Week 5 Recap - Fairmont 45, Albert Lea 6

---

By Charlie Sorrells

Web Prep Writer

FAIRMONT – Fairmont Homecoming king candidate Brayden Williamson reigned supreme over Friday night’s Southeast Red District football game against the Albert Lea Tigers at Thomas Mahoney Field.

Williamson pocketed two of quarterback Jensen Livesay’s career-high four touchdown passes, delivered two pivotal punt returns to set up back-to-back first-half scores and tossed a 2-point conversion pass to Preston Geerdes for good measure by salvaging a low long snap during Fairmont’s sixth and final TD during Week 5 in Fairmont.

Keyon Schutz amassed a career-best 140 rushing yards and one score, Chase Birr caught an 11-yard TD spiral from Livesay to celebrate his 18th birthday and the Reed Johnson/Aaron Becker combination generated the Cardinals’ lone turnover and spear-headed a defense that limited the Tigers to 101 yards of offense to top a 45-6 rout.

“For the second game in a row, we were able to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football,” said Fairmont mentor Mat Mahoney, whose offense erupted for 284 rushing yards to complement Livesay’s 92-yard passing performance. “Everything changed when we moved Reed Johnson to center on offense, and Max Nielsen, Luther Malo, Craig Schultze and Vinnie Schultz have finally started to mesh on both sides of him.”

Albert Lea safety Jayson Mikels recovered an early Fairmont fumble at the Tigers’ 32 only to watch one snap before Johnson and Becker regained possession for the Cardinals late in the first quarter. Becker, who’s coming off the injured list, delivered a football-jarring hit in Albert Lea’s backfield before Johnson recovered the fumble at the 32.

Schutz pounded out 10 yards on two totes before getting dragged down by his facemask to net 15 more yards. Livesay then lofted a 7-yarder to the pylon and was impressed by Williamson’s leaping one-handed catch for six points. Kolbe kicked the PAT for a 7-0 lead at the 4:40 juncture.

Caiden Utesch’s stifling stop for no gain on second-and-9, combined with Becker’s body-rocking tackle for zero yards on fourth-and-2 prevented the Tigers from clawing at the Cardinals’ lead.

Owen Terfehr, who also returned from the injury list, joined forces with Williamson and Kolbe to help pin Albert Lea at the visitors’ 8 before the long snap for the ensuing punt sailed out of the end zone for two more Fairmont points.

Williamson’s 21-yard free-kick return and 15 more due to a facemask infraction put Livesay and Fairmont’s offense in business at the Albert Lea 34. Schutz took a draw play up the middle, cut outside and motored into the end zone from 26 yards out. Kolbe’s kick widened the gap to 16-0 at the 6:33 mark.

Williamson’s 25-yard punt return to the 50 later helped set up Livesay’s 17-yard TD strike to Williamson with only 1:39 remaining before intermission. Kolbe’s extra-point kick extended the Cardinals’ margin to 23-0.

Ryder Thate utilized his acceleration and velocity skills to return the third-quarter kickoff 48 yards to the Tigers’ 42. Thate later produced a tackle-evading 13-yard run to the 16 before Livesay spotted Travohn Harvey for a TD. Kolbe nailed the PAT for a 30-0 lead.

Amun-Ra Brown spoiled the Fairmont defense’s shutout bid by breaking loose for a 47-yard TD sprint to reduce Albert Lea’s deficit to 30-6 with 7:40 left in the third quarter.

Maison Ingvoldstad’s clutch recovery of the Tigers’ ensuing onside kick put the Cardinals in business again at the home team’s 48. Livesay zipped a 21-yard seam completion to Harvey before capping the short scoring drive with an 11-yard TD connection with Birr. Kolbe’s kick made it 37-6 with 5:21 to go in the third frame.

Becker’s stop on an Albert Lea fourth-and-4 fake punt-and-run play regained possession for Fairmont at the Tigers’ 28 before the bounces kept going in the Cardinals’ direction. Livesay lost the handle on the football on a keeper, fielded the bounce and rumbled 15 yards across the goal line for six more points.

Despite a low skidding line snap on the PAT play, Williamson – the kick holder – managed to quickly snatch the loose football from the grass before the pursuing Tigers picked it up, rolled right and lofted a 2-point conversion pass to Geerdes for the 29-point edge with only 21 seconds left in the third frame.

Fairmont (3-2) hits the road to Belle Plaine next Friday night (Oct. 9) for a 7 PM kickoff, while Albert Lea (2-3) travels to Floyd B. Johnson Field during Week 6 for a game with St. Peter.

Albert Lea 0--0--6--0 – 6

Fairmont 7-16-22-0 – 45

SCORING PLAYS

1st Quarter

FHS: Brayden Williamson 7 pass from Jensen Livesay (Boe Kolbe kick), 4:40.

2nd Quarter

FHS: Safety – Albert Lea snap on punt went out of end zone, 7:35.

FHS: Keyon Schutz 26 run (Kolbe kick), 6:33.

FHS: Williamson 17 pass from Livesay (Kolbe kick), 1:39.

3rd Quarter

FHS: Travohn Harvey 16 pass from Livesay (Kolbe kick), 10:09.

AL: Amun-Ra Brown 47 run (run failed), 7:40.

FHS: Chase Birr 11 pass from Livesay (Kolbe kick), 5:21.

FHS: Livesay 15 run (Preston Geerdes pass from Williamson), 0:21.

4th Quarter

No Scoring.

TEAM STATISTICS

First downs: Fairmont 17; Albert Lea 1. Rushing: Fairmont 35-284; Albert Lea 28-87. Passing (Comp-Att-Int-Yards): Fairmont 8-15-0-92; Albert Lea 2-5-0-14. Fumbles-lost: Fairmont 2-1; Albert Lea 3-1. Penalties: Fairmont 2-32; Albert Lea 7-65.

INDIVIDUAL STATS

Offense: Rushing: Keyon Schutz (FHS) 15-140, Ryder Thate (FHS) 5-52, Jensen Livesay (FHS) 4-39; Amun-Ra Brown (AL) 15-62. Passing: Livesay (FHS) 8-15-0-92; Charlie Murray (AL) 2-5-0-14. Receiving: Fairmont: Brayden Williamson 4-32, Travohn Harvey 3-49, Chase Birr 1-11. Albert Lea: Jayson Mikels 1-7, Mason Hrdalo 1-7.

Defense: Fumble recovery: Reed Johnson (FMT) and Jayson Mikels (AL).