Cardinals seeking revenge against Waseca
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FAIRMONT - What could go wrong, did go wrong. Fairmont football's 30-0 defeat at the hands of New Ulm last Friday night at Eagle Stadium saw the ball bounce the other way multiple times.
Fairmont allowed a punt block and a 64-yard gain by Jeffery Kral that put New Ulm in favorable field position. Both of Fairmont’s scoring drives into Eagles territory ended in turnovers, including a failed fourth-and-9 connection between quarterback Jensen Livesay and Travahn Harvey that would've cut the deficit to two possessions.
The scoreboard showed a dominant New Ulm victory. But a handful of plays swung the final result in the home team's favor. Fairmont football head coach Mat Mahoney recognized that his team didn't bring forward what they are capable of. Their response after the defeat and into the early portions of this week's practice schedule has been a positive.
"You never want to lose a game, but I was very impressed with how much it hurt them. It meant something to them," Mahoney said. "It was just a bad night for us, and at the end of the day, they felt that loss."
Two messages have been clear heading into Week Three this Friday: continuing to find consistency and displaying a nonstop effort.
Mahoney and his staff have watched plenty of film from the Cardinals’ first two contests. While nearly all 11 guys seem to be doing their job, either on offense or defense, some of the mishaps stem from one or two individuals not being on the same page.
The pieces and weapons are there to execute at a high level. Right now, it's about putting it all together on every snap in every situation. A harsh reality of what makes football a beautiful sport.
What helps mend any issues in on-field assignments is a steady presence of energy. More and more repetitions will continue to smooth out all mental errors. Until then, Mahoney wants to see the highest intensity in every aspect of the game. This week of practice has been a great example.
"It's just trying to sharpen the saw as much as we can," Mahoney said. "We switched up practice a little bit. Some of those scout guys are starters for us. We're taking the gloves off a little bit, because everybody is going to help us get better. It's been more best on best during the week."
Scouting Waseca
No extra motivation is needed with this week's opponent.
Fairmont and Waseca's programs have developed a back-and-forth rivalry over the past decade. Fairmont has a 7-6 advantage since 2016, but the Bluejays got the upper hand during last season's Week Three battle at Mahoney Field. A 21-14 victory that fueled their eventual 12-1 fall campaign.
"Our guys are mentally in a great place. I think they are locked in, and we are just taking it one practice at a time," Mahoney said. "Having Waseca up there, they know that we've had some really good games with them. And they want to show up."
Bluejays head coach Brad Wendland has seemed to go back to his typical brand of football in the first two weeks.
The loss of star wide receiver and North Dakota State football commit Deron Russell puts all attention on the Waseca ground game. However, Wendland is more than comfortable establishing a strong rushing attack.
"They've lost a lot of really good skill players the last couple of years, so I think this is what Brad's identity is," Mahoney said. "They want to run the football, and that was their identity before the Russell brothers. He's always hung his hat on the running game."
Juniors Samuel Selthun and Kellen Klinger return to their running back and quarterback positions. Selthun has churned 438 yards over his 41 carries. Klinger has 131 yards himself. The two have scored five of the six rushing touchdowns thus far, averaging over eight yards per touch.
Backed by a strong trio of interior linemen - left guard Sean Noble, center Trey Jenzen, right guard Shakeem Brown - Wendland's ground game can be a dangerous force for all opponents. 637 yards in two contests is extremely formidable.
The Bluejays use a similar physicality on the opposite side of scrimmage. They're highlighted by a stout 3-4 defensive alignment that likes to mix looks depending on down and distance.
Defensive end Brady McKenna highlights the down lineman with tremendous speed. Daries Powell and Landan Madsen fill nose tackle and edge responsibilities. The trio has combined for nine tackles.
Interior linebackers Kallen Glynn and Jacob Knutson lead Waseca in tackles with 15 and 10 apiece, while Hayden Stencel on the outside has seven. All six players fly around in pursuit of creating havoc near the line of scrimmage. It's not a flashy unit. But a unit that plays with an edge from start to finish.
"They're well coached, they're physical, and they do a great job," Mahoney said. "We have to embrace the challenge, and that's what we've been telling the team this week."