ABOVE: Fairmont quarterback Joe Long was named the 2025 All-Sentinel Football Player of the Year on Saturday. Photo courtesy of Amy Long.

FAIRMONT – All eyes were on quarterback Joe Long heading into the 2025 Fairmont High School football season.

The Cardinals entered the fall campaign with key departures on both sides of the ball, especially in the backfield, with Hank Artz and Elijah Johnson continuing their respective careers at the collegiate level.

With Long being one of the lone returners with significant varsity experience under his belt, it was easy to put heavy expectations on the senior Cardinal play caller.

Long was an ideal handler of the offense for head coach Mat Mahoney in 2024. He racked up 1,245 passing yards at a 71% completion rating while tallying nine touchdowns. The Cardinals finished with an 8-3 record on the year, topping Waseca in the Section 3AAA championship game before falling to Dassel-Cokato in the state quarterfinals.

In 2025, Long delivered as the go-to guy for the Fairmont offense, using his big play ability and strong arm to constantly give the Cardinals life when needed. Throwing for 1,181 yards, rushing for 172 yards and tallying 24 total touchdowns, Long has earned the title of 2025 All-Sentinel Football Player of the Year.

“He took the bull by the horns,” Mahoney said. “He did an outstanding job of putting stuff on his shoulders. The nice thing about Joe is that he never got rattled.”

Throughout the various injuries the Cardinals’ offense experienced as the season progressed, Long remained the constant, always delivering in the biggest moments to give Mahoney’s team a chance to succeed.

Whether it was the 59-yard, game-leading touchdown scramble against Albert Lea in Week 5 or the near fourth-quarter comeback against Tri-City United during the opening round of the Class AA section playoffs, Fairmont was never out of a game with him under center.

Long said his overall decision-making, reading defenses, and throwing the ball on time were just a few of the aspects he saw improvements in from last season to now. After getting more and more game experience under his belt as the season progressed, Long’s confidence as a player grew significantly in his abilities.

“Last year’s experience definitely helped to know what I am getting into,” Long said. “As the weeks went on and the rust kind of got knocked off and I got more comfortable and confident, I think I just slowly progressed into a better individual player.”

Heading into this past season, he challenged himself not just to improve with his on-field play, but as a senior leader whom other teammates could look towards during times of adversity.

Rather than leading with a demanding vocal presence, Long used his big-play ability and steady play at the position to always give the Cardinals offense life when needed.

“He was not a vocal guy, but he led by example and actions,” Mahoney said. “When he said something, he just did it, which is just as important as a vocal leader. He never missed a practice. He never missed a game.”

On top of this, Long said his mental toughness grew significantly compared to last season. Instead of putting too much pressure on himself after a mistake, he continued to let his game do the talking, never worrying about making another error and moving forward.

“Some of the biggest challenges, and in my opinion the most challenging, was the mental game,” Long said of last season. “Sometimes when I would throw an interception, or fumble, or even a negative play, I would really get down on myself, which I know I shouldn’t have.”

Long has taken visits to Gustavus Adolphus College and Saint John’s University for a potential career in football after his time in Fairmont. While his decision ultimately remains undecided, Mahoney knows Long has all the tools to become successful.

“He has the arm to do it at the next level, the accuracy and has experience playing in big games at Fairmont,” Mahoney said. “His confidence has developed through the years.”