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No. 7 Cardinals fend off Hubmen

JORDAN – “We got challenged in the third quarter, and our guys responded by fighting through the adversity to pull away in the fourth quarter,” said Fairmont head coach Mat Mahoney.

Quarterback Nate Kallenbach completed 18 of 32 passes for 205 yards, including 134 in the second half, and three touchdowns, while defensive end Hunter Cox and defensive tackle Dylan Petersen spearheaded the Class 3A No. 7-ranked Cardinals’ quarterback sack attack to trigger a 37-20 South Central Red District football victory over the Jordan Hubmen on Friday night at Ames Stadium in Jordan.

“Our defense put pressure on their quarterback (Zach Kes), Hunter Cox consistently got his hands on their passes, and our special teams delivered a couple of key plays in the first half,” said Mahoney.

The 6-foot-7 Cox harassed and hurried Kes during Jordan’s initial possession to force a three-and-out sequence before Kallenbach & Co. assembled a textbook 13-play, 72-yard scoring drive.

Split end Sam Schwieger, who made five receptions for 59 yards, grabbed a clutch 20-yard Kallenbach spiral to highlight the offensive march.

After split end Christian Engeman’s 11-yard out route and fullback Cory Lyons’ 2-yard run reached the Hubmen’s 7, Kallenbach rolled right before threading the needle to tight end Brady Allen for the first of his two TD catches on the game. Kallenbach kicked the PAT for a 7-0 lead with 5:13 left in the opening quarter.

Cox, linebacker Cody Freese and nose guard Chris Fausch delivered half of Fairmont’s six sacks during Jordan’s fourth possession before Cox recovered Fausch’s blocked punt at the Jordan 3.

Two snaps later, Fausch powered his way into the end zone from 1 yard out at the 8:04 mark of the second quarter.

Jordan responded by converting halfback Tariq Smith’s 57-yard option pass to split end Quentin McDermid to stun Fairmont two minutes later. Jimmy Vollbrecht’s kick sliced the home team’s deficit in half.

Cox and linebacker Collin Steuber combined on a 10-yard sack to force a Jordan punt two series later before Cox’s extended reach produced another blocked punt that skipped out-of-bounds at the home team’s 6.

Kallenbach zipped a 6-yard out to Allen for another TD and kicked the PAT for a 21-7 lead that the Cardinals carried into the lockerroom at halftime.

Jordan answered the challenge out of the starting gate in the third quarter as Kes went to the airwaves. Kes, who completed 15 of 36 passes for 171 yards, delivered a 45-yard strike down the middle to favorite target Jack Friedges to reach Fairmont’s 10.

End Shyiem Thomas dropped Friedges on a reverse run at the 20 before Kes floated a perfect fade pass to McDermid in the end zone. Cody Anton’s kick cut the lead to 21-14 at the 8:33 juncture.

Both defenses held their ground before Fairmont fumbled the ensuing punt at its 17, where Jordan’s Noah Schmitt recovered.

Running back Jon Huss hit paydirt from 2 yards out three snaps later, but Anton’s PAT kick was altered by Engeman to keep the Cardinals ahead on the scoreboard, 21-20.

Kallenbach answered the challenge by connecting on a 15-yard missile to Schwieger, a 10-yarder to Allen and a momentum-changing 37-yard bullet to Austin Schwidder to reach the Hubmen’s 4.

Kallenbach later tossed a 2-yard fade to Lyons, who outmuscled the Jordan defender for the pivotal TD catch. Kallenbach’s kick extended the Cardinals’ lead to 28-20 with 10:57 left in regulation.

Petersen, Cox, Thomas, Steuber and Lyons converged on a leaping Kes in the end zone for a safety at the 7:35 juncture to put the game away at 30-20.

Engeman’s 17-yard reception on third-and-9, combined with Freese’s pounding runs, set up Freese’s 13-yard, tackle-breaking scamper across the goal line. Kallenbach’s kick widened the lead to 37-20 with 2:43 to go.

Engeman pocketed his second interception of the game to seal the Cardinals’ hard-fought district victory.

Freese finished with a game-best 51 yards on 12 carries, while Allen made six catches for 57 yards and a pair of scores.

Fairmont’s defense, which held Jordan to a minus-24 yards on the ground, generated six sacks for a minus-41.

Fairmont (2-0, 1-0 district) plays host to Class 3A No. 2-ranked Tri-City United at 7 p.m. next Friday night at Mahoney Field in Fairmont.

Jordan (0-2, 0-1) travels to No. 6-ranked Belle Plaine next Friday night.

Fairmont 7 14 0 16 – 37

Jordan 0 7 13 0 – 20

SCORING PLAYS

1st Quarter

F-Brady Allen 7 pass from Nate Kallenbach (Kallenbach kick), 5:13.

2nd Quarter

F-Chris Fausch 1 run (Kallenbach kick), 8:04.

J-Quentin McDermid 57 pass from Tariq Smith (Jimmy Vollbrecht kick), 6:05.

F-Allen 6 pass Kallenbach (Kallenbach kick), 1:01.

3rd Quarter

J-McDermid 20 pass from Zach Kes (Cody Anton kick), 8:33.

J-Jon Huss 2 run (kick failed), 2:57.

4th Quarter

F-Cory Lyons 2 pass from Kallenbach (Kallenbach kick), 10:57.

F-Safety, tackled QB in end zone, 7:35.

F-Cody Freese 13 run (Kallenbach kick), 2:43.

TEAM STATISTICS

First downs: Fairmont 15; Jordan 6. Rushing: Fairmont 45-100; Jordan 17-(-24). Passing: Fairmont 18-32-1-205; Jordan 16-37-2-228. Fumbles-lost: Fairmont 4-1; Jordan 2-0. Penalties: Fairmont 3-20; Jordan 5-40.

INDIVIDUAL STATS

Offense: Rushing: Freese (F) 12-51; Huss (J) 4-22. Passing: Kallenbach (F) 18-32-1-205; Kes (J) 15-36-2-171, Smith (J) 1-1-0-57. Receiving: Jack Friedges (J) 8-112; Allen (F) 6-57; Sam Schwieger (F) 5-59; Vollbrecht (J) 4-38; Lyons (F) 3-13; McDermid (J) 3-85.

Defense: Interceptions: Christian Engeman (F) 2, Smith (J). Fumble recoveries: Hunter Cox (F), Noah Schmitt (J). Blocked punts: Cox (F), Fausch (F).

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