a state-ranked program like Fairmont also is not an ideal situation for him (Castleman), but we will see how he and the rest of his teammates react in the face of adversity.”
Castleman and New Ulm’s offense will square off against a Fairmont defense that’s limited opponents to only 45.8 rushing yards and 6.8 points per game through four games this season. Bemidji State University commit and hard-charging end Hank Artz, linebacker Caleb Chambers – who leads the smothering 5-2 alignment with three fumble recoveries, and the rest of the Cardinals’ defense will look to apply pressure to the Eagles’ freshman quarterback and also keep a wary eye on junior wideout Zach Hubbard.
“No. 12 (Hubbard) looks to be New Ulm’s most dynamic skills player, so we’ll have to know where he’s at because he’s a difference-maker on the field,” said Fairmont mentor Mat Mahoney. “Their quarterback has good size, so we’ll see how he handles a number of different defensive looks and coverages throughout the game as well as the speed and physical nature of the varsity level.”
Across the field, the Eagles’ 3-4 defense will have its proverbial work cut out for it by trying to halt the Cardinals’ three-pronged offensive attack of junior quarterback Joe Long, University of St. Thomas commit and running back Elijah Johnson and senior wideout Nolan Schultze.
“Our defense has kept us in games this season, so hopefully our 11 guys on that side of the ball will stick to their assignments,” said Lieser. “Now it’s all about attitude and effort.
“We need to win one play at a time, win one drive at a time, win a quarter at a time and then see if it all adds up to winning the game.”
Lieser will turn to leading tackler inside linebacker Sam Ibberson and fellow inside linebacker Bodee Schmiesing – along with outside linebacker Ian Brudelie and safety Zach Hubbard – to put the clamps on Fairmont’s high-octane offense.
Elijah Johnson enters Week 5 with 570 rushing yards and 10 Tds, Long has combined equally for 10 more scores via 572 passing yards and 77 more on the ground, while Schultze leads the Cardinals with 13 catches for 302 yards and three Tds.
“Elijah does not go down easily, so we have a big job ahead of us in defending him,” said Lieser. “Their QB (Long) likes to sling it downfield, and he’s a bit deceptive running the ball, too.”
So, what’s each coach’s emphasis heading into Friday’s football game in New Ulm?
“Focus on what we can control – what’s really within our power,” said Lieser. “Trust the guy next to you on the field, and keep a positive outlook.”
“We’ve been concentrating on what our unbreakable and breakable traits are,” said Mahoney. “We continue to work on all the little details and try to clean up those aspects.
“We haven’t really played a full four quarters to our capability, so hopefully we’re close to breaking out for a complete overall game.”
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STARTING LINEUPS
FAIRMONT CARDINALS (4-0)
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: #4 Brett Williams, 6-5, 175, Senior

DEFENSE
E: #44 Artz
T: #73 Mathew Martin, 6-2, 270, Junior
T: #55 Ivan Martin
E: #65 Tordsen
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: #2 Dakota Wiley, 5-11, 150, Junior
S: #6 Jaron Schutz, 5-11, 150, Senior
S: #3 Nolan Schultze
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NEW ULM EAGLES (3-1)
OFFENSE
QB: #19 Owen Castleman, Freshman
RB: #2 Isaac Friese, Senior
RB: #21 Ian Brudelie, Senior
OT: #52 Sam Ibberson, Senior
OG: #50 Bodee Schmiesing, Senior
C: #59 Hunter Lewandowski, Senior
OG: #55 Brody Hacker, Sophomore
OT: #51 CinAnthony Johnson, Senior
TE: #23 Tanner Backer, Sophomore
WR: #1 Jamison Portner, Junior
WR: #12 Zach Hubbard, Junior

DEFENSE
E: #51 C. Johnson
NG: #59 Lewandowski
E: #55 Hacker
OLB: #21 Brudelie
ILB: #50 Schmiesing
ILB: #52 Ibberson
OLB: #11 Dirk Haynes, Junior
CB: #3 Dain Barie, Senior
CB: #17 Jaxon Salonek, Senior
S: #25 George Gag, Sophomore
S: #12 Hubbard 

