By Jeff Devine | Dale County Chronicle
GENEVA County—The Ariton Purple Cats faced off in a region match against Geneva County Friday night. In an exciting matchup, Ariton powered past Geneva County with a strong offensive showing and clutch defensive plays, earning a 35–24 victory in their region matchup on Friday, October 24.
Ariton jumped out to an early lead, scoring 14 points in the first quarter, and they never let up. Although Geneva scored 8 points in the first, Ariton continues to push hard.
In the second quarter, Ariton added another six points and held Geneva County back, preventing them from scoring in the second, bringing the Purple Cats’ lead at halftime to 20-8.
The Geneva County Bulldogs made a strong attempt at a comeback in the third, trimming the Purple Cats’ lead as they scored 16 points while Ariton added 8, bringing the score to 28-24 and the end of the third. But Ariton could not be stopped, adding 8 more points in the final and holding back the Bulldogs, preventing them from scoring in the 4th.
Ariton pushed the Bulldogs throughout the game to secure the win.
The Purple Cats racked up 394 total yards of offense, including 251 on the ground and 143 through the air.
Senior running back Wells Ganey led the offensive charge with an outstanding performance, rushing for 196 yards on 11 carries and scoring three touchdowns, along with a successful two-point conversion. Jacarrie Hammock added 29 rushing yards on 4 carries, while Addison Senn contributed 26 rushing yards on 7 carries.
In the passing game, Senn completed 5 of 10 attempts for 143 yards and two touchdowns. His top target was Easton Kilpatrick, who hauled in 4 receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown. Connor Davidson added a 30-yard touchdown catch to round out the passing attack.
On special teams, Titus Senn contributed with a 10-yard return, while Davidson handled the kicking duties, connecting on 3 of 4 extra-point attempts for a total of 3 points.
Defensively, Ariton’s lineup showed grit and balance. Gabe Jones, Tate Kilcrease, and Jacarrie Hammock each tallied 13 tackles, with Jones recording 3 tackles for loss. Hammock also added a fumble recovery. Wells Ganey chipped in with 10 tackles, while Brodie Lowrey and Barrett Silavent each had 9 tackles and one tackle for loss apiece. Connor Davidson added 7 tackles to his solid all-around night.
With the win, Ariton improved its record to 7 wins and only 1 loss. The Purple Cats continue their strong late-season push, demonstrating balanced offense and tenacious defense as they head toward the postseason and remain ranked high on the Alabama High School Athletics Association top football teams.
