Big plays lead to Artion win over Providence

Ariton’s offense only had seven plays in the first half at Providence Christian Friday night.

Three of them, though, were big-play touchdowns, helping the Purple Cats seize a 24-7 halftime lead.

Those big plays were the spark for Ariton, which rolled on to a 36-20 win over the Eagles in Class 1A, Region 2 action.

Ariton (5-2, 3-2) scored on a 50-yard run by Craig Sanders, a 73-yard touchdown pass from Cole Harden to Keyshun Leggett and a 33-yard run by Sanders in the first half to build its halftime margin.

“I knew we didn’t have it much,” Ariton head coach David Collins said of the first half.  “We have made several big plays like that during the season, but not as a rule. It was good to see it.”

Providence Christian head coach Emory Latta said the early big plays plus a key 37-yard pass in the third quarter that lead to another Ariton score were too much for his team.

“We gave up too many big plays,” Latta said. “They have a good football team.

“They executed the plays when they needed them and had the big plays on the throws that hurt us. We executed some plays, but not enough to offset what they did.”

After yielding two first downs to Providence on the game’s opening possession then stopping the Eagles on an incomplete pass, it took only one play for Ariton to dent the scoreboard.

That play was a simple run around the right end by Sanders, but the powerful 6-foot-4 1/2, 240-pound junior bowled over an Eagle defender at the corner then raced down the sideline on a 50-yard touchdown run.

Sanders then scored on a two-point conversion to make it 8-0.

It was one of three successful two-point conversions for Ariton.

Collins said Ariton went for two because regular kicker Tyler Deal was hurt and that he didn’t feel comfortable with a possible shootout with the offensive-minded Eagles.

“We knew we had to steal a touchdown somehow and we kind of stole it on extra points,” Collins said.

“We thought we could decoy (kicking) and get some in there. We were hoping for four points off it, but we got six on fakes like that.”

Fumbles on the ensuing two series hampered the Purple Cats.

Providence wasted the first opportunity, but cashed in on the second one.

The Eagles moved to the Purple Cat 16 after the first fumble which was recovered by Ross Eidson.

A 20-yard run by Preston Jones and a pass interference on Ariton keyed the possession.

However, Ariton’s defense stopped Jones for a 4-yard loss, broke up a pass then sacked Nick Plagenhoef for a 13-yard loss. Plagenhoef then threw incomplete on fourth down.

The Eagles, though, capitalized on a fumble recovery by Johnny Dowd with a seven-play scoring drive. Plagenhoef lofted a perfect 18-yard TD pass to Jones in the right corner for the score.

Banks Smith converted the point after, making it 8-7 Ariton.

The margin didn’t stand long.

After going up the middle on the first play of the next drive, Ariton faked that play and Harden fired a streaking and wide open Leggett for the 73-yard touchdown pass.

Ty Tyler scored on a two-point conversion.

After a four and out by Providence, Ariton then scored in one play — a 33-yard run by Sanders. Tyler scored on a two-point conversion to make it 24-7 with 3:16 left before halftime.

The Purple Cats boosted the lead to 30-7 on the opening drive of the third quarter. A 37-yard pass from Harden to Jonathan Lampley set up a 2-yard run by Tyler. The point after kick failed.

Providence’s special teams came up big late in the third quarter. On a high snap from center, the Eagles’ Smith was able to partially block a punt and Austin Gilchrist picked it up and ran roughly 55 yards for a touchdown, making it 30-14.

However, Ariton answered on the next drive as Harden took a quarterback draw up the middle for a 17-yard TD run.

Providence Christian scored late in the game on a 6-yard Plagenhoef to Dowd touchdown pass to make the final 36-20.

Sanders led Ariton’s offense with 125 yards rushing on nine carries.

Jones had 90 yards to lead PCS.

Defensively, Ariton was led by Tyler, playing his first game after missing five with an injury, with 14 tackles, Patrick Robinson 12 and Jonathan Lampley had 11.