vs
| 10/10/25 - Away | 28-27 W |
| 10/11/24 - Home | 57-6 W |
| 10/06/23 - Home | 43-7 W |
| 09/30/22 - Away | 6-40 L |
| 10/22/21 - Away | 24-59 L |
| + 5 more games |
Cottonwood proved they can win big last Friday (they won by 30) and on Friday they proved they can win the close ones too. They pulled ahead with a 28-27 photo finish over the Ariton Purple Cats. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since October 22, 2021, but that streak is no more.
It was another big night for Ethan Simmons, who rushed for 149 yards and one score while picking up 7.1 yards per carry, and also threw for 149 yards and a pair of TDs on only 14 passes. Those 149 passing yards gave him a new career-high.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Cottonwood was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 275 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 170 rushing yards in seven consecutive games.
Another reason for the win was Cottonwood's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for four sacks. That dominant display was truly a team effort as four different players picked up one apiece. Another thorn in Ariton's side was Ty Booker, who picked up a sack and made nine total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Despite the loss, Ariton still got an impressive performance from Wells Ganey, who rushed for 149 yards and three touchdowns, and also picked up 34 receiving yards. Ganey has been hot recently, having posted two or more rushing touchdowns the last four times he's played. Brodie Lowery got in on the action as well, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Cottonwood now has a winning record of 4-3-1. As for Ariton, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 5-1.
We've got plenty of inter-region action coming up soon. Cottonwood is set to take on their familiar foe Abbeville at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Meanwhile, Ariton will face off against rival Samson at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
