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Monday, March 15, 2016
Joshua Owls Steal One from JV Black
By Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
First of all, this team is called "Aledo JV Black' but they are mainly Aledo's Freshman team. The Bearcats were kept off balance by a crafty left-hander from Joshua. They worked him to 100 pitches but the hitters were kept off balance most of the night.
Bill Parkhurst started for the Bearcats and had an excellent outing allowing only two hits through four innings. The wheels came off Aledo defensively in the fourth but Parkhurst steadied the ship allowing only one run despite two Aledo errors.
This team is probably upset that they gave up their first day of Spring Break by allowing Joshua to steal the game on Aledo's home turf.
The Owls used timely hitting between walks and Bearcat errors to score single runs in the first, third, fourth, and fifth innings.
Colt Ellison ripped a double in in the second inning scoring pinch runner Carson Wert to cut Joshua's lead to 2-1.Sammy Kindred had a great night at the plate with two hits. Kindred singled to open the fourth inning for Aledo. Devin Daugherty had an excellent sacrifice bunt in the inning. It looked like it would be a big inning for the Bearcats but the left hander settled down despite an RBI ground out by Ellison.
The Owls were able to keep the Bearcats off the board using excellent defense when they really needed it.
Mylen Hayhurst came in to pitch the last two innings. Hayhurst was effective. He stopped a big Owl inning when they were getting swinging bunts and the Bearcats allowed two errors in the fifth inning. Somehow the Bearcats survived the inning with only one run despite Joshua hitting around in the inning.
It looked like the Bearcats were going to mount a comeback when Kindred opened the sixth with a single. Daugherty got an RBI with a sacrifice fly to left. The Bearcats ended the game one run short on the wrong side of a 4-3 Owl win.
This team will play a double header at Burleson Centennial on Saturday.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Wes Harris and Larry Brown III Earn First Team All-State Honors from AP Sports Editors
By Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
The 2015 Texas Associated Press Sports Editors Class 5A all-state high school football team, released Wednesday. Voting based on regular-season performance.
The Texas Sportswriters Association includes regular season and post season performances. It will be released early in 2016.
# 78 Wes Harris was voted All-State First Team Offensive Lineman by the Texas Associated Press. Photo by Kristin Morales
— HOLTON GREENFIELD, Austin Vandegrift, Jr. -- 93 percent grade, 39 pancakes, 67 knockdown blocks, 2 sacks allowed
— DARREN HARRIS, Temple, Sr. -- 96 percent grade, 72 knockdowns, allowed one sack for offense that averaged 477 yds/gm
— WES HARRIS, Aledo, Jr. -- 37 pancakes, 86 percent grade, no sacks allowed
— DYLAN ORHT, Victoria West, Sr. -- 95 percent grade, 101 pancakes, no sacks allowed
— GRANT POLLEY, Denton, Jr. -- 128 knockdowns, 92 percent grade, no sacks allowed
— STEVEN WAGONER, Denison, Sr. -- 103-1,533, 18 TDs
— TYLAN WALLACE, FW South Hills, Jr. -- 53-1,313, 19 TDs
— JETT DUFFEY, Mansfield Lake Ridge, Sr. -- 95-155-1,648, 20 TDs passing, 3 INTs; 98-1,019, 12 TDs rushing
Running backs:
— ENO BENJAMIN, Wylie East, Jr. -- 306-2,141, 30 TDs
— TRAVIS BRANNAN, Austin Vandegrift, Sr. -- 198-1,706, 24 TDs rushing; 5 TDs receiving
— XAVIER SCOTT, Denton, Sr. -- 305-2,251, 28 TDs
— JOSUE MUNOZ III, Mansfield Summit, Jr. - 11-15 FGs, long of 52, 48-51 PATs, 38 kickoffs in end zone
Offensive Player of the Year: Jett Duffey, Mansfield Lake Ridge
