Fairmont football aims to learn from last week’s victory
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FAIRMONT - Fairmont football head coach Mat Mahoney had a single takeaway after seeing his team's 34-0 Week One victory over Worthington last Friday night. The Cardinals still have room to grow, and that's completely fine.
"We are a long way away from where I want us to be. And that's 100% okay," Mahoney said. "It's a good group of kids to work with and coach. And they are really taking our coaching. We just need to continue to play faster. ...But they are very coachable."
The season-opening contest of a team that carries a handful of new talent is expected to have some bumps in the road. But Mahoney saw a lot of positives from his team after the 48 minutes of game time expired.
For starters, the Cardinal defense proved it could be another unit they can rely on going forward. Fairmont held their opponent to 62 yards of total offense, allowed three completions, and set a single-game school record of seven turnovers - four interceptions and three fumble recoveries.
"Defensively, we played lights out with the seven turnovers. We were really good," Mahoney said. "There are a lot of good pieces [in our defense]. We have big [Ethan] Farnum that's going to plug the middle. Our defensive ends are long and athletic. And our cornerbacks, we had four interceptions. They are also very athletic."
Wide receivers Brayden Williamson, Owen Terfehr, and Travohn Harvey quickly showed why preseason expectations were high surrounding this group. Williamson (4 catches, 126 yards) and Terfehr (4 catches, 43 yards) each scored 68 and 27-yard touchdowns. Harvey snagged two catches for 20 yards while providing solid perimeter blocking to free up a few outside plays.
Mahoney is now looking to improve his team's execution, particularly on offense. Fairmont finished at nearly 300 yards of total offense with a handful of dynamic big plays. New Cardinal quarterback Jensen Livesay collected two-thirds of those yards with his 11 completions. Completions that averaged over 17 yards a pop.
But Worthington's ability to stall a few drives prevented Fairmont from scoring even more. From Livesay's two interceptions to the Cardinals’ struggles in short yardage, last Friday's offensive efforts have plenty of things to build on while flashing some positives.
Now, the goal is straightforward. Fairmont has a game under its belt. A taste of what it's like to face another opponent. It's essential to build off what worked and improve what can be fixed.
"Where we see a lot of growth is between Week One and Week Two," Mahoney said. "Because now you have the speed of the game figured out. So now, it's time to get back to the drawing board and fix what needs to be fixed. This is just a huge week for us. We have to look at ourselves in the mirror way more this week than we will any other week."
The final test at this week’s end is the New Ulm Eagles. New Ulm took down Austin during its Week One contest, pulling away from the Packers 40-14 in convincing fashion. The Eagles should pose challenges on both sides of the scrimmage. And it starts with Isaiah Friese, a North Dakota football commit who will play offensive tackle and defensive line.
A Wing-T New Ulm scoring attack is a challenge for opposing fronts. It forces teams to stay gap-responsible while making decisive plays with their eyes. Mahoney says the Eagles’ big-framed offensive line carries over to their defense. With a group of physical linebackers, New Ulm will give Fairmont a challenge. Kickoff at Eagles Stadium is set for 7:00 p.m.
"Winning is important. And we just need to continue to climb the pyramid right now. That's where we are at," Mahoney said. "And if we can continue to climb that pyramid, everything will take care of itself. We have to limit our mistakes on offense, and defensively, just make sure we're doing our job against this type of scheme."