Fillmore Central football's perfect season on the line in Section 1A championship game
Nov. 3—For Chris Mensink and his Fillmore Central football team, this regular season was everything they hoped it would be.
Posting an undefeated record is as good as it gets. And the Falcons 10-0 season was made even sweeter with a win over rival Rushford-Peterson in week two and a trip back to the Section 1A championship game — a game the Falcons lost to Rushford-Peterson last season.
The Falcons, the second-ranked team in Class A, checked off most of the goals the team set prior to the season, but securing that Section 1A trophy sits at the end of the list, waiting to be marked off.
Fillmore Central will have the chance to reach that goal Friday night when the Falcons take on No. 2 seed Faribault Bethlehem Academy at 7 p.m. at Austin High School.
On the field, the Falcons have put up numbers, outscoring every opponent by at least 14 points. Even with a stud running back in Bryce Corson, Mensink and offensive coordinator Andy Todd run a balanced offensive attack, averaging 149.6 pass yards and 134.7 rush yards per game.
"Bryce is a big piece, but a lot of other pieces go with him to be successful," Mensink said, referring to the offensive line, a group that exemplifies good communication and the ability to adapt and adjust on the fly during a game.
Eight of the Falcons seniors played in the title game last year, and Mensink expects that leadership to set the tone for Friday's game, as the seniors have done all season.
Fillmore Central beat B.A. 28-14 at the end of September, but B.A. coach Jim Beckmann has watched his team (8-2) improve significantly since that week four loss, stringing together six straight wins.
The Cardinals two losses have been against the top two teams in Class A: Lester Prairie and Fillmore Central.
"I've told my team we're probably the best 8-2 team running around out there," Beckmann said.
The defense, especially, has improved for the Cardinals. Beckmann and his coaching staff implemented a 3-5 defense prior to the season. The decision to switch from the Cardinals traditional 4-4 defense was an effort to cater to the Cardinals numerous linebacker-type players, but the change came with growing pains as the players learned to navigate their positions.
As the season has progressed, the Cardinals are now more comfortable and confident in stopping the run game, which wasn't frequently on display in B.A.'s loss to the Falcons in September.
Falcons quarterback Dillon O'Connor threw three interceptions against the Cardinals defense in their first meeting this season. Mensink expects the senior quarterback to take care of the ball more in Friday's game.
Offensively, junior quarterback Elliot Viland is "more comfortable running the offense" in his second season as starter, Beckmann said. It's a more balanced offense than in years past, when the Cardinals featured a run-first offense.
"We have pretty good receivers who really help my quarterback out," Beckmann said.
The Cardinals still have young running backs to rely on — or "slippery" backs, according to Mensink. Junior Derrick Sando and sophomore Bo Bokman power the Cardinals running game.
The tough part, as Beckmann pointed out, is trying to prepare for a team that's already seen your offense in action. Both teams have more time for practice and preparation heading into Friday's game after playing the quarterfinal and semifinal games within five days. Beckmann's team was able to slow down and go through a normal practice schedule this week to prepare for the Falcons.
The Falcons get the same opportunity to prepare, and Mensink's team has taken advantage of that all season. It's what Mensink said separates his team from the rest of Section 1A.
"The 5:30, 6 a.m. workouts all summer long, the 3, 4, 5 hours in the film room," Mensink said. "Everyone sees what happens Friday nights, but not the rest of the week. They're willing to go through that preparation piece."