# 24 Larry Brown III was voted All-State First Team Linebacker by the Texas Associated Press. Photo by Kristin Morales
— SETH GARCIA, Edcouch-Elsa, Jr. -- 137 tackles, 16 sacks, 25 TFL
— TAQUON GRAHAM, Temple, Jr. -- 50 tackles, 23 TFL, 11.5 sacks, 3 FF
— CHRIS RADFORD, Mansfield Summit, Sr. -- 54 tackles, 20 TFL, 4 sacks, 2 FF
— MARVIN TERRY, Dallas South Oak Cliff, Sr. - 89 tackles, 15 sacks, 24 TFL, 2 FF
— TREVON BROOKS, Lancaster, Sr. - 122 tackles (77 solo), 23 TFL, 8 sacks, 1 INT, 1 def. TD, 10 FF, 3 FR, 3 PBU
— LARRY BROWN, Aledo, Sr. -- 125 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 INTs, 10 TFL, 3 FF, 2 FR
— JAYLON WOOTEN, Dallas South Oak Cliff, Jr. - 111 tackles, 14 sacks, 15 TFL, 3 INT, 3 PBU
Defensive backs:
— AMERON DEAN, Longview, Sr. -- 32 tackles, 6 PBU, 5 INTs, 3 blocked punts
— ROGER FRAGA, Laredo Nixon, Sr. -- 61 tackles, 2 TFL, 8 INTs
— FRANK HONANG, Saginaw, Sr. -- 178 tackles, 4 TFL, 3 FF, 2 INTs, 7 PBU
— DEE JOHNSON, Mesquite Poteet, Sr. -- 27 tackles, 5 INTs, 2 FR, 2 TDss, 2 blocked kicks, 7 PBU
— JORDAN LAWLESS, Lindale, Sr. -- 44 punts, 40.4 avg., 15 inside the 20
Defensive Player of the Year: Trevon Brooks, Lancaster
— Myles Adams, Mansfield Summit, Sr.; Kyle Ardoin, Port Neches-Groves, Sr.; Troy Bilman, Donna, Sr.; Jon Mayweather, Houston North Forest, Sr.; Nico Russolillo, Frisco Heritage, Sr.; Michael Shogbonyo, Mansfield Summit, Sr.; Jermaine Townsend, Temple, Sr.
— Keegan Brewer, Lake Dallas, Sr.; Brannon Bullitt, EP Chapin, Sr.
— Cade Dyal, Kerrville Tivy, Sr.
Running backs:
— Mulbah Car, Austin Reagan, Sr.; Kierre Crossley, Everman, Sr.; Jorge Gutierrez, Brownsville Porter, Sr.
— Grant Carlson, Fort Bend Ridge Point, Sr.
— Aaron Evans, CC Miller, Sr.; Demerick Gary, Dallas Kimball, Sr.; Jair Jordan, SA Sam Houston; Jack McAdams, Aledo, Sr.
— Jack Lechman, Mansfield Lake Ridge, Sr.; Mac McCaskill, Cedar Park, Sr.; Fabricio Quintanilla, Mercedes, Sr.
Defensive backs:
— Arnold Azunna, Mansfield Lake Ridge, Sr.; JuAnthony Parker, Dallas South Oak Cliff, Sr.; Prince Robinson, Houston North Forest, Sr.; Vernon Scott, Mansfield Summit, Sr.
— Jacob Brammer, Richmond Foster, Jr.
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Aledo Bearcats Dominate District 8-5A All District Honors
By Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
The coaches from Aledo's District 8-5A got this one right. Guard Wes Harris, a junior, was named Offensive MVP for the district. I'm guessing not many offensive linemen have been selected Offensive MVP of their division. In fact, I'm not sure it has ever happened.
Wes Harris has been a starter since his first day of high school. He has now completed three years as a Bearcat starter and we get him one more year before he takes his talents to the TCU Horned Frogs.
It was a great selection by the coaches in District 8-5A. Anyone who watched Wes this year can confirm he was the best player on the field throughout the year.
Bearcat senior linebacker Larry Brown III carried over his defensive MVP award in last year's state championship to a tremendous senior campaign with 164 tackles, sacks, eight tackles for loss and two interceptions. Larry was awarded the District 8-5A honor of Defensive MVP for 2015. Larry Brown III was a team captain.
Senior running back Caleb Primera was named to the first team All-District list as a unanimous selection. Primera ran for 1,412 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Senior right tackle Hunter Harris was a unanimous selection despite only playing in eight games his senior year. Hunter is recovering from his injury and getting ready to play for the Kansas Jayhawks on scholarship. Kansas stood by their commitment to Hunter Harris despite the injury. Hunter Harris was a team captain.
