Week 3 Recap: Waseca 28, Fairmont 0
No. 4 Waseca runs over Fairmont gridders, 28-0
By Charlie Sorrells
Web Prep Writer
WASECA – Class AAA No. 4-ranked Waseca produced two special-team gems and a near pick-6 to extend a white-knuckled 7-0 halftime lead on the strength of 21 third-quarter points en route to a Southeast Central Red District football shutout of the Fairmont Cardinals on Friday night in Waseca.
Junior running back Samuel Selthun churned out a game-best 143 rushing yards on 22 totes, junior quarterback Kellen Klinger collected 91 total yards of offense and two rushing touchdowns, while senior cornerback Owen Rupe delivered a pivotal interception, two quarterback sacks and two PAT kicks to highlight the Bluejays’ 28-0 triumph over the Cardinals.
“We matched Waseca play-for-play for the first 20 minutes to keep the game tied at zero, so I’m proud of our guys’ effort during the first half,” said Fairmont mentor Mat Mahoney, whose team managed to trail Waseca by only a touchdown despite a 151-to-1 disadvantage in total yards during the initial two quarters. “We made a big special teams stop during the beginning of the second quarter but couldn’t capitalize on our field position.”
Fairmont linebacker Caiden Utesch, who had dropped Selthun for a rare 2-yard loss on third-and-7 at the Cardinals’ 36, sacked Klinger – who’s also the Bluejays’ punter – for a 14-yard setback via a potential kick on fourth-and-9 to regain possession.
Linebacker Jacob Knutson’s clutch tackle on a Fairmont run for a 3-yard loss helped to eventually regain the football for Waseca one series later, and Klinger and the Bluejays created the only points of the first half. Selthun maneuvered for 22 yards on back-to-back carries before Klinger combined two completions to Titan Rahe for 30 more to venture into Cardinal territory.
Facing a third-and-7 at Fairmont’s 12, a Waseca running back lost control of the pigskin that bounced near the 3-yard line and into the end zone, where Owen Honstad alertly executed a grass-staining head-first slide under a pile of Cardinal defenders to recover the football for a TD. Rupe kicked the PAT to stake the Bluejays to a 7-0 lead with 4:06 remaining in the first half.
Cardinal defensive back Travohn Harvey intercepted a Klinger toss at the Fairmont 25 with 56 seconds remaining in the opening half to keep Waseca off of the scoreboard heading into the lockerroom.
“The football literally did not bounce our way to open the third quarter,” said Mahoney, “and that play really flipped the field on us.”
Xander Rivera-Arett’s upending hit on the Cardinal kick returner jarred the football into the awaiting arms of Archer O’Brien, who returned the airborne fumble to Fairmont’s 20 during the first play of the second half.
Selthun then displayed his team-oriented style by delivering a path-clearing block that allowed Klinger to gain the 1 via a 6-yard run before Klinger rumbled across the goal line from there for a 13-0 lead as the ensuing PAT kick sailed wide at the 8:51 juncture of the third.
Rupe’s quarterback sack for an 11-yard loss later forced a Fairmont punt before Nolan Dufault reeled off a 35-yard return to put the Bluejays in business at the Cardinals’ 30. Selthun hammered his way to the 1 before Isaiah Dymeck crossed the goal line on a short run. Klinger muscled through the line for the 2-point conversion to widen Waseca’s lead to 21-0 with 5:14 left in the third.
Rupe then stepped in front of a Jensen Livesay toss to the flat and returned the interception 19 yards to the Cardinals’ 6. Klinger capped the two-play drive with a 6-yard keeper for six more points before Rupe kicked the extra point for a 28-point lead at 3:32 in the third.
Freshman Ryder Thate generated a team-leading 44 yards on six carries during Fairmont’s final offensive series of the district clash as both teams battled to a scoreless fourth frame.
Fairmont (1-2) plays its home-opener during Week 4 when it hosts Austin at 7 PM Friday night (Sept. 25) at Thomas Mahoney Field, while Waseca (3-0) travels to Norwood Young America to face Central in its game next Friday night.