 By Charlie Sorrells
Fairmont Football Association Contributor

FAIRMONT – The King reigned supreme during Class AAA No. 3-ranked Fairmont’s Homecoming football game on Friday night at Thomas Mahoney Field in Fairmont.
University of St. Thomas commit Elijah Johnson twisted, spun and broke tackles for a game-best 147 yards and two pivotal second-half touchdowns to help the hometown Cardinals fend off the improved St. Peter Saints, 28-7, during South Central Red District action.
“(Homecoming) King Elijah put us on his back during the second half and literally carried us to victory tonight,” head coach Mat Mahoney said in reference to his senior running back topping Fairmont’s 261-yard ground game performance. “We reverted to ‘old school’ Fairmont football on offense, while our defense turned in three clutch plays that led to our final three scoring drives.”
Quarterback Joe Long, who exited the game in the third quarter after getting ‘dinged up’ on a keeper play, marched the Cardinals 78 yards to paydirt during the opening possession before the district clash evolved into a defensive battle.
Long threw for 31 of his game-best 103 yards on a sideline pattern to Nolan Schultze to put the offense in motion before Johnson later hammered the football to the Saints’ 9-yard line. Long broke the plane of the goal line on a draw up the middle on the next snap before Lucas Rosburg kicked the PAT for a 7-0 lead with 6:57 left in the initial quarter.
Linebackers Caleb Chambers and Ty Tumbleson led Fairmont’s ensuing defensive stand to force a punt only to have St. Peter linebacker Ryan Moelter counter by scooping up a Cardinal fumble at the Saints’ 37.
Fairmont linebacker Hunter Johnson delivered a batted St. Peter pass to slam the brakes on the Saints’ fourth-and-2 attempt from the visitors’ 45-yard line only minutes before an apparent Nolan Schultze 15-yard catch in the end zone was nullified as the first quarter ended. Long lofted a spiral to Schultze, but the Cardinal receiver was ruled out-of-bounds. Lineman Kemper Ely applied pressure as the Saints’ defense held on the Cardinals’ fourth-and-4 passing play to keep the visitors’ deficit at 7-0.
Quarterback Alex Korir, who topped St. Peter’s ground game with 63 yards on 11 totes, completed a key 25-yard strike to Ian Wills to later gain Fairmont’s 24. Moelter and Korir combined on rushes to reach the 11 before Korir broke a pair of tackles to score the equalizing TD. Lathe Bly’s kick knotted the score at 7-all with 4:08 to go before intermission.
A low snap on Fairmont’s next possession and a tackle of the Cardinals’ punter put the Saints in business at the home town’s 24 only to have 6-foot-8 Oliver Tordsen recover a key fumble at Fairmont’s 28 only one play later.
“Oliver and Brett (Williams) delivered a couple of momentum-changing plays for us right before halftime,” said Mat Mahoney.
Elijah Johnson broke three tackles to highlight a 20-yard gain before a facemask infraction on St. Peter moved to the football to the Saints’ 33. Long then fired a pass that the 6-5 Williams reached around a defender’s shoulders to secure the football behind his opponent’s helmet, spun and sprinted the distance to the end zone for a tiebreaking TD. Rosburg kicked the PAT for a 14-7 lead with only 1:10 left in the first half.
“You won’t see a catch like that too often,” Mahoney said in reference to Williams’ quick-reflex acrobatic catch. “That play really gave us a spark we needed and we carried the momentum of that touchdown into the third quarter.”
Fairmont cornerback Hadan Toomer produced a leaping interception to offset St. Peter defensive back Evan Walter’s pickoff one play earlier to lead to Elijah Johnson’s battering TD run during the later stages of the third segment. Long connected on a clutch 21-yard pass to fullback Hank Artz to help trigger the Cardinals’ 10-play, 83-yard scoring drive. Johnson broke two tackles during his 14-yard scoring run before Rosburg drilled the PAT kick for a 21-7 lead with 4:07 left in the third quarter.
Tordsen delivered yet another key defensive play for Fairmont, sacking Korir for a 6-yard loss on a fourth-and-3 situation from the St. Peter 32 with 1:14 to go in the third. Elijah Johnson later carried up the middle, bounced to the outside and accelerated by the Saints’ secondary for an 18-yard TD with 10:27 to go in regulation. Rosburg nailed his fourth straight PAT of the game.
Fairmont (4-0) hits the road to New Ulm for a Week 5 clash against the host Eagles on Friday, Sept. 27.
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St. Peter     0  7  0  0 --  7
Fairmont    7  7  7  7 – 28

