RAINY PLAY — Fairmont flanker Hudson Artz (24) attempts to break a tackle by Blue Earth Area’s Ashton Lloyd (far right) while following a block by Cardinals’ offensive lineman Hank Artz (72) during non-district football action Wednesday night at Wilson Field in Blue Earth. The Bucs’ Luke Schonborn (15) moves in to assist on the stop. (Photo by Greg Abel)

BLUE EARTH — Lightning filled the rainy skies above Wilson Field during the 65th Little Brown Jug football game’s initial 14 minutes and 20 seconds Wednesday night.

Adam Schavey, Blue Earth Area’s 6-foot, 205-pound senior quarterback, followed an hour-and-a-half weather delay with echoing thunderous runs on the soggy sod for the duration in Blue Earth.

Schavey rumbled for a game-leading 380 yards and six touchdowns on a yeoman’s 43 totes to help the Class AA No. 6-ranked Bucs wrest the Jug from the Class AAA No. 2 Cardinals’ grasp on the strength of a 42-13 rout.

Blue Earth Area (7-1), which ended Fairmont’s four-year possession of the coveted crock, will await the results of today’s Section 2AA seeding meeting for its playoff opener at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

“That was a good win for our kids heading into the sectional playoffs,” said Blue Earth Area head coach Randy Kuechenmeister.

Fairmont (7-1) will wait to see if it retains the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye when the seven-team Section 3AAA postseason pairings are determined today.

“What a performance by Schavey,” said Fairmont head coach Mat Mahoney. “You’ve got to give credit to Blue Earth Area — they dominated the line of scrimmage, no ifs, ands or buts about it.

“But we’ll get our guys back on track this week for the upcoming playoffs. You can count on that.”

Schavey carried the football four times during the Bucs’ game-opening sequence before the Cardinals’ defense forced a punt.

Despite Fairmont quarterback Zach Jorgensen firing a 37-yard spiral to Eli Anderson and later, a 20-yard pass to the sure-handed Anderson, linebacker Nick Nelson and Blue Earth Area’s defense forced a punt to keep the opening quarter scoreless.

After Waylen Douglas carried for four yards during the second snap of BEA’s second offensive series, Schavey bulldozed his way to 52 yards on five consecutive carries to reach the Cardinals’ 8-yard line.

On second-and-goal, Schavey attempted his second pass of the game and Fairmont’s David Maakestad intercepted it at the 3 and sprinted to the Bucs’ 23.

James Johnson gained five yards on a run, Jorgensen reeled off 17 via a juke-and-sprint around right end before Jorgensen went up the middle for a 1-yard TD. Owen Burmeister kicked the PAT for a 7-0 Fairmont lead with 9:57 left in the second quarter.

BEA ran only one play before lightning lit up the sky, forcing officials to delay the game for an hour and 27 minutes.

When the Bucs returned to Wilson Field, Schavey seemed recharged as he followed the blocking of linemen Vern Johnson, Kale Frank, Luke Norman, Kean Hicks and Logan O’Hara, and path-clearing blocks by running backs Luke Schonborn and Waylen Douglas 38 consecutive times from near the end of the first quarter until 6 minutes left in regulation.

Schavey ran eight times to cover 71 yards, capped by a 5-yard TD before running for the 2-point conversion to stake the Bucs to an 8-7 lead they would not relinquish.

Schavey crossed the goal line on a hard-spinning, tackle-breaking 24-yard rumble and added the 2-pointer to later put the Bucs up 16-7 with 1:01 left before halftime.

Noah Johnson, however, recovered the ensuing Fairmont fumble on the kickoff to regain possession for BEA at the Cardinals’ 22. Schavey found the end zone from 5 yards out before pounding his way for two more points and a 24-7 lead with just 42 seconds left before halftime.

Jorgensen, who completed 11 of 20 passes for 180 yards and one TD, rifled a 50-yarder to Eli Anderson, but time expired to leave the halftime differential at 17.

Fairmont threw three incompletions to open the third quarter before Schavey needed only three totes to cover 53 yards, culminated by a tackle-breaking 28-yard run for a 30-7 lead with 10:12 left.

Schavey later covered 50 yards on six consecutive powerful runs, capped by a 7-yard TD this sequence for a commanding 36-7 margin with 4:20 left in the third.

Jorgensen then marched Fairmont to paydirt by threading a 13-yard pass to Levi Pooley before connecting with Pooley again on a 33-yarder to the Bucs’ 15.

Gavin Rodning pounded out 11 yards on the ground to the 4 before Jorgensen lofted a scoring strike to Anderson in the corner of the end zone to trail 36-13 with 16 seconds left in the third.

Placekicker Owen Burmeister then recovered his own onside kick for Fairmont, but the Cardinals could not capitalize as Nelson later recovered a fumble by the visitors.

Schavey pounded out 56 more yards on six carries, capped by a fourth-and-five conversion for a 41-yard TD.

Anderson finished with six catches for a game-best 111 yards and one TD for Fairmont.

FHS 0 7 6 0 — 13

BEA 0 24 12 6 — 42

Scoring Plays

1st Quarter

No scoring.

2nd Quarter

FHS–Zach Jorgensen 1 run (Owen Burmeister kick), 9:57.

BEA–Adam Schavey 5 run (Schavey run), 6:50.

BEA–Schavey 24 run (Schavey run), 1:01.

BEA–Schavey 5 run (Schavey run), 0:42.

3rd Quarter

BEA–Schavey 28 run (run failed), 10:12.

BEA–Schavey 7 run (run failed), 4:20.

FHS–Eli Anderson 4 pass from Jorgensen (pass failed), 0:16.

4th Quarter

BEA–Schavey 41 run (kick failed), 6:00.

TEAM STATISTICS

First downs: Blue Earth Area 17; Fairmont 9. Rushing: BEA 51-403; FHS 22-43. Passing: Fairmont 11-20-0-180; BEA 0-2-1-0. Fumbles-lost: Fairmont 6-2; BEA 3-1. Penalties: Fairmont 2-20; BEA 4-20.