Repeated failure to execute the fundamental aspects of basic tackling will send a football team down a slippery slope in a hurry.

Farmington took that ride and fell 42-18 to Alma Friday, largely due to an inability to wrap up Airedale quarterback Garrison Jensen, who wriggled out of multiple tackles like a slippery eel. Jensen completed 16 of 23 passes for 148 yards and added 20 rushes for 82 yards on the ground. He had 230 yards of total offense and produced five touchdowns on three runs and a pair of passes.

The contest didn't start out that way. In the first quarter Jensen had time but couldn't find anybody open. Farmington defensive end Michael Sellers sacked him for a 7-yard loss on third-and-23 ending an Airedale possession. Sellers had two sacks.

After an Alma punt, on second-and-2 the Cardinals lined up in a typical formation, strong-side right with a receiver on either side and fullback Jared Oskey slightly to the right of quarterback Trey Waggle. But there was nothing typical about this play.

Three-hundred-pound senior Zach Newman pulled and got a block as Oskey took Waggle's handoff and hit the hole quickly. Showing his speed, Oskey side-stepped a tackle at the 50, then cut outside a downfield block and was gone 56 yards to the house.

Jensen set up Alma's first touchdown. With the Airedales in second-and-13 at Farmington's 27, he dropped back then ran to his right. Jensen eluded a tackle at the 30 outrunning pursuit across the grain as he cut upfield. He was hit but not knocked down at the 17 and dragged four tacklers inside the 10.

Twenty-seven seconds into the second quarter Alma took a 7-6 on Jensen's 1-yard run and Aidan Walker's kick.

Caleb Williams had a career-high in carries with 30 gaining 120 yards for the Cardinals, but a crucial decision on fourth-and-6 from their own 43 became a changing point in the game. The Cardinals lined up in an offensive set with one back and twins to the right. Two defenders penetrated the backfield as the play broke down. Waggle got the pass off to a wide receiver, who was double-covered inside the hashmarks at the 42. The ball glanced off his fingertips and was caught by Alma's Tyler Alexander, who ran the pick back 59 yards. Waggle, the only Cardinal between him and the goal line, knocked him out-of-bounds.

The turnover led to Jensen's 10-yard touchdown run and a 14-6 Alma lead at the half.

In the third quarter, Farmington couldn't hold even with Alma facing second-and-8. Jensen faked a handoff, dodged a hit in the backfield, then ran up the middle. He avoided a lunge as he crossed the 10, stepped out of another diving tackle attempt at the 7 and scored a 22-yard touchdown. The P.A.T. extended Alma's lead to 21-6 at the 9:36 mark of the third.

Farmington had chances to cut into the lead and did so. The Cardinals came out with another innocuous package, with tight end Jacob Gray on the right and a receiver close to him off the line of scrimmage. Senior Xavier Staten was split out as flanker to the left. With pressure up the middle Waggle avoided a sack in the pocket then moved to his right. He stepped into his throw and fired a deep pass on target to Staten, who gathered the ball in at the Alma 35 and ran for a 68-yard touchdown.

Less than three minutes later, Alma scored with Brayden Johnson catching a 10-yard pass from Jensen pushing their lead to 28-12 with 6:08 to go in the third.

Even after Alma went up by three scores, at 35-12, on Kaleb Pike's 5-yard run, Farmington had one more rally. Junior Dimariae Donovan fielded a kickoff at the four behind a 3-man wedge. Running straight up the middle, he broke clear from the pack at the 30 with one man to beat. Donovan went outside past Alma's kicker at the Farmington 38 and won a footrace to the endzone for a 94-yard touchdown return.

Because of failed conversion attempts, the Cardinals were down by three scores, 35-18, with 10:31 remaining. They could not make up the difference and Alma added Alexander's 9-yard reception from Jensen to make the final, 42-18.

MARK HUMPHREY IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR THE ENTERPRISE-LEADER.