Fairmont 0 0 0 0 – 0
Waseca 0 7 21 0 – 28
SCORING PLAYS
1st Quarter
No Scoring.
2nd Quarter
WAS: Owen Honstad fumble recovery in end zone (Owen Rupe kick), 4:06.
3rd Quarter
WAS: Kellen Klinger 1 run (kick failed), 8:51.
WAS: Isaiah Dymeck (Kellen Klinger run), 5:14.
WAS: Kellen Klinger 6 run (Owen Rupe kick), 3:32.
4th Quarter
No Scoring.
TEAM STATISTICS
First Downs: Waseca 12; Fairmont 6. Rushing: Waseca 40-197; Fairmont 25-58. Passing (Comp-Att-Int-Yards): Waseca 6-12-1-47; Fairmont 5-9-1-35. Fumbles-lost: Fairmont 4-1; Waseca 2-0. Penalties: Waseca 4-30; Fairmont 2-10.
#
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Offense: Rushing: Samuel Selthun (WAS) 22-143, Kellen Klinger (WAS) 11-44; Ryder Thate (FMT) 6-44. Passing: Klinger (WAS) 6-12-1-47; Jensen Livesay (FMT) 5-9-1-35. Receiving: Titan Rahe (WAS) 4-36; Travohn Harvey (FMT) 3-26.
Defense: Interceptions: Travohn Harvey (FMT) and Owen Rupe (WAS). Fumble recovery: Archer O’Brien (WAS). Sacks for loss: Owen Rupe (WAS) 2 QBs for minus-18; Caiden Utesch (FMT) 1 Punter for minus-14.
Fairmont’s Kaden Bell warms up his kicking leg Friday night in Waseca.
Welcome
We would like to invite you to become part of the Cardinal football program in Fairmont by participating on a tackle football team in the fall. 2026 marks the 21st year of tackle football for 4th, 5th, and 6th grade boys. The results have been very positive for the boys involved. They had fun, learned principles of teamwork and sportsmanship, and began developing the fundamental skills of football.
RULES AND GOALS
- To Develop Fundamental Football Skills
- To Work and Play as a Team, NOT as an Individual
- To Have FUN at Practices and Games
- To Do Our Best at ALL Times
- To Maintain Good Sportsmanship at ALL Times
ELEMENTARY FOOTBALL REGISTRATION & INFORMATION
Registration is Closed
15th Annual Fairmont Football Golf Fund-raiser Fri., Aug. 8
By Charlie Sorrells Fairmont Football Association Contributor
FAIRMONT – If one’s looking to ‘get their steps in’ while helping the Fairmont Cardinal football program continue to thrive, then break out the golf clubs and head to Interlaken Golf Club in Fairmont on Friday, Aug. 8.
The Fairmont Area Football Association will hold its 15th annual golf fund-raiser, which tees off via a 1 p.m. shotgun start. Golfers registering prior to the Sunday, July 20, deadline will receive a quarter-zip Cardinal pull-over the day of the event. Players can sign up at the association’s website – www.fairmontareafootball.com – and pay the best-ball event’s entry fee by Paypal, Venmo or credit card. Anyone registering prior to the July 20 deadline should list their pull-over size on the entry form.
Proceeds
All proceeds from the annual tournament go toward purchasing concussion-protocol helmets; youth football programs’ gear; varsity practice jerseys; and new scoreboards for both the Fairmont elementary field and the high school’s practice facility. The in-house funds also will help defray costs for improvements to Thomas Mahoney Field – along with expenses for weekly meals and after-game food for the players – and provide funding for scholarships for camps. “The golf outing has evolved into a major fund-raiser in terms of making sure ‘our shelves are stocked,’ so to speak, for each upcoming football season at every level of the program,” said Fairmont head football coach/activities director Mat Mahoney.
