FARMINGTON AT ALMA

KICKOFF 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 8

RECORDS Farmington -- 8-1, 6-0 5A-West; Alma -- 5-4, 3-3.

COACHES Farmington -- Tommy Tice. Alma -- Rusty Bush.

KEY PLAYERS Farmington -- WR Dawson Keaton (Jr., 5-9, 160), QB Ayden Lester (Jr., 5-11, 165), RB Luke Elsik (Jr., 5-10, 170), OL Hayden Bentley (Sr., 5-10, 200), LB Morgan Schader (Jr., 5-10, 185), DL Jaxen Seward (Jr., 5-10, 290), DB Brandon Clark (Sr., 5-9, 165), P Ean Shadden (Jr., 6-0, 170). Alma -- LB/RB Israel Towns-Robinson (Sr., 6-2, 225), DL Easton Daily (Jr., 6-2, 280), OL Cash Wilson (Sr., 6-2, 214), OL Jayden Parker (Sr., 6-2, 231), OL Jackson Mitchell (Sr., 5-2, 225), WR/S Cash Farris (Sr., 6-0, 180), WR Brayden Polecat (Sr., 5-8, 152), QB Michael Taylor (Sr., 6-0, 173), WR Sam Schlegel (Jr., 6-1, 185), DB/LB Landon Morris (Sr., 5-11, 157).

NOTABLE Alma currently owns a 5-3 advantage in the series, which began in 2016. Alma won last year's meeting, 56-35, on its home field, while Farmington 43-8 victory in 2022. ... Farmington has already clinched the league's top playoff seed and will begin postseason play on its home field against either Beebe, Searcy or White Hall -- depending on the outcomes of their games Friday night. ... The Cardinals are currently riding an eight-game win streak after their 49-0 victory at home last week over Clarksville. ... Elsik had TD runs of 21 and 12 yards and Lester threw a 38-yard TD pass in the first quarter to help Farmington build an early 28-0 cushion. ... The Cardinals' special teams were alert, recovering an onside kick and blocking a pass on a fake-pount attempt in the first quarter. ... Alma, which ends its season Friday, is coming off a 49-7 blowout over Pea Ridge. ... The Airedales needed just 14 plays to score four TDs and build a 28-0 lead last week. ... Towns-Robinson had 135 yards on just 8 carries against Pea Ridge, while Taylor completed 7 of 10 passes for 168 yards and 2 TDs.

OUR TAKE Farmington 34, Alma 21

-- Henry Apple