Fairmont, Belle Plaine clash this Friday
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FAIRMONT - Minnesota high school football's Section 3AAA standings are a literal logjam. With Luverne (5-0) at the top, three pairs of teams currently match each other in overall record.
One of those pairs will face this Friday. Both Fairmont and Belle Plaine have 3-2 records. Both sit tied in the middle of the Section 3AAA standings. The winner will set itself up for the final portion of 2026's regular season. The loser faces even more adversity as the playoffs approach. A potential first-round road game would loom on the horizon.
"It's potentially a big section game for us," Mahoney said. "I still think the section can change in so many ways. The outcome of this game is going to jumpstart the winning team. The losing team might have to go on the road [in the section playoffs]. It's [the section standings] a logjam right now."
Fairmont enters the week playing some of its best football yet. The Cardinals responded to their previous two-game skid in Weeks Two and Three, defeating Austin and Albert Lea to inch back over .500. Both contests saw a 42-point average margin of victory while allowing under 120 yards of offense.
Belle Plaine has matched Fairmont's record after picking up a handful of impressive wins themselves. The two Tigers losses to Waseca and New Ulm came from a combined margin of six points.
Outside of handling Central and St. Peter, Belle Plaine's most striking result happened on September 17, when the Tigers hosted and defeated Tri-City United 33-22. A lot of Belle Plaine's successes stem from quarterback Reed Creighton, someone whom Mahoney calls "the real deal."
"I think their quarterback is a special player. A really special player," Mahoney said. "He sees the field extremely well, knows where the pressures are coming from, and how to get rid of the ball. He's also just accurate."
Creighton walks into Friday with 1,254 passing yards and 14 touchdowns. He’s also run for 96 yards with a rushing touchdown. The junior's best performance happened last week versus St. Peter. Creighton completed 15 of 24 passes for 310 yards and two touchdowns, guiding Belle Plaine to the 24-13 victory.
Four Tigers players have over 120 receiving yards. Caden Koepp leads the charge with 541 yards. Landon Wadsley has 294 yards. Both have a combined nine touchdowns and 49 receptions.
"[Caden Koepp] is a game changer speed-wise, and the other three or four receivers, they have caught the ball with not very many drops," Mahoney said. "They'll spread you out from sideline to sideline while also going some tempo. They've done some really good things to highlight all of their assets."
Mahoney knows this week's contest will test everyone on the defensive unit.
"We haven't really seen a passing attack like this yet," Mahoney said. "But that's also how we are going to prepare this week. We're going to be throwing the ball a lot in practice to get our guys ready for that."
Belle Plaine has seemingly posted consistent defensive performances thus far. The Tigers held Waseca to 17 points and New Ulm to just 14. This season, the unit has allowed just under 15 points per contest.
Luke Schultz (21 tackles), Mason Bungarden (20 tackles) and Waylon Wolf (18 tackles) lead the defense from their linebacker and edge positions. The Tigers have notched eight interceptions and recovered two fumbles in five games.
"I think the physicality in the trenches, you can see that they have improved," Mahoney said in reference to what challenges Belle Plaine shows defensively. "They don't really give up a lot of big plays. We are really going to need ball security and consistently get first downs."
Fairmont's past two contests show steady improvement since its season opener on September 4. Keyon Schutz, Mason Bicknase and Ryder Thate have powered a Cardinals rushing attack to 513 yards. First-year quarterback Jensen Livesay tallied seven touchdowns and seems to continue growing with confidence. The defense has allowed just a handful of first downs. Friday night will be another test.
Kickoff at the Belle Plaine Athletic Complex is slated for 7:00 p.m. Fairmont will return to Mahoney Field for the remaining two regular season contests. The Cardinals face Tri-City United next Wednesday and St. Peter on Thursday, October 22.