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Fairmont doubles Luverne in district football clash, 40-20

LUVERNE — Jake Harris, Hudson Artz and Wyatt Frank delivered key bursts of speed from two previously-untapped sources, while quarterback Zach Jorgensen played the leading role behind five of Fairmont’s six touchdowns Friday night.

Jorgensen threw for 157 yards and three scores to complement 46 rushing yards and two more TDs, while Frank, Caden Baarts, Cale Steuber and Zach Soelter produced turnovers to engineer Fairmont’s pivotal 40-20 South Central Silver District football win over the hometown Cardinals in Luverne.

“Our return guys on special teams really stepped it up tonight,” said Fairmont head coach Mat Mahoney. “After trading first-quarter touchdowns with Luverne, Jake Harris’ (56-yard kickoff) return gave us great field position en route to closing out the quarter with a score.”

Harris, a 140-pound sophomore sprinter, reached Luverne’s 32 before Jorgensen found one of his favorite targets in Steuber on a 10-yard quick out pass. Steuber finished with five receptions for 76 yards and two TDs.

Running back Gavin Rodning pounded out 10 yards behind left guard Jacob Rahn before Jorgensen utilized his shifty running style to cover the final six yards for a TD. Jack Hested’s PAT kick staked Fairmont to a 13-6 lead with only 1:16 remaining in the opening quarter.

Luverne quarterback Bailey Cowell, who threw for a game-best 164 yards before transitioning to receiver in the second half, zipped a 29-yard seam spiral to split end Matt Sehr and later spotted Colby Crabtree on an 11-yarder to reach Fairmont’s 22.

Frank then used every inch of his 6-foot-8 frame to snare Cowell’s rocket pass near the line of scrimmage and sprinted 78 yards to paydirt to quickly transfer the momentum back to Fairmont with his first-ever pick-6. Hested’s kick made it 20-6 only 48 seconds into the second frame.

Running back LaShad Smith, who topped all rushers with 85 yards, niftly maneuvered his way through the Fairmont defensive secondary for a pivotal 23-yard gain to eventually set up Cowell’s left-to-right slashing 16-yard scoring sprint to inch Luverne within 20-12 with only 1:45 remaining before intermission.

That’s when the 160-pound speedburning Artz delivered a back-breaking 49-yard kickoff return at Luverne’s expense to the home team’s 35 in a blink of an eye.

Jorgensen then rolled right and lofted a perfect 34-yard missile to Steuber in the end zone for six more points with a mere 30 seconds left before halftime.

“That (Artz’s) return changed the complexion of the game in a hurry in our direction. Huge,” said Mahoney.

Despite Baarts’ 56-yard interception return that stopped 4 yards short of a pick-6 during the third quarter’s opening series, Fairmont gave the football back to Luverne via an errant long snap that Matt Sehr scooped up.

Jacob Von Tersch then delivered the bookend clutch plays to engineer Luverne’s comeback bid on a scoring drive late in the third quarter. Von Tersch intercepted a Jorgensen pass near midfield before capping the hometown lineup’s 10-play, 53-yard march with a 14-yard TD catch from reserve quarterback Casey Sehr with 2:52 left before the start of the fourth quarter.

This time, Baarts broke free for a 39-yard scamper on a first-down handoff to help serve as the visiting Cardinals’ catalyst to a countering march downfield. Jorgensen zipped a 17-yard TD spiral to Steuber to restore Fairmont’s 13-point margin with 1:41 to go in the third frame.

Jorgensen and Fairmont’s offensive line assembled a methodical march that the sophomore quarterback capped with an 11-yard gallop into the end zone with 7:38 left in regulation.

Steuber’s interception with time winding down in the fourth quarter sealed Fairmont’s 20-point district triumph.

Blake Buntjer, who made three catches for 73 yards, grabbed a key 41-yarder from Jorgensen to help set up his own 5-yard TD reception at the 8:32 juncture of the opening quarter.

Soelter then produced a rare fumble recovery to thwart Luverne’s deep penetration to Fairmont’s 13. Baarts tipped Cowell’s pass, Matt Sehr corraled the deflection for the 39-yard catch and lost the football to the strong-handed Soelter before hitting the turf.

Cowell threaded the needle of a 45-yard spiral to Smith, who broke four tackles to help set up Isaiah Bartels’ countering 5-yard scoring catch from Cowell with 2:48 to go in the first frame.

Fairmont (4-1, 2-0 Silver District) plays host to Belle Plaine next Friday night at Mahoney Field in its Homecoming game, while Luverne (3-2, 1-1) travels to Montgomery to face Tri-City United.

Fairmont 13 14 6 7 – 40

Luverne 6 6 8 0 – 20

Scoring Plays

1st Quarter

FMT-Blake Buntjer 5 pass from Zach Jorgensen (kick failed), 8:32.

LUV-Isaiah Bartels 5 pass from Bailey Cowell (kick failed), 2:48.

FMT-Jorgensen 6 run (Jack Hested kick), 1:16.

2nd Quarter

FMT-Wyatt Frank 78 interception return (Hested kick), 11:12.

LUV-Cowell 16 run (kick failed), 1:45.

FMT-Cale Steuber 34 pass from Jorgensen (Hested kick), 0:30.

3rd Quarter

LUV-Jacob Von Tersch 14 pass from Casey Sehr (Colby Crabtree pass from Casey Sehr), 2:52.

FMT-Steuber 17 pass from Jorgensen (kick failed), 1:41.

4th Quarter

FMT-Jorgensen 11 run (Hested kick), 7:38.

TEAM STATISTICS

First downs: Luverne 15; Fairmont 9. Rushing: Luverne 36-177; Fairmont 24-140. Passing: Luverne 14-27-3-200; Fairmont 9-16-1-157. Fumbles-lost: Fairmont 1-1; Luverne 3-1. Penalties: Fairmont 6-56; Luverne 6-62.

INDIVIDUAL STATS

Offense: Rushing: LaShad Smith (L) 16-85, Cowell (L) 10-55; Caden Baarts (F) 3-52, Jorgensen (F) 7-46, Gavin Rodning (F) 14-42. Passing: Cowell (L) 9-15-1-164, Jorgensen (F) 9-16-1-157. Receiving: Matt Sehr (L) 5-98, Steuber (F) 5-76, Buntjer (F) 3-73, Colby Crabtree (L) 3-35.

Defense: Interceptions: Frank (F), Baarts (F), Von Tersch (L), Steuber (F). Fumble recoveries: Zach Soelter (F) and Matt Sehr (L).

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