SCORING PLAYS
1st Quarter
FMT: Joe Long 9 run (Lucas Rosburg kick), 6:57.
2nd Quarter
SP: Alex Korir 11 run (Lathe Bly kick), 4:08.
FMT: Brett Williams 33 pass from Long (Rosburg kick), 1:10.
3rd Quarter
FMT: Elijah Johnson 14 run (Rosburg kick), 4:07.
4th Quarter
FMT: E. Johnson 18 run (Rosburg kick), 10:27.
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TEAM STATISTICS
First downs: Fairmont 16; St. Peter 8. Rushing: Fairmont 41-261; St. Peter 31-151. Passing: Fairmont 6-10-1-103; St. Peter 2-7-1-29. Fumbles-lost: Fairmont 3-1; St. Peter 4-1. Penalties: Fairmont 4-26; St. Peter 5-53.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Offense: Rushing: Fairmont: Elijah Johnson 23-147, Ty Tumbleson 5-36, Joe Long 6-35, Jerry Lebbi 4-33. St. Peter: Alex Korir 11-63, Ryan Moelter 15-30. Passing: Joe Long (FMT) 6-10-1-103; Alex Korir (SP) 2-7-1-29. Receiving: Hank Artz (FMT) 2-24, Brett Williams (FMT) 1-33, Nolan Schultze (FMT) 1-31; Ian Wills (SP) 2-29.
Defense: Interceptions: Evan Walter (SP) and Hadan Toomer (FMT). Fumble Recoveries: Ryan Moelter (SP) and Oliver Tordsen (FMT). 

