ABOVE: Fairmont players push against the Waseca defense during the first quarter of their Sept 12 meeting at Mahoney Field. This contest ended 21-14 in favor of the Bluejays.

FAIRMONT – Following Fairmont High School football’s 21-14 loss to Waseca on Sept 12, head coach Mat Mahoney knew his team needed to continue to grow and develop during the remaining five regular-season games.

This process started with a road contest against the Austin Packers last Friday night.

The Cardinals handled business in a 57-13 winning effort to improve to 3-1, despite the game moving to Saturday due to inclement weather.

“They came out hungry,” Mahoney said. “We talked real briefly in the locker room about coming back stronger than what we came out today [Friday night]. On the bus ride home, I just felt good about how we performed.”

This performance saw Fairmont dominate in all three phases of the game.

Cardinals quarterback Joe Long went 10 for 10 through the air with 225 yards and three touchdowns to three different receivers – Travon Harvey, Owen Terfehr and Macklain Anderson. Running back Ty Tumbleson tallied 120 yards on the ground with two scores.

Defensively, the Cardinals held Austin to minus 36 yards rushing and forced three turnovers, all of which were cashed in for touchdowns.

Even the special teams blocked a punt for a quick scoop and score early in the first quarter.

Despite this impressive effort and the two lopsided victories in Weeks 1 and 2, Mahoney knows this team’s ceiling hasn’t been reached this season just yet. Whether it’s a flag after getting a big tackle or a missed assignment in the pass game, it’s the little things that are preventing this team from reaching its potential.

“We haven’t played our best football, which is scary,” Mahoney said. “We still made some mistakes, we still got some penalties, but we know what we need to do to get better. It’s going to be really fun watching these guys over the next couple of weeks and see how we can put this thing together.”

The first step starts with another road trip for Fairmont, this time traveling to the Albert Lea Hammer Complex to take on the undefeated Tigers.

Albert Lea has started this season with a 4-0 record, beating all four of their opponents by an average of 32 points during that span.

The strength of this team thus far has been their potent offensive system that has put up more than 35 points in all but one game. A system that uses a mix of different methods to beat you, ranging from the read-option to play action passing, Mahoney has emphasized to his team the importance of staying sound on defense.

“You have to respect every phase of the game with these guys,” Mahoney said. “They are very balanced and just have a good mixture of how they can beat you … If we get too wild on this side, they [Albert Lea] are going to hit us on the other side. If we can just stay balanced, I think we will be okay.”

Headlining the offensive charge for the Tigers is wide receiver Carter Conn, a 6-2 weapon who just recently committed to Winona State University to continue his athletic career. Conn can be seen in many different looks for Albert Lea. From jet sweeps to deep passes, the Cardinal defense will have to be aware of this on-field presence at all times.

Quarterbacking the Tigers this season has been Teaghen Tolbers. Tolbers has dazzled fans and coaches around the area with his impressive arm talent and deep ball ability.

While the senior has battled with some injuries early this season, backup playcaller Brecken Wacholz has done a fine job filling in. Mahoney says that either player can be a threat to score points in a hurry.

On the opposite side of the ball, Albert Lea will run a front of four down linemen against the Cardinals. While specific alignments for linebackers and defensive backs will depend on the way Fairmont lines up, this unit for the Tigers preaches energy and intensity every time they play.

“I think more than anything, they [Albert Lea] play hard,” Mahoney said. “If you get your kids to play hard, that’s all you can ask for as a coach. And that’s what they do defensively, they just play hard.”