Above: Fairmont’s Elijah Joeson throws off a defender who was looking for space downfield during Saturday’s Section 3AAA tournament semifinal game against the Luverne Cardinals at Mahoney Field.
FAIRMONT – The final stage of the Section 3AAA tournament is set with a rematch between the Fairmont Cardinals (7-2) and Waseca Blue Jays (8-1) this Friday at New Ulm High School.
The game is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m.
The Blue Jays are coming off one of the Cardinals’ losses this season.
The Cardinals defeated Luverne 27-14 in the tournament semifinals, with quarterback Joe Long going 10-for-16 with two touchdowns and Nolan Schulze catching three passes for 109 yards. , one of which was a 65-yard connection. That led to a touchdown. Elijah Joeson had 200 yards rushing on 25 carries, two touchdowns and a third touchdown on 44 yards receiving.
Heading into Friday night’s game, the Cardinals showed versatility on both sides of the ball. But the rematch will determine whether the Cardinals’ defense is ready to handle Waseca’s successful throw into the flat against Fairmont on Oct. 16 at Waseca.
Trevor Markestad’s return to the lineup would add height on the edge, which could theoretically disrupt the Blue Jays’ offense and help contain them on the outside.
“When the ball goes past him, he has a long lever and he has to take a step to shake the ground and then turn and go back in the other direction,” Farimont head coach Matt Mahoney said. he said. “I think his athletic ability in general (stands out).”
The turnover issues that Fairmont faced in the previous matchup are being used as coaching points heading into this game, with the staff and team looking at timing to set up the run against the strong secondary presented by the Blue Jays. The focus is on getting it right.
“So I thought that helped with the timing of our runs and the meshing of our runs,” Mahoney said. “As far as the passing game goes, we have to be smart and take what the defense is giving us.”
Fairmont wasted no time after the loss to Waseca and got back into shape, finding their footing and resuming their offense as seen against Luverne. This time around, the Cardinals are looking to make sure they get what they’re given, maintain possession of the ball, and minimize mistakes.
“Joe does everything we ask him to do,” Mahoney says. “He’s a smart kid. He’s a very good athlete, but we’re going to be playing against one of the best secondaries we’ve ever played against, not just this year, but in a long time. So we’re very In a game like this, you can’t force the ball in those situations and cause turnovers, and sometimes it’s hard for people to swallow that, but sometimes. It’s okay to punt and try to turn the field over.”
Long has shown further growth as of late, growing in confidence and making better decisions on the ball, and Mahoney has complete confidence in his quarterback and the team as a whole to be in a position to win a title. I believe it can be done.
For Fairmont, this is the fourth straight appearance in the section championship game and the team, like the others, will continue to advance as this is the last chance for the team’s seniors to win a state title. I hope that.
JACKSON – The Fairmont Cardinals lost to Jackson County Central in the first round of Section 3AA, losing to South…
