By Jeff Devine, The Chronicle
The Dale County High School Warriors rallied in the fourth quarter Friday night to defeat the Ariton High School Purple Cats, 23-21, in a thrilling matchup between two Dale County school system rivals. The Purple Cats certainly made the Warriors work hard for this victory, however.
Dale County jumped out to a 14-0 advantage before Ariton battled back to take a 21-17 lead in the fourth quarter. The Warriors answered with a late touchdown and held on for the two-point victory.
Dale County scored the only touchdown of the opening quarter, taking a 7-0 lead with 4:39 remaining.
The Warriors found the end zone again with 10:04 remaining in the second quarter, extending their advantage to 14-0.
Ariton responded with a touchdown with 2:44 remaining in the first half. The extra point was good, cutting the Warriors’ lead to 14-7 at halftime.
The Purple Cats continued their comeback in the third quarter, tying the game at 14-14 with 9:07 remaining in the period.
Dale County answered with a successful field goal to regain the lead, 17-14, heading into the fourth quarter.
Ariton then took its first lead of the night with 8:30 remaining in the game, scoring to move ahead 21-17.
The Warriors responded immediately.
Dale County scored a touchdown with 8:11 remaining, reclaiming the lead at 23-21. The extra-point attempt was unsuccessful, leaving the Purple Cats within two points.
Ariton was unable to produce another scoring drive, however, and the Warriors held on through the final whistle for the 23-21 victory.
Purple Cats rack up 254 yards
According to Ariton’s game statistics, the Purple Cats finished with 254 total yards, including 102 rushing yards and 152 passing yards.
Jacorrie Hammock led Ariton’s rushing attack with 14 carries for 118 yards.
Quarterback Addison Senn completed 8 of 20 pass attempts for 152 yards and three touchdowns.
Ridge Hicks led the Purple Cats’ receiving corps with three catches for 76 yards and two touchdowns. Titus Senn added four receptions for 55 yards, while Conner Davidson caught one pass for 21 yards and a touchdown.
All three of Ariton’s touchdowns came through the air.
Ariton defense makes its mark
Hicks also led Ariton’s defense with 15 tackles, one tackle for loss, and a fumble recovery.
Tate Kilcrease recorded 15 tackles, while Hayden Cabrera finished with 13 tackles and one tackle for loss.
Addison Senn added 10 tackles, and Isaac Webb recorded nine tackles.
The Purple Cats also received contributions on special teams. Titus Senn recorded three returns for 40 yards, while Hicks had two returns for 29 yards.
Conner Davidson handled Ariton’s kicking duties, making all three of his extra-point attempts. He finished with three points and was 0-for-1 on field-goal attempts.
A rivalry decided late
The matchup was a back-and-forth battle after Dale County established its early 14-point advantage.
Ariton steadily chipped away at the deficit, tying the game in the third quarter before taking a 21-17 lead with 8:30 remaining in the fourth.
The Warriors, however, answered immediately.
Dale County’s touchdown 19 seconds later put the Warriors back in front, 23-21. Although the extra point was unsuccessful, the Dale County defense made the lead stand, not allowing Ariton a chance to find the end zone again before the clock ran out.
Final: Dale County 23, Ariton 21.
If we receive player stats from the Warriors, we will update the article to include that information.
