FAIRMONT โ Coming off a 9-2 season and a tough overtime loss to Waseca in the Section 3AAA playoffs, the Fairmont High School football team is heading into this year with a new mantra and a different conditioning format.
With stars Nolan Schulze, Hank Ertz and Elijah Johnson returning, the team has built a versatile pro-style offense and is looking to return to the state tournament after missing out last season after making back-to-back appearances in 2021 and 2022.
Returning senior running back Elijah Johnson is coming off a season in which he rushed 178 times for 1,487 yards and 21 touchdowns. Johnson also set the school’s single-game rushing yards record with 289 yards and four touchdowns against Albert Lea.
Wide receiver Nolan Schultz had 17 catches for 213 yards and four touchdowns last year and is expected to continue to improve in his senior year.
“I think Elijah is a special running back,” Fairmont head coach Matt Mahoney said, “We’re what you’d call a professional offense. We’ve got tight ends, fullbacks, running backs. We’ve got everyone in the shotgun. Now with a snap of our fingers, we can switch from running power to throwing the ball four-wide.”
The defense returns a talented player for this season in defensive end Hank Ertz, who recorded 11 solo tackles, 14 assists and 4.5 sacks. Another defenseman returning is linebacker Caleb Chambers, who recorded 20 solo tackles, 47 assists and 4.5 sacks last season. Also returning is linebacker Hunter Johnson, who recorded 15 solo tackles, 52 assists and 1.5 sacks last season.
Last season’s playoff loss prompted the team to pivot its conditioning this year, implementing conditioning drills in the middle of practice, which Mahoney said is to help the team better prepare for overtime situations.
The tough schedule and strong team motivation have significantly changed the mindset of the team’s seniors, and this year they are looking to “take it back to the bank” and have their sights set on U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, site of the state tournament.
“We have all the pieces in place, we haven’t changed any of the details,” Mahoney said, “We haven’t changed anything, but we have to change our mindset because we have to be able to get through that hump.”
One change for the team this year is Joe Long taking over for Blaze Geiger in the starting role. Mahoney has confidence in Long and the way he’s developed over the offseason and is confident he can run the Cardinals’ offense well.
In an effort to reframe how the team thinks about the game, they have made some slight changes, keeping the traditional “Fight On!” slogan but adding “Finish the Fight!” this year.
“I said I’m going to do it with a brick-by-brick mentality. [the word] “We built it brick by brick and we broke them all, so ‘B’ is indestructible,” Mahoney said. “‘R’ is playing relentlessly. ‘I’ is our identity. We play with grit, we play with a certain toughness. That’s who we are. ‘C’ has to play with confidence, and that’s our job now, to build their confidence. ‘K’ is ‘Kickstart My Heart’ by Motley Crue, so we have to play with energy and enthusiasm.”
The Cardinals will put their new training methods and mindset to the test in their first game on Thursday, Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. against Tri-City United at Mahoney Field in Fairmont.
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