Cottonwood is 2-8 against Ariton since October of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Bears will venture away from home to square off against the Purple Cats at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Cottonwood took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They claimed a resounding 50-20 win over Geneva County. The Bears' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Meanwhile, Ariton strolled into their game on Friday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They walked away with a 28-15 victory over Providence Christian. The 28-point effort marked the Purple Cats' lowest-scoring contest of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.
This one was won in the trenches and the lion's share of the credit has to go to Wells Ganey and Jacarrie Hammock. Ganey rushed for 76 yards and three TDs while Hammock rushed for 100 yards and one score on only seven carries. That's the most rushing touchdowns Ganey has posted since back in October of 2024.
Ariton was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 220 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 156 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.
Ariton's win bumped their record up to 5-0. As for Cottonwood, the victory got them back to even at 3-3-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Cottonwood has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 279 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Ariton struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 221.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for Cottonwood against Ariton in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 57-6 win. In that contest, the Bears amassed a halftime lead of 50-6, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
