By Jeff Devine
ARITON–The Ariton Purple Cats opened their playoff run full throttle Friday night, rolling past Washington County 55–14 in Round 1 of the AHSAA state playoffs. 2A Ariton hosted Washington County at Zumstein Stadium Friday, November 7.
The Purple Cats’ offense was firing on all cylinders, amassing 353 total yards—111 on the ground and 242 through the air—while their defense smothered Washington County after the first quarter.
Ariton stormed out to a 28–7 lead in the opening quarter and never looked back. While Washington County added 7 more points in the second quarter, Ariton could not be stopped, adding 14 more points in the second and 13 in the third while holding Washington County scoreless for the second half of the game.
Quarterback Addison Senn led the charge for Ariton, completing 11 of 16 passes for 242 yards and four touchdowns. Senn also contributed on the ground, adding 10 yards rushing.
In the air, Easton Kilpatrick was unstoppable, catching five passes for 110 yards and three touchdowns. Brodie Lowrey added two receptions for 80 yards and a score, while Wells Ganey contributed three catches for 42 yards and Titus Senn added one catch for 10 yards.
On the ground, Ganey carried the ball eight times for 56 yards, Jaccarie Hammock rushed 11 times for 45 yards and two touchdowns, and Senn added six carries for 10 yards. Ariton also converted two two-point conversions on the night.
Defensively, the Purple Cats were equally impressive. Tate Kilcrease led the defense with 10 tackles, including three for loss. Ganey followed with nine tackles and a fumble recovery, while Gabe Jones tallied eight tackles, three for loss, and also recovered a fumble. Kilpatrick shone on both sides of the ball, adding seven tackles, one for loss, an interception, and a fumble recovery. Lowrey recorded six tackles and one interception.
On special teams, Tiitus Senn returned a kick for 15 yards, while Connor Davidson went 2-for-5 on extra point attempts, contributing two points to the total.
With the win, Ariton advances to the second round of the AHSAA playoffs, continuing their march toward the state title with momentum.
