Fairmont’s ground game fuels rout of Albert Lea
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FAIRMONT - Head coach Mat Mahoney "didn't know the circus was in town" this week. No, he wasn't referring to clowns in silly costumes or trapeze artists flying through the sky. The joyous shock and awe came from consecutive touchdown and two-point conversion plays that not only stamped his Fairmont football team's 45-6 victory over Albert Lea, but left everyone at Mahoney Field with a beaming smile.
At the end of Friday night's third quarter, quarterback Jensen Livesay sought to finish off another scoring drive. Livesay had already thrown four touchdowns. But a bobbled snap on Albert Lea's 15-yard line forced the senior to make a play with his legs. Using the already planned counter run scheme, Livesay scampered up the middle before powering past the goal line and into the end zone. A play not executed to its initial intention worked.
Boe Kolbe hoped he and holder Brayden Williamson could execute the PAT. Things went south when the long snap fell 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Williamson ultimately scooped the loose ball only to see a swarm of white jerseys surrounding. Rather than simply falling on the grass, Williamson did the obvious, rolling deep to his right before finding Preston Geerdes wide open in the end zone. Just how they drew it up.
This stretch perfectly summed up the type of night Mahoney and his team were having during their homecoming contest. Almost every play that happened seemed to be executed to a T. Even the ones that went slightly off script.
"You couldn't draw it up," Mahoney said with a smile. "It was a fun night. It was a good crowd. It was a fun atmosphere. It was just a good old high school experience tonight."
"We talked after the Waseca game about what our identity was," he continued. "I thought our offense just ran the ball extremely well. We are kind of clicking on all cylinders running the football. Defensively, we gave up one long run. But outside of that, our guys just played outstanding."
Part of Mahoney's ideal identity came from running the football. Consistency wasn't there during the first three contests - just 183 yards in that span. Fans got a glimpse at the Cardinals’ true potential after they ran for 299 yards against Austin last week. Friday's showing, however, was Fairmont's best ground-and-pound performance yet.
The Cardinals’ 284 rushing yards fueled the offense throughout the night. It set up Fairmont's ability to pass off of fakes and move the pocket laterally. Running back Keyon Schutz collected 140 of those yards himself, including a breakaway 27-yard scamper that put Fairmont up 16-0 in the second quarter.
"I think getting back under center and putting our running backs in I-formation has made a world of difference," Mahoney said. "We can utilize our fullback. We can go outside and inside. It can also start a lot of our play action, which I thought was really good. ...We're just playing faster and with more confidence. You can see it."
Fairmont's running attack helped its offense create numerous opportunities downfield. While Livesay finished with only 92 yards on eight completions, his four scores through the air were a direct product of the Cardinals' opening up the defense.
Livesay found Williamson twice in the end zone in the first half to help the Cardinals build a 23-0 lead at the break. A smooth 7-yard toss to the back of the end zone was capped with an even more impressive catch by the speedy wide receiver. The two connected once more, this time on a 17-yard deep post over the middle, for a score with 1:39 left in the second.
"It's everything," Mahoney said in reference to a running attack helping the offense. "It opens up your passing game and the play action."
Fairmont's first two third-quarter scores were again thanks to Livesay's arm. A play-action rollout to the right saw Travohn Harvey nab his first touchdown reception of the season on a deep crossing route.
Five minutes later, the Cardinals used a quick four-play drive to work to Albert Lea's 11-yard line. The fake backfield handoff allowed Chase Birr to roam free on the flat. Livesay's immediate throw gave Birr a chance to take it the rest of the way past the pylon.
"He's an athlete," Mahoney said of Livesay. "I'll say it until the day I'm dead, but he's just going to get better and better with everything. ...The game is slowing down for him. Right away, being out of the game for two years, he wasn't used to it. And now, the game is starting to slow down, and he's feeling more comfortable."
The Cardinals' only defensive hiccup came in the third quarter. A fourth-and-5 Tiger possession at midfield saw Amun-Ra Brown receive a toss to the right. Patiently gliding towards Albert Lea's sideline, the running back cut upfield and to the left to find open grass.
However, Brown's long run was an outlier of what Fairmont allowed. Mahoney's defense forced five punts in the first three quarters. They even helped generate points for the offense. Aaron Becker's season debut at linebacker sprung a fumble in Tigers territory that ultimately led to Fairmont's first touchdown.
The Cardinals’ response to this victory is similar to last week. Like last week, Mahoney knows his team deserves to celebrate. But this celebration has to be quick.
Fairmont aims to take positive steps during next week’s practice, studying mistakes and mishaps to better prepare for its next opponent in Belle Plaine. Only then can they reach their full potential before the regular season's end, which, after tonight, only spans three more weeks.
"We just need to continue building," Mahoney said. "Don't get me wrong, we still have a long way to go. We have a lot of things we need to fix. ...Last year, we stumbled across the stretch, which we haven't done in a long time. We need to find a way to continue getting better, take our ego off the shelf, put our head down, and just go."