Zach Tvedten takes the hand off.

The Fairmont Cardinals scored 10 points in the last three minutes to put the game out of reach – on their way to a 24-6 victory over the Blue Earth Area Buccaneers in football action at Wilson Field on Oct. 16.

The win kept the Little Brown Jug in the Cardinals possession for the next year.

“It was an extremely tough game,” says Bucs coach Randy Kuechen-meister. “Both teams played extremely hard.”

Fairmont took the lead with 3:20 left in the first quarter when strong safety Joey Duflo intercepted a Garrett Anderson pass at the Cardinal 35-yard line and sped 65 yards for the touchdown.

Logan Peymann’s kick was good for the extra point to make it 7-0.

Garrett Anderson

Following the ensuing kickoff, the Bucs next drive stalled at their own 40-yard line. Anderson’s 40 yard punt gave the Cards the ball on their own 20.

Fairmont put together a 10 play, 80-yard drive that took 3:56 off the clock. It culminated with Pey-mann’s 24-yard touchdown. He added the extra point kick to boost Fairmont’s lead to 14-0 with 8:39 left in the first half.

The Cards never faced a third down on this drive and it looked like they had taken control of the game.

The Bucs showed their determination, however, as Anderson engineered a nine play, 71-yard drive to pull the Bucs within eight at 14-6, following the missed extra point.

An 8-yard run by Anderson and a pass completion to Nate Carr advanced the ball to the Bucs 49-yard line and gave BEA a first down.

The Cards stopped Zach Tvedten for no gain and an incomplete pass set up a critical third down and 10 situation.

Jared Smith snared an Anderson pass over the middle and advanced the ball down to the 20-yard line.

An 8-yard Anderson run and an encroachment penalty on the Cardinals gave the Bucs a first and goal situation at the 7-yard line.

Anderson plowed his way to the two and Nick Lee ran the final couple of yards for the touchdown with 4:27 left before halftime.

The teams traded fumble recoveries in the third quarter. Neither team was able to sustain a drive and put more points on the board.

To read more of this story, see this week’s Register.