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   The best of the best in Alabama High   
  School Football over the past 100 seasons.






2016 Team Previews 

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Ariton Purple Cats

Head Coach: Steven Kilcrease (first season)
Stadium: Robert F. Zumstien Stadium
Career Record: 5 seasons, (42-16)
At Ariton: First season
2016 Enrollment:  155
Rank:  322nd in the AHSAA, 54th in Class 2A

 History 
Overall Record:   297-246-1   (55.0%)
Last 25 years:   138-134   (51.0%)  (Rank: 175th in the AHSAA, 23rd in Class 2A)
Since 2010:   17-44  (28.0%)  (Rank: 315th in the AHSAA, 51st in Class 2A)
Last Playoff Appearance:   2015
Last Region Championship:   1998
Last Winning Season:   2012
Last Losing Season:   2015

 2015 
Class:  2A              Region:   2
Record:  5-6
Region Record:   3-4, (fourth)
Playoff Record:   First round loss to Fayetteville by a score of 35-26.
Final ASWA Poll:   Not Ranked
Scoring:  332 (30.2)
Defense:  349 (31.7)


 2016 
Class: 2A              Region:   2
Strength of Schedule: 43-61 (41%) (348th in the AHSAA, 53rd in Class 2A)
Region Strength:  27-36 (43%)
Non-Region Strength:  16-25 (39%)



 2015 Results 
 8/21   OPEN 
 8/28  vs. Florala  (1A)   50-18   W  
 9/4  vs. Samson  (2A)  *  13-21   L  
 9/11  @ Geneva County  (2A)  *  21-22   L  
 9/18  vs. G.W. Long  (2A)  *  0-48   L  
 9/25  @ Wicksburg  (3A)   21-29   L  
 10/2  vs. Providence Christian  (2A)  *  20-38   L  
 10/9  vs. Houston Academy  (2A)  *  41-38   W  
 10/16  @ Houston County  (2A)  *  54-34   W  
 10/23  @ Cottonwood  (2A)  *  51-49   W  
 10/30  @ Zion Chapel  (2A)   35-17   W  
 Playoffs 
 11/5  @ Fayetteville    26-35   L  

 2016 Schedule 
 8/19  vs. McKenzie  (1A)       
 8/26  @ Goshen  (2A)       
 9/2  @ Cottonwood  (2A)  *      
 9/9  vs. Geneva County  (2A)  *      
 9/16  @ Barbour County  (2A)  *      
 9/23   OPEN 
 9/30  vs. G.W. Long  (2A)  *      
 10/7  @ Zion Chapel  (2A)       
 10/14  @ Abbeville  (2A)  *      
 10/21  vs. Samson  (2A)  *      
 10/28  vs. Red Level  (1A)       
 11/4  @ Leroy        


Class  2A Region  2
Team 2015 Record Scoring                            
Abbeville (3A) 3-7213-365
Ariton (2A) 5-6332-349
Barbour County (3A) 0-10111-440
Cottonwood (2A) 3-7225-298
G.W. Long (2A) 12-1561-130
Geneva County (2A) 2-7123-291
Samson (2A) 7-4336-245

 2016 Preview 


       Ariton completed the 2015 season with a 5-6 record. With their 3-4 region record and a fourth place finish in Class 2A region two, the Purple Cats earned a spot in the playoffs in 2015. Ariton's season came to an end in the first round of the playoffs when they fell to Fayetteville by a score of 35-26.

       It marked the first time since the 2008 season that the Purple Cats qualified for the playoffs.

       Since 2010, the Ariton football program has struggled with a record of 17-44.

       Over the past 25 seasons, Ariton has managed to compile a record of 138-134. Their 51.0% winning percentage ranks 23rd in Class 2A and 175th in the AHSAA.

Joshua Herring stepped down as the head football coach at Ariton to become the principal at the school. After two stints at the school his three teams went 11-21 and 0-2 in the playoffs.


Steven Kilcrease spent the past few years out of football but returns at Ariton as the head football coach in 2016.

He previously was the head coach at Pike Liberal Arts where his teams went a combined 42-16 in five seasons between 2007-2011. He won two state titles in 2008 and 2009 in the AISA at Pike.



       Coach Kilcrease's overall record as a head football coach in five season stands at 42-16 (72.4%). Over the course of his career, Coach Kilcrease's teams have qualified for the playoffs a total of four times and won one region championship. Coach Kilcrease won two state championships prior to arriving at Ariton, the last coming in 2009 at Pike Liberal Arts.

       The Ariton Purple Cats will play in Class 2A region two during the 2016 season.

       With a little luck and some improvement, the Purple Cats could find themselves challenging for one of the playoff spots for region two this season.

       The Purple Cats open the 2016 season at home against non-region opponent McKenzie on Friday, August 19 at Robert F. Zumstien Stadium. Last year the McKenzie Tigers finished with an overall record of 6-4 and in third place in Class 1A region two. The Tigers lost in the first round of the Class 1A playoffs to Linden by a score of 38-28.

       Ariton and McKenzie have met a total of 14 times on the football field. The Purple Cats have a 7-7-0 record against the Tigers. They last met in 2009 with McKenzie winning by a score of 42-0.

  


Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History

Hamilton shutout an amazing 14 consecutive opponents from 1928-1930. A streak that will never be matched in modern football.