Senior defensive end TJ Zalar was a unanimous District 8-5A selection. Zalar had 74 tackles including 3.5 sacks. He led the Bearcats with 14 tackles for losses totaling 31 yards.
Linebacker Rhett Harris is the only junior for Aledo on the unanimous All District list. He had 85 tackles including three sacks for negative 28 yards and seven tackles for losses of 14 yards.
Senior safety Patrick Peek was the final Aledo unanimous selection. Peek battled through injuries to have another great season at safety. He had 71 tackles, two sacks, four tackles for loss, and two interceptions. Peek will take his talents to Fresno State next season.
Junior quarterback Dillon Davis was selected first team All-District. Davis had an outstanding first year as the Bearcat quarterback. He passed for 2,252 yards and 25 touchdowns. He had only three interceptions all year and also ran for 530 yards and seven touchdowns.
Junior Logan Peterson was selected first team tight end. He had six catches for 67 yards and was a force blocking for the Bearcat running backs.
Senior Garrett Hyles leaves the Bearcats as one of the most versatile Bearcat players ever. Hyles had a fabulous senior year with 24 receptions for 322 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 97 yards and a touchdown and passed for 119 and a touchdown. Garrett Hyles was a team captain and has some options out on the recruiting trail.
Receiver Hunter Rosson, a sophomore, joined the varsity after two games as the starting quarterback of the JV Orange team. Rosson led the Bearcats with 42 receptions for 694 yards and seven touchdowns. Hunter also returned punts and kickoffs for the Bearcats.
Junior center Carter Tillman worked hard in the off season to prepare to win the job as Bearcat center. He not only won the job but excelled and was named to the first team All-District for District 8-5A. Tillman was a player who just got better as the year went along.
Senior DT Jack McAdams was a team captain and three year letterman for Aledo's varsity. McAdams had 61 tackles with six sacks for -25 yards. He also had four tackles for losses of 12 yards. Jack McAdams has multiple options to play football in college.
Sophomore James Big Game Williams had another terrific season despite drawing double teams all year. He ended up with 97 tackles including three sacks for -11 yards and 13 tackles for loss for -32. As a two year starter, Williams has 220 tackles, eight sacks, and 24 tackles for loss.
Freshman Wyatt Harris was selected first team linebacker. He exceed all expectations after getting called up on varsity to start the district season. He burst on the scene with double digit tackles and ended up with 88 in 12 games. Once he got on the field, the coaches couldn't get him out. Wyatt Harris joins wide receiver Taylor Bissell from Burleson as the only freshmen All-District players.
Senior Michael McCay made the first team as a cornerback. He was one of the steadiest players on Aledo's defense all year. McCay has 49 tackles and led the Bearcats with five interceptions.
Senior Matthew McCartney was selected second team fullback on the All-District list but did most of his playing at safety as the season rolled along. He had two catches for 35 yards. On defense, he had 72 tackles and four interceptions for 86 yards and a touchdown. He also averaged over 36 yards on 38 punts for the Bearcats.
Senior wide receiver Carter Windes was having a great season with 19 catches for 223 yards and a touchdown before missing the final five games with an injury. He was selected second team All-District.
Junior Drew Barton made the most of his playing opportunities and was rewarded with a second team All-District honor. Barton was counted on to pick up the slack when the Bearcats lost Hunter Harris for the season.
Junior defensive end Jaxon Fletcher had another great year on the Bearcat defensive line. Following up a good sophomore season when he had 33 tackles, Fletcher had 61 tackles this season including nine tackles for losses of 29 yards.
Senior Wyatt Young was a fierce competitor and a dynamo on specials teams. He was selected as second team All-District linebacker. He ended the season with 40 tackles.
Junior cornerback Lobo Childs earned second team All-District honors. Childs improved drastically as the year went on and completed 30 tackles and had a touchdown on an interception return against Abilene Cooper.
Senior safety Reid Smith was selected second team safety despite missing three games this season with injury. He was an excellent cover man and finished with 48 tackles and two interceptions.
