Fairmont, Tri-City United set for rematch in section semifinals
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FAIRMONT - Fairmont football has a rare opportunity. During head coach Mat Mahoney's tenure, the Cardinals haven't had many chances to avenge regular-season losses in the postseason.
On a few occasions, Fairmont has faced Waseca again in sections, losing the initial matchup before winning a round-two battle with elimination on the line. Last year, Tri-City United secured the season sweep with a pair of victories over the Cardinals. But in 2026, No. 5 Fairmont can make up for its previous defeat as they take on the No. 1 Titans this Saturday in the Section 3AAA Football Tournament Semifinals. Kickoff in Montgomery is set for 2:00 p.m. The winner will face either No. 2 Waseca or No. 3 Luverne in the section championship next Friday in New Ulm.
"We love it," Mahoney said of the rematch against Tri-City United. "It doesn't matter what seed you are anymore. It doesn't matter. You have to beat everybody to get to the state tournament anyway. "For us, our guys felt horrible after we lost to them by one point," Mahoney said. "Now, for them to go out there and get a rematch, it should be a fun afternoon."
One point was all that separated the two teams during their initial matchup on Wednesday, October 14, at Mahoney Field. Both teams punched and counter-punched for all four quarters. Fairmont quarterback Jensen Livesay gave the Cardinals their only lead after his fourth rushing score late in the fourth quarter, jumping ahead of the Titans 25-19 with 1:29 to play.
Tri-City United quarterback Kellen Jirik gave his team the final strike. After finding Keegan O'Meara and Brody Factor, the Titans trusted Parker O’Malley with a fourth-and-1 conversion inside the Cardinals’ 10-yard line. O'Malley's surging score, matched with a Chase Miller extra point, sealed Tri-City United's narrow victory.
Limiting the Titans’ efficient Double Wing scheme is priority number one for Mahoney. Tri-City United is averaging over 28 points in its eight contests. Its offense netted 391 yards in the previous matchup versus Fairmont, 201 coming on the ground.
O'Meara, Toren Kelly, O’Malley, and Ty Smith all have ball-carrying abilities from the running back position or the left and right side wing. A series of motions and fakes make simple rushing schemes, such as power, sweep, and counter, difficult to defend. Jirik is also more than capable of attacking defenses with his arm. His 190 passing yards and multiple clutch third-down conversions showed his talent in the last matchup between these schools.
"They have a counter for everything that they do. O'Meara can run three different combinations: power, sweep, counter. O’Malley can run the same three. But then their fullbacks can run dive and trap," Mahoney said. "That's the beauty of their offense right now. We have to find a way to get some penetration. We have to find a way to stop their pullers and be very physical at the point of attack."
Fairmont's resurgent rushing attack has been pivotal to the offense's recent success. The Cardinals have scored just under 30 points in their last six games. They've rushed for over 125 yards in five of those contests.
Tri-City United was the only team that's relatively held Fairmont's ground game in check of late, halting the Cardinals to just 81 yards on 25 carries. Livesay did a lot to help Fairmont score 25 points. The senior tossed 133 yards, ran for 62 yards, and found the end zone on all four occasions. Brayden Williamson and Travohn Harvey combined for 94 yards on six catches. To take pressure off of Livesay and add another dynamic to its offense, Fairmont will need to run the ball effectively. It's what has made the Cardinals that much more dangerous on this side of the ball.
"They did a really good job of loading the box and selling out to stop our run game,” Mahoney said. "If we want to win this game, we're going to have to be able to run the football. There's no doubt about it. Obviously, we'll throw the ball and still make plays. But what has made us successful this year has been running the football."