RIPLEY – Aberdeen did not take Ripley lightly entering Friday night’s MHSAA Class 3A second-round playoff game.

The Bulldogs played hard from the get-go against a Ripley team that entered Friday’s contest with five losses and traveled back to Aberdeen with a 42-16 victory.

“All year long we have had the talent and things of that nature, but hadn’t really showed up – we just did enough to win,” said Aberdeen head coach Chris Duncan. “We told them all year long, they had to focus and get ready and they did that tonight.

“They put everything together and that’s something I thought they could have did all year long.”

Aaron Andrews was 11 of 18 passing for 356 yards and four touchdowns for Aberdeen (11-2). Wide receiver Rashad Pargo had three catches for 119 yards and two TDs.

Mario Lucas also had three receptions, but for 143 yards and one TD. He also had one rushing score.

“We came into the game and thought they (Ripley) would give us some stuff we could take advantage of, and we executed to make plays early in the game. The quarterback played a doggone good football game, the receivers played great, and the offensive line blocked well in the first half.

“Midway through the third quarter we played almost error free ball against a good football team.”

Rounding out the scoring for the Bulldogs was Jalen Devauld, who had two catches for 62 yards and a score, and Jamerson Love, who rushed 15 times for 84 yards and a TD.

“We had seen Andrews on film and we thought he might give us a chance to intercept a couple of passes deep down field, but we couldn’t get any pressure on him,” said Ripley head coach Mac McCurry.

Acie Vance scored on a 1-yard run and Deante Cook scored on a 36-yard scamper in the fourth quarter for Ripley, which ends its season at 6-6.

Contributing: Kedrick Storey, Southern Sentinel