District 8-5A All-District List
Friday, December 11, 2015
Bearcats Fabulous Season Ends with Tough 42-21 Loss to Mansfield Lake Ridge
By Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
A lot of Bearcat fans are sad tonight to watch our beloved Bearcats fall to a very good Mansfield Lake Ridge team. The game ended another great year of Bearcat football in 2015.
Lake Ridge surprised the Bearcats with a stout defense to go along with a dynamic offense. They took a 28-7 halftime lead and never looked back.
Thanks Bearcats! You always give us a great ride.
Game Reset:
Reed Vierling kicks off. A fair catch o the pooch punt at the 30 of Lake Ridge. A quarterback keeper picks up five yards. Carter picks up a first down at the 40. Duffy keeps for six. A pass of 30 yards is complete to the Aledo 33 yard line. Duffy picks up two. Second and eight. Duffy keeps and gets all the way down to the Aledo one. Touchdown by Carter. 10:20 of first quarter.
Aledo 0.... Lake Ridge 7
Aledo returns the pooch kick to the Aledo 47 yard line. Caleb Primera catches a screen from Dillon Davis and gets six. Davis keeps to the Lark Ridge 41 yard line for a first down. Primera is stacked up for no gain. Second and 10. Davis throws deep and incomplete. But wait.... Defensive interference. Donnie Evans picks up 11 yards down to the Eagle 15 yard line.
The first down pass was incomplete. Second and ten from the 15. Primera picks up seven yards to eight yard line. Third and three. Primera gets stopped for no gain. Fourth and two. Aledo goes for it. Time out Aledo. 6:34 of first quarter.
This is a key play for the Bearcats. But wait.... A false start hurts the Bearcats. Fourth and seven from the 12 yard line. Davis was sacked all the way back to the Lake Ridge 26 yard line. Turnover on downs.
Duke Carter has a huge gain on first down into Bearcat territory. James Big Game Williams stops the first down play for no gain. Carter picks up five. On third down, Duffy broke tackles and got to the Aledo 27. They get three on first down. Second and six. The Aledo defense gets a stop but Carter picks up eight tackled by Larry Brown III.
First and ten at the 14. A pass is broken up by Rhett Harris. Third and seven. The Bearcats sack Duffy for a three yard loss. But wait.... a holding call on the Eagles. The pass is incomplete. But wait.... two penalties. Offside and pass interference against Aledo.
They pick up two and are down to the Aledo 13 yard line second and eight. Duffy picks up seven. Close to a first down. Big Game James Williams is down. 2:30 left in the first quarter. It doesn't look good for Big James. He is limping noticeably. Duke Carter scores from the six yard line. 2:23 of first quarter. PAT is good.
Aledo 0.... Lake Ridge 14
Reid Smith returns the ball to the 35 yard line. Davis and the offense back on the field. Davis carries for 32 yards all the way down to the Eagle 33 yard line. Davis keeps again for a two yard gain to the 31 yard line. Davis finds Hunter Rosson from the 31 for an Aledo touchdown. Touchdown Hunter Rosson! PAT is good by Reid Vierling. 1:01 of first quarter.
Aledo 7.... Lake Ridge 14
A pooch kick is returned to Lake Ridge 40. Wyatt Harris tackles for a loss of three. Will Trawick blasts the running back for a loss of one.
Duffy picked up 15 yards and a first down. Two more carries and another Eagle first down to the Aledo 33. Garrett Pruett had a tackle for a loss of one. Reid Smith almost picked off the pass. Third and 11. They pick up the first to the 19. Duke Carter scores from the 19. PAT is good.
Lake Ridge 21.... Aledo 7
Dillon Davis and the offense start on their own 33. Donnie Evans avoids a loss and picks up four on first down. Primera picks up seven and a first down. Primera is stood up after a gain of one. Second and nine. From the Aledo 44, Davis overshoots the pass. But wait.... a flag down on the pass. Interference. Aledo gets a first down. An Eagle is down on the field. 8:07 of second quarter.
Aledo is on the Lake Ridge 44. Primera picks up one yard. A quarterback draw is stopped for no gain. Third and nine. Big play for Aledo. Rosson makes the catch but it is short of the marker. Fourth and two. Aledo will go for it. Incomplete. A turnover on downs.
