‘There is no place like home’
Fairmont trounces Austin in return to Mahoney Field
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FAIRMONT - The momentum was already on Fairmont's side. Their 19-0 second-quarter lead over Austin had everyone at Mahoney Field in a gleeful mood. But a punt return score from Brayden Williamson solidified the complete shift in confidence radiating from the Cardinals sideline.
A third consecutive Fairmont defensive stand forced the Packers to punt yet again, this time from their own 21-yard line. Williamson trotted back following a solid kick to midfield. The Cardinals’ punt return coverage paved an alley down the left side. With Reed Johnson placing what head coach Mat Mahoney called a "real basketball block," the speedy senior zoomed past his teammates for the special teams score.
Despite Williamson's flip into the endzone drawing a penalty for the ensuing kickoff, a flag Mahoney jokingly stated will get paid back on Monday's practice, a swarm of red jerseys still celebrated the emphatic touchdown. It was one of seven scores Fairmont posted during Friday night's dominant 46-0 victory over Austin.
The Cardinals’ Week Four home opener felt like a breath of fresh air for a team that went 1-2 after opening the year with a three-game road trip. Fairmont will conclude the regular season with three more contests on Mahoney Field, giving the Cardinals a chance to continue stacking wins on familiar soil. After Friday’s win, Mahoney summed up the feeling around his team with a famous line found in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz: "There is no place like home."
"You could just see the spark and the life in their eyes," Mahoney said with a smile. "It was fun to be in there with them. They were enjoying it and singing and dancing in there [the locker room]. ...It was just great to be home to hear our student section and our school song. With our guys, you could tell there was some extra excitement. It was a great night for Friday night football."
One of Mahoney's goals for helping this season's Cardinals find its identity was pretty clear-cut. It starts with establishing the running game, an essential aspect of the Fairmont program that led them to great success in past years.
This emphasis was apparent right away. Fairmont quarterback Jensen Livesay only attempted two passes during the team's opening three touchdown drives. Instead, the Packers defense got a steady dose of Keyon Schutz, Ryder Thate and Mason Bicknase from the backfield. Each one played a part in building the Cardinals’ early advantage.
Consecutive strong rushes from Thate and Bicknase set up Schutz's 5-yard touchdown push to put Fairmont on the board first. The Cardinals’ following drive started at Austin's 22. An 8-yard Schutz scamper was followed by Thate bringing the ball directly in front of the goal line. Livesay did the rest on a powerful sneak up the middle.
Livesay's first completion of the night found Bicknase on a rollout to the right. The 44-yard connection led to a 3rd-and-10 on the Packers' 32. An immediate handoff to Thate saw the freshman cut up the middle before bouncing his path to the right, finding nothing but open grass as he passed the pylon. Boe Kolbe's first PAT conversion gave Fairmont a 19-0 cushion at the end of the first quarter.
"We have to create our identity, and it's going to start in the run game," Mahoney said. "I thought Coach [Brian] Wille did a great job of game planning and getting back to our roots. The guys executed the blocks, and I thought we just got off the ball a lot faster. We played with a lot more confidence tonight."
Fairmont's following drive after Williamson's special teams heroics was Livesay's best under center. An 11-yard Livesay run was sandwiched between two quick passes to Brock Rodning and Bicknase, bringing the Cardinals to Austin's 21.
The first-year quarterback then found Williamson for his second score on the following play. A slant route over the middle that elevated the Cardinals’ lead to 33-0 with six minutes left in the second quarter.
"At the end of the day, he's our field general," Mahoney said of Livesay. "There was a point in the game where I said, ‘ Just keep them in rhythm, keep them in rhythm.' He was in rhythm, he was feeling it, and he looked good."
Carter Hanson and Bicknase notched touchdowns to close off Fairmont's first half. Hanson scored on another punt return chance, receiving a short kick before running down the left sideline and into the end zone.
Bicknase's fifth carry on the Cardinals’ final drive saw a 3-yard score right before the halftime horn. Five successful Fairmont series and two special teams scores fueled the scoreboard, aiding its largest scoring performance since Week One's contest against Worthington (34 points).
Fairmont's Week Four goals were completed. The objective was to come into its first home game of the season, not only to secure a victory, but to show improvement from the last contest. That test was passed with flying colors. What's next? To repeat the same going forward.
The Cardinals will take on Albert Lea next Friday night back at Mahoney Field. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. It's another chance for Mahoney's team to take a positive step. Another chance to continue working toward what he thinks is their full potential.
"This was one game," Mahoney said. "We have to enjoy this. But like I told the boys, we have a busy week with homecoming coming up. Right now we have to just stay focused and get better."