Falcons Edge Mayo For Homecoming Win

The Faribault Falcons dominated three quarters of football Friday night at Bruce Smith Field and did a superb job of containing the Spartans powerful passing game.  Eventually Mayo would gain some momentum and score twice in the final frame, but missed a two point conversion pass attempt to tie the game with just over a minute to go.  Senior Kal Hart saw Mayo quarterback Jay Alston lock on to a receiver and got his arms up and batted the ball away like a Homecoming Queen Nyamal Tut spike to seal the victory for Faribault 23-21.  A Safety on the fourth play of the game proved to be the difference.  Mayo had a ball snapped over their punter's head and it went out of the back of the end zone for a safety to get Faribault on the board 2-0 early.  The Falcons would score next on a Joe Hoisington 2 yard run with 6:10 left in the first quarter and the extra point kick was good by Andy Swanson to make it 9-0.  The Spartans answered right away with Greg Henry scoring on a 1 yard run with 4:53 to go in the quarter. The extra point kick was good.  Faribault would see Hoisington score on another 2 yard plunge with 1:01 to go in the half and Swanson's kick was again good making the halftime score Faribault 16 Rochester Mayo 7. The Falcons got the ball to start the second half and marched 65 yards in six plays scoring on a Kade Hart to Winfield Hunter 40 yard strike with 10:18 to go in the 3rd quarter.  Swanson's kick was good again and Faribault led 23-7 heading into the fourth quarter.  Faribault had two successful drives stall near the red zone in the quarter, barely missing a 28 yard field goal and again seeing a penalty sputter another drive.  Mayo scored on their final two possessions of the game.  With 6:46 to go Quarterback Jay Alson had a 64 yard touchdown run and a two point run was good.  Then with 1:18 to go in the game Alston hit Co-Captain Zach Robertson on a 19 yard scoring strike to set up the two point attempt to tie.  Faribault is now 3-2 and so is Mayo.  The Falcons head to Albert Lea next week on POWER 96 radio with a 6:45 pre-game and Mayo is at Owatonna. Elsewhere in the Big Nine last night there were no close games, Owatonna clobbered Austin 42-7, Rochester Century rolled over Albert Lea 35-7 for a happy homecoming dance, Northfield dominated Mankato East 31-7 for a happy homecoming celebration, Mankato West ruined Red Wing's homecoming 51-21 and John Marshall had no trouble with Winona in Rochester 58-3.  West remains the only unbeaten team in the Big Nine.