Silent Auction
“There are a lot of moving parts to the golf tournament, and without all the important people organizing it, making generous donations in sponsoring the event, and of course, all of the alumni and area supporters playing in the outing, we wouldn’t be able to maintain our program’s tradition of excellence on the field and in the classroom.” The 15th annual golf outing will feature a silent auction, door prizes and hole prizes throughout the 18 holes of play. “Each and every contribution counts more than we realize and all are greatly appreciated,” said Mat Mahoney. “Businesses and/or individuals can be a major sponsor, sponsor a hole or be a green-or-tee sponsor, and also can make monetary or product donations.”
Lunch - Burger Bar
Fairmont Cardinal football fans also can support the program’s fund-raising effort by purchasing a Cardinal Card that features numerous discounts by area businesses on their products andservices. If any football supporter misses the July 20 registration deadline, one can still play by either signing up online or can pay a walk-up fee on the day of the golf outing at noon on August 8. A lunch of cheesy chicken sandwiches, chips, cookie and a drink will be served for lunch at noon that day, with a burger bar featured after the outing. Current Fairmont Cardinal football players will be on the Interlaken Golf Course to assist with any of the event’s contests and the players’ golf bags. The Fairmont Cardinals earned its 13th overall state appearance and seventh under Mat Mahoney’s leadership en route to an overall record of 8-3 last fall.
Fairmont coaching legend Jim Simser passes away
By Charlie Sorrells
Fairmont Football Association Contributor
FAIRMONT – From an early age, we are taught that death is inevitable. What each individual does with one’s unknown allotted time on earth is the key to life.
When I learned of Jim Simser’s passing from Fairmont High School activities director and head football coach Mat Mahoney on Friday afternoon, my heart sank even though I knew the former FHS athletic director and legendary Cardinal football mentor’s time with us was drawing to a close.
While the grief I felt for my own personal loss of the man I simply called “Coach” made a tear roll down my cheek, the one consolation I possessed was having the chance to have known him for more than half of my life in my job as a sports writer.
I remember his firm handshake, genuine smile and gentlemanly demeanor when I first met him when he accepted the inevitable task of replacing one of the Minnesota prep football rank’s greatest coaches of all-time in Thomas Mahoney on the Fairmont sideline in the fall of 1990.
“Sports writer – hmmm. Heard you cover games from the sideline. There is a press box, you know,” said Simser, who raised his eyebrows in jest before grinning. “Earn that position and it’s yours.”
For the next 10 fall seasons, I felt privileged to watch the former New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva coaching great evolve into a legend in Fairmont football lore. His coaching style was unique – reserved and respectful while knowledgeable and confident all at the same time.
Prior to his arrival in Fairmont, he had guided New Richland-Hartland to four state appearances, including the Class ‘C’ championship in 1976 and the Class ‘B’ crown in 1978, and was tabbed the 1978 Minnesota Coach of the Year for his coaching prowess. He also served as the Minnesota Football Coaches Association’s executive secretary for numerous years after accepting the role in 1986.
He added three more state bids to his Hall of Fame coaching resume from 1990-99, engineering the Cardinals’ first-ever appearance in the Class ‘A’ state semifinals at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis in 1992 before reaching the quarterfinals in back-to-back style in 1996 and 1997. He also led Fairmont to five South Central Conference championships during his 10-year tenure.
While he closed out his esteemed 32-year high school football coaching career with a 223-91-1 record to earn his rightful places in the Minnesota Football Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Fairmont Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015, he took great solace in being a beloved husband, father, coach, teacher and friend.
While the love of his life for half of a century, Winn Ann, passed away in the fall of 2013, Jim is survived by four sons – Bill, Mike, Mark and Dave – and their respective families.
A mass of Christian burial will be held at 11 AM Friday, Oct. 25, at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Fairmont, with military honors to take place afterward. Burial will be held at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis. Jim honorably served a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy in the Pacific after graduating with his bachelor’s degree from Mankato State University in 1961.
Visitation will take place from 4-7 PM Thursday, Oct. 24, at Lakeview Funeral Home in Fairmont, and one hour prior to services at the church on Friday.
Thank you for your integrity, kindness, witty humor and insight into what’s truly important in life.
Rest in peace, “Coach.”