 By Charlie Sorrells
Fairmont Football Association Contributor

FAIRMONT – Class AAA No. 3-ranked and unbeaten Fairmont squares off against a revamped and improved St. Peter Saints football team for the Cardinals’ Homecoming game at 7 p.m. Friday night at Thomas Mahoney Field in Fairmont.
First-year St. Peter head coach Justin Helget enters Week 4 with a 2-1 record, including a hard-fought 25-14 triumph over the Jordan Hubmen last Friday night, while Fairmont mentor Mat Mahoney and the Cardinals captured their third consecutive wide double-digit victory – a 47-7 decision over Albert Lea – last Saturday afternoon.
“We installed brand new systems on both sides of the ball, so we’re trying a number of different things to see which ones work,” Helget said in reference to St. Peter’s spread offense and 4-4 defensive scheme.
“We have five guys listed as quarterbacks on our program, but I think we’ve narrowed it down,” Helget said with a chuckle.
Helget will utilize three sophomores, two seniors and one junior at the skill positions in order to generate points from an offensive perspective. Sophomore Alex Korir will put the offense in motion at quarterback, with 5-foot-10, 180-pound sophomore Ryan Moelter handling the majority of the rushing duties out of the backfield.
“Ryan will be our guy between the tackles,” Helget said in reference to Moelter, who generated all four of the Saints’ touchdowns and 178 rushing yards in the 11-point victory over Jordan. “Offensively, we’ll try to utilize our speed, create angles and continue moving the (yardage) sticks.
“Alex will be under center again, Ian (Wills) will be our slotback and brings both pass-catching and running to our attack, while Derek (Guth) will be our speedster on the outside.”
Korir also will have 6-2, 185-pound sophomore tight end Owen Potts to throw to, along with 6-3, 170-pound senior wideout Jerry Soderlund.
“St. Peter looks improved and demonstrated they can win a close game by kicking a field goal with no time left to edge Albert Lea 15-13 in their season-opener,” said Mahoney. “They’re trying a number of new things on both sides of the line of scrimmage, and seem to be in the right spots at the right time.
“We will have to maintain our focus and stick to our jobs to be successful against them.”
Fairmont’s 5-2 defense demonstrated its proficiency at slamming the brakes on Albert Lea’s ground game by amassing a single-game school-record nine quarterback sacks and limiting the Tigers to a minus-5 yards rushing.
“It’s rare, but our (defensive) scheme perfectly countered theirs (offense), and we got the matchups we wanted against the run,” Mahoney said in reference to Trevor Maakestad’s 2.5 quarterback sacks, 1.5 additional sacks each from Hank Artz and Ty Tumbleson, and Caleb Chambers’ two fumble recoveries that highlighted a near shutout last Saturday. “Our defensive backs didn’t allow Albert Lea’s quarterback to throw where he wanted, so when he went to his second option, our guys upfront were able to bring him down.”
Offensively, heavily-recruited running back Elijah Johnson churned and twisted for a season’s-best 161 yards and three Tds to power the Cardinals’ high-octane performance at the Tigers’ expense.
“He’s the dude, their ‘go-to’ guy,” Helget said in reference to Johnson. “He presents a challenge for our defense and every other defense he faces, but he’s even more dangerous when Fairmont spreads it out and goes to (Nolan) Schultze and the other talented receivers.”
Moelter, the Saints’ leading tackler through three games, will look to lend his hands in holding Johnson in check along with veteran defensive linemen Kemper Ely and Parker Maloney.
“We’ll probably have to walk him (Moelter) down from his safety spot when Fairmont runs the ball, but we’ll be relying on Kemper and Parker to get the job done in the line. They’re both having great seasons on both offense and defense in the trenches,” said Helget.
So what will be the key to winning Friday night’s South Central Red District clash in Fairmont?
“Try to limit Johnson and the Cardinals’ run game, and get our running game going and finishing drives,” said Helget.
“Keep working on eliminating our mistakes like a false start here or there, and wrapping up defensively,” said Mahoney. “St. Peter will be a test for us, so we need to keep our focus for the entire four quarters.
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STARTING LINEUPS
FAIRMONT CARDINALS (3-0)
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: #65 Tordsen
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
…
ST. PETER SAINTS (2-1)
OFFENSE
QB: #2 Alex Korir, 5-9, 145, Sophomore
RB: #21 Ryan Moelter, 5-10, 180, Sophomore
WR: #7 Derek Guth, 6-1, 180, Senior
TE: #44 Owen Potts, 6-2, 185, Sophomore
OT: #54 Parker Maloney, 6-6, 220, Junior
OG: #51 Joe Connor, 5-11, 200, Junior
C: #66 Quinn Dixon, 6-3, 220, Senior
OG: #50 Henry Timm, 5-10, 210, Senior
OT: #55 Kemper Ely, 6-2, 220, Junior
WR: #3 Jerry Soderlund, 6-3, 170, Senior
WR: #4 Ian Wills, 6-0, 180, Junior

DEFENSE
E: #55 Ely
T: #72 Colton Willaert, 5-9, 280, Senior
T: #66 Dixon
E: #54 Maloney
OLB: #21 Moelter
ILB: #51 Connor
ILB: #4 Wills
OLB: #5 Evan Walter, 5-10, 160, Senior
CB: #7 Guth
CB: #18 Kaden Throldahl, 5-8, 155, Senior
S: #8 Carter Dale, 5-10, 140, Junior 

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. 

 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).