HIGH-STEPPING TO SIX — Fairmont quarterback Brendan Schmidtke (left) finds an opening and sprints by Blue Earth Area defenders Nick Nelson (32) and Isaiah Cornelio (back right) for a touchdown during the 66th football edition of the Little Brown Jug game on Wednesday night at Mahoney Field in Fairmont. The Cardinals went on to post a 34-20 win to regain possession of the jug. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — No trash-talking, no bravado, no ‘look-at-me’ selfies.

Fairmont senior quarterback Brendan Schmidtke quietly completed 18 of 25 passes for 263 yards and four touchdowns, and for good measure, rushed for 70 more yards and a score during Wednesday night’s regular-season prep football finale at Mahoney Field.

The no-nonsensical Schmidtke amassed 333 of the Cardinals’ 404 total yards of offense, while wide receiver Levi Pooley hauled in a career-best 11 catches for 147 yards and three TDs to help Fairmont regain possession of the Little Brown Jug via a 34-20 victory over the Class AA No. 9-ranked Blue Earth Area Bucs during Week 8 in Fairmont.

So what was the secret to Schmidtke’s success?

“The offensive line blocked and gave me time to throw, and the playmakers made the plays,” Schmidtke said modestly in reference to tackles Jacob Singleton and Sawyer Tordsen, guards Gavin Junkermeier and David Barrientos, and center Gunner Wells.

“What a career game he (Schmidtke) had tonight to help us get the jug back,” Fairmont head coach Mat Mahoney said in reference to losing the coveted crock during a 42-13 loss to Blue Earth Area last fall at Wilson Field in Blue Earth. “He played an intelligent, level-headed, clean football game.

“Offensive coordinator Brian Wille put together a solid basic game plan and Brendan executed the strategy to a tee.”

After linebacker Aden Welcome and the Fairmont defense forced a Blue Earth Area punt during the non-district clash’s opening series, Schmidtke and the Cardinals’ offense capitalized on an early Bucs’ miscue.

Facing a third-and-8 situation, Blue Earth Area was whistled for a roughing-the-passer penalty as Schmidtke threw an incompletion. Schmidtke then proceeded to connect on 5 of his next 6 passes to march the hometown Cardinals 72 yards to six points.

Schmidtke zipped a 12-yarder to wide receiver David Maakestad before drilling four consecutive spirals to the sure-handed Pooley, with the second 13-yard connection being a TD. Schmidtke rolled right and fired to Pooley, who outleaped a Buc defender for the catch in the end zone. Owen Burmeister kicked the PAT for a 7-0 lead with 1:39 left in the first quarter.

Quarterback Ashton Lloyd and the BEA offense needed only 10 snaps to cover 61 yards to match the Cardinals’ score. Lloyd, who completed 16 of 24 passes for 170 yards, found favorite target Jack Norman for a key 21-yard conversion during a third-and-9 situation to eventually set up Parker Meyers’ 5-yard scoring run out of the wildcat set. Maakestad then intercepted Abe Kokos’ reverse 2-point pass with 8:26 left in the second quarter.

Schmidtke went to the airwaves again, delivering a 20-yard hashmark toss to Pooley before connecting on a 26-yard fade to Maakestad to reach the Bucs’ 2. Schmidtke later lofted a 3-yard TD pass to Pooley before Burmeister’s kick made it 14-6 with 4:14 to go before halftime.

Lloyd then countered by rumbling for 34 yards on the ground and zipping three passes for 22 total yards to Jack Norman to inch within two with just 6 seconds left before intermission. Norman hauled in a 4-yard crossing route for a TD before Lloyd utilized every inch of his 6-foot-5 frame to stretch for the tying 2-point conversion.

Schmidtke then engineered Fairmont’s 3-for-3 performance of converting second-half possessions into points. Schmidtke rifled a 25-yard spiral over the middle to Maakestad, a 13-yard out to Pooley and a 34-yard scoring strike to Brock Lutterman for a 20-14 lead at the 9:38 juncture of the third quarter.

End Hank Artz and Fairmont’s defense held on BEA’s next offensive series and forced a punt that the Bucs’ special teams downed at the 1.

Schmidtke’s 35-yard completion to Pooley converted a critical third-and-10 situation before Schmidtke demonstrated his scrambling skills with an 18-yard gallop.

Schmidtke later hit Maakestad on a 10-yarder before firing a 15-yard pass to Pooley for six points and a 26-14 edge. Burmeister’s kick extended it to 13 points with 2:05 left in the third.

Lloyd responded by zipping a 13-yard strike and then a 9-yarder to Norman before powering 34 yards on a keeper to Fairmont’s 1. Meyers later burst through the line on a 4-yard TD run, but Landen Meyerdirk tipped away the Bucs’ 2-point conversion pass to maintain the Cardinals’ 27-20 lead with 11:14 left in regulation.

Meyerdirk utilized his speed and shifty tackle-eluding moves to deliver a 37-yard kickoff retun to the Cardinals’ 49.

Schmidtke hit Pooley with a 15-yard throw and Maakestad on a 12-yard toss before keeping the football and sprinting 25 yards to the end zone. Burmeister’s kick re-established a 14-point lead with 9:46 to go.

Fairmont (6-2) will earn the No. 2 seed in the Section 3AAA playoffs and play host to the No. 7 seed in a 7 p.m. quarterfinal game on Tuesday night at Mahoney Field.

Blue Earth Area (6-2) also will earn a first-round postseason home game in Section 2AA at 7 p.m. Tuesday night at Wilson Field against an opponent to be determined today.