Duffy picks up five on first down. Larry Brown III on the tackle. They get another first down to the Aledo 44 yard line. Carter picks up one stopped by Garrett Pruett. Second and nine. Michael McCay ALMOST picked off the pass. Broken up by McCay. The third down pass is incomplete. Fourth and eight. But wait.... A false start. They may actually have to punt. Oops! Lake Ridge called time out before the penalty.
A huge play upcoming. Fourth and eight. The Bearcat defense must come up with a stop. Pat Peek makes the tackle. Turnover on downs.
Aledo takes over at the Lake Ridge 44 yard line. The first down pass is incomplete. Inside handoff to Donnie Evans gets one yard. Davis is sacked. May be intentional grounding. It is. Loss of down. A huge loss. Punt upcoming. McCartney. They get a great return to midfield.
They get a first down to the Aledo 39. The first two runs gain four. Duffy gets two to bring up fourth and four. Duffy takes a quarterback draw for a touchdown. But wait.... Holding on the Eagles. They are actually going to punt. The snap goes over the head of the punter. Aledo takes over at the Lake Ridge 32 yard line.
Davis passed incomplete. Davis is sacked and fumbles. Recovered by Lake Ridge at their own 38. 1:06 until halftime.
Duke Carter is down for Lake Ridge. A time out on the field with 0:58 to play. Duffy picks up 23 to Aledo territory. A time out, Second and six. The Bearcat defense stops Duffy for no gain. Rhett Harris knocks down a pass. Great play by Rhett. Fourth and two. 0:07 left in the half. The Bearcats tip the ball but it is caught in the end zone for a Lake Ridge touchdown.
Here we go with the second half. Reid Smith returns the pooch kick eight yards. Caleb Primera had a big gain but fumbled recovered by Lake Ridge.
Two plas get Lake Ridge nine yards. Duffy picks up 27 yards all the way down to the Aledo 11 yard line. They get five yards and another run down to the two. Fourth and goal. The Bearcats hold. Turnover on downs. 9:38 of Third Quarter.
Donnie Evans picks up three and then six yards. Third and one. Evans is stopped short. A put upcoming.. Unreal. A delay of game. Matthey McCartney's kick goes out of bounds at the Aledo 42 yard line.
Pat Peek has a tackle for a loss of two. A big run of ten yards brings up third and three. Their main back Carter is out. McClain picks up a first down. From the 30, Larry Brown stuffs the run for no gain. Duffy keeps for eight. But wait.... Holding against Lake Ridge. A spot foul. Jaxon Fletcher stopped Duffy's scramble. Third and nine. Time out Lake Ridge.
They pick up five. Fourth and four. The Bearcats make another stand. Turnover on downs. Big Game James makes the stop.
Big plays are needed. Davis passed incomplete intended for Ryan Mullins. Primera gets one. Third and nine. The pass was incomplete. McCartney to punt. The punt dies at the Lake Ridge 30 yard line.
An incomplete pass on first down. Both McClain and Carter are out of the game. Duffy is so hard to bring down He picks up seven but comes up limping. They get a first down to the 45 yard line. Duffy back in. A pickup of five. Duffy threw a 51 yard touchdown pass. He was wide open. PAT is good.
Aledo 7.... Lake Ridge 35
Ryan Mullins returns to the Aledo 40. Evans gets one yard. But wait....A flag. These officials are very slow to let us know what is going on. Offsetting penalties. Second and nine. The pass is incomplete. Third and nine. Incomplete. Aledo goes for it and Davis hits Larry Brown for a first down. Donnie Evans gets three yards on first down. Davis gets a first down to the Eagle 25. Davis hits Logan Peterson for three.
Evans picks up three. Third and five. Davis keeps and takes the ball to the one yard line. But wait.... A holding penalty against Aledo. Third and 15. Davis hits Garrett Hyles for a first down to the 15. Davis picks up six. From the Lake Ridge nine yard line, Evans picks up a first down inside the five of Lake Ridge. Evans scored but fumbled into the end zone. Touchdown Donnie Evans!
Aledo 14.... Lake Ridge 35
The onside kick is almost a