Staff Photo by Jake Olson: Fairmont forward Logan Junkermeier begins Thursday night's contest against Redwood Valley with a dunk—the senior notched 18 points and six blocks against the Cardinals.

FAIRMONT – Head coach Jared Thompson made it an early-season emphasis to retain Fairmont’s interior style of play despite losing size from last season.

That responsibility has shifted to forwards Logan Junkermeier and Reed Johnson, who have been tasked to continue a dominant physical presence.

Thursday night’s contest against Redwood Valley displayed this intention. Junkermeier and Johnson scored 18 and 13 points, respectively, combining for 15 field goals to guide the Cardinals to a 69-35 victory at the Fairmont High School gymnasium.

The backcourt contributed as well, with Brayden Williamson and Joe Long notching 11 and 10 points, respectively, in their second stint as starters this season.

“They [Logan and Reed] are learning how to play together in space. They are doing a good job, and I think they took a step forward tonight,” Thompson said. “When you take Logan out, you can stay true to what you do because you have another inside presence.”

An emphatic Junkermeier dunk and two quick layups gave Fairmont an early 6-3 advantage in the waning moments of the contest. After both teams traded baskets over the next seven minutes, Redwood Valley took its first lead after a Kallen Berry free throw made it 17-16.

This was the only advantage the Cardinals found. Fairmont immediately responded with a 12-2 scoring run that finished with an easy Junkermeier layup on the right side of the hoop. The senior tacked on one more score during the final two minutes of the half, aiding Fairmont with a 32-21 cushion at intermission.

“I just loved how we shared the ball,” Thompson said. “I think the guys were celebrating equally for their teammates scoring and making a great pass off a guy making a great cut. They were as happy about that as they were with scoring. That’s what you look for when trying to build those habits.”

Thompson’s team ran out of the second half with an immediate surge on the offensive end. A Johnson layup and three pointers from Joseph Hackett and Williamson caused Cardinal head coach Brandon Zimmer to burn a quick timeout as his team faced a 38-21 deficit.

Even Fairmont’s defense ramped up its aggressive man-to-man scheme as the game progressed. Through various on-ball pressures, the Cardinals forced multiple deflections and steals while holding their opponent to just 14 points during the final 18 minutes of play.

“The defensive intensity and just playing more sound just wore them down,” Thompson said. “They had to expend so much energy getting into their offense, and even our ball pressure was really good.”

The final nail in the coffin came from an intense offensive sequence with nine minutes to play. After stringing together three consecutive rebounds to fuel the possession, a swift Junkermeier dribble drive layup cemented a 58-27 advantage, leading to another Zimmer timeout with 8:50 remaining.

“I don’t know if I have ever seen so many guards get offensive rebounds in a game,” Thompson said. “Our guys just work incredibly hard; it’s kind of who we are and who we have had to be. We’ve always had tough kids who play hard. Sometimes we play pretty basketball, sometimes we don’t, but we always play hard.”

Fairmont’s win pushes the team to 1-1 on the season. The Cardinals will look to sustain momentum next Tuesday with a road contest against Blue Earth Area starting at 7:15 p.m.