Football: Willmar Cardinals look for no surprises against Fergus Falls

Sep. 2---- Week 1 of the football season brings a lot of unknowns. Players have graduated. New schemes are in place. Some players change positions in order to optimize a lineup. When Willmar faced Fergus Falls to open the 2025 season, they didn't know much on Otters' starting quarterback Eston Bethel. "We didn't really scout their quarterback like we should have," said Cardinals defensive end Jackson Carlson. "We were expecting a slower guy and not as athletic. And then Bethel came in there and he's a pretty quick, agile guy. "Right away, our game plan was kind of screwed up. We weren't ready for that." Bethel showcased his ability that night. He went on to complete 20 of 25 passes for 153 yards. He also ran for 63 yards on 14 carries to give Fergus Falls a 21-13 victory. Bethel eventually led the Otters to the Section 8AAAA championship and a second straight state tournament appearance. "To me, he was probably the best running quarterback we saw," Carlson said. "If he saw a little gap and he wasn't making a throw right away, he was definitely gonna pull it down. It's hard as a D-end because we're trying to keep contain but if we go too wide and our tackle goes inside, that leaves a big gap and that puts our linebackers in a tough position." So, when it comes to slowing down the Otters in Friday's season opener, the Cardinals won't be caught off-guard by Bethel's abilities this time around. Willmar and Fergus Falls kick off the 2026 season at 7 p.m. at Hodapp Field next to Kennedy Elementary School. "A guy like that is a game changer," Cardinals head coach Jon Konold said of Bethel. "He is someone that can make you right a lot of times and make the defense look wrong, even if you're in a good position. We have to have a good, solid plan to make sure we're taking away some of the things that he does well and making sure we contain him. "He's going to make plays. In critical times, we have to make sure we can get him down on the ground and make him more of a passing threat than a run threat." Fergus Falls finished last season 8-3 while Willmar was 6-4. Friday's game will be the Cardinals' first against a state tournament team from 2025. Last season's match-up ended when a botched snap was recovered by Fergus Falls, which went on to run out the clock. The Cardinals hope to limit those kinds of errors in Week 1. "That was the case in a lot of games last year where we were really close to being able to get over the top," Konold said. "It comes down to execution in critical moments and experience helps that. ... We were a little bit of deer-in-the-headlights last year. First game and we got new guys starting. But this year, those guys should have that experience now and they are ready for those types of moments." The Cardinals expect the Otters to run a spread offense similar to Willmar's. On defense, Fergus Falls runs an odd-man front. "Defensively, they're always pretty athletic and they always play hard," Konold said. "They look like they got some bigger kids up front. ... We'll have our work cut out for us making sure that we know our assignments. The nice thing is with an experienced group on the O-line, going from an even front to an odd front, they don't have too much of an issue with that." Willmar has its established play-makers, led by running backs Hudson Sjoberg and Isaac Cayler and wide receivers Aidan Paulson and Cooper Schnichels. They'll help break in new starting quarterback Alex Hoppe. As for Willmar's defense, they're ready for Bethel this time around. "We're not gonna be able to get sacks every play, so we might as well make him struggle with reads and stuff like that," Carlson said. "Make sure he stays in the pocket." Carlson is one of 22 seniors on the Cardinals' roster. Willmar knows they're in for quite the test to start out the season. "We're pretty confident," Carlson said. "It's gonna be a good game. I think everywhere, (Fergus Falls) is ranked pretty high along with every other team we start off with. I think it'll be a good test right away. We have to make sure we start hot and we stay hot the rest of the year."