Front row, from left: Draden Beebe, Gavin Schomberg, Carter Hansen, Adam Denson, Wyatt McGowan, Brayden Pooley, Carl Winnery Ebon, Brayden Williamson, Lucas Kotewa. Second Row, from left: Chase Birr, Allen Szafryk, Jacob Porter, Keyon Schutz, Asst. Coach Jesse Walters, Asst. Coach Brian Wille, Head Coach Mat Mahoney, Asst. Coach Brad Johnson, Asst. Coach Shawn Chambers, Caiden Utesch, Brock Rodning, Landen Traetow, Hogan Artz, Ben Sunken Third Row, from left: Clay Mitchell, Ryan Szafryk, Mac Anderson, Owen Terfehr, Lucas Johnson, Luther Malo, Jordan Thompson, Aaris White, Kayden Williams, Jacob Ehlert, Merritt Pomerenke, Mason Bicknase, Mason Ingvoldstad, Dayton Draper, Ethan Darnell, Hunter Sommer Fourth Row, from left: Caine Gronewald, Mathew Martin, Ethan Farnum, Travohn Harvey, Alex Frederikson, Max Nielsen, Benet Mathiason, Joe Long, Tavian Harvey, Dakota Wiley Fifth Row:, from left: Cole Brockmann, Tyler Bicknase, Preston Geerdes, Reed Johnson, DJ Miller, Nolan Anderson, Caiden Wickert, Aaron Becker, Kaiden Bell. Photo courtesy of Seifired Portrait Design.

FAIRMONT – Fairmont High School football coach Mat Mahoney lives by many things: his love for Cardinal athletics, his commitment to his players, and a deep passion for the Minnesota Gopher football program.

But one standard that Mahoney has always lived by during his tenure at the helm of Fairmont football has been the saying, “tradition never graduates.”

This mantra has rung true through the Fairmont program since Mahoney’s reign started. He expects greatness from his upperclassmen both on and off the field, leading by example while showing the ropes to future athletes before they make the jump to the next level.

“One of the things we have been very successful at here at Fairmont has been our senior leadership, and it’s just continuing,” Mahoney said. “Our seniors need to step up in leadership roles and bring our kids along.”

Last season was another successful one for Mahoney and his coaching staff. Finishing the season with an 8-3 record, the Cardinals topped Waseca in the Section 3AAA Championship before falling to Dassel-Cokato in a 29-28 nail-biter.

Even with the departure of many key seniors, such as tailback duo Hank Artz and Elijah Johnson, this season’s team is not different than before. It’s a group of players stepping up to fill the roles left by the previous graduating class.

Mahoney believes this season’s roster can be very versatile. With the amount of talented individuals in their system, the Cardinals plan on showing a variety of different looks on both sides of the ball.

On offense, Fairmont returns a plethora of key individuals who made several impacts on last season’s team.

The Cardinals bring back three starting offensive linemen from last year’s roster: center Jacob Ehlert, left guard Tyler Bicknase, and left tackle David Miller. This is a position group Mahoney feels comfortable saying is one of the most important aspects for the 2025 season.

“These guys have spent the spring and the summer in the weight room,” Mahoney said. “Having those guys back, just the physicality they bring is a coach’s dream. That’s exactly what you want.”

This group will be blocking for a backfield mixed with familiar and new faces.

Headlining the quarterback position will be Joe Long. A now senior, Long saw success last year in the varsity lineup, tossing for over 1,200 yards and managing an efficient offensive system.

Joining him at running back will be Cole Brockmann. While replacing the likes of Johnson can be difficult, Mahoney has faith this year’s tailback will thrive in his new role for the offense.

“He [Cole Brockman] will be our lead tailback coming into the season,” Mahoney said. “Just from a physical standpoint, he looks the part. He’s just a big, strong

kid.”

Tavian Harvey, Owen Terfehr, and Merritt Pomerenke highlight a receiving core that has the threat to take the top off any defense the Cardinals face, according to Mahoney.

Overall, Mahoney wants this side of the ball to be able to show opposing teams a variety of schemes and looks to create confusion. While running the ball will still maintain the focal point going into the season, the Cardinals are prepared to win in other ways this fall.

“It’s going to be hard to gameplan for us, I think,” Mahoney said. “We have an experienced quarterback, we have a strong run game, and our play-action has been good. We are going to do a little bit of everything, not just strictly run the football.”

For the defense, the Cardinals are again looking to create chaos for opponents with the use of multitude schemes and players throughout each game. Bringing pressure from all directions, stopping the run, and setting the line of scrimmage are just a few things Mahoney wants to see out of his players.

Mahoney looks to replace two of his three starting linebackers from last season, one of which being three-time varsity starter Caleb Chambers. With Ty Tumbleson coming back as the lone returner from 2024, Mahoney can see a mix of Brockmann and Aaron Becker rounding off the group.

The Cardinals plan on running a defensive front of five and four down lineman, depending on the down and distance their opponent faces. This is another position group where Mahoney puts a lot of trust in a wide variety of players. Miller, Bicknase, Mathew Martin, Preston Geerdes, and Nolan Anderson are only a few faces expected to see the field throughout the year.

Finishing this side of the ball is an experienced secondary with multiple players having some sort of varsity experience.

Harvey leads the position group after starting last season at cornerback. Dakota Wiley saw some in-game action in 2024, but was ultimately a rotational piece at defensive back. Terfehr and Brayden Williamson hold each safety position heading into the season.

Fairmont opens the season at home on Friday against Worthington. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Mahoney Field.

Early season rust is expected from any team, no matter the talent level. This will be the first time the Cardinals have seen any sort of game action outside of controlled scrimmages.

While Mahoney knows mistakes will happen in all facets of the game, he preaches that his roster brings a level of intensity that can make up for any potential mishaps or errors.

“More than anything, I just want them to play fast,” Mahoney said. “If they make a mistake, that’s okay, but do it going 100 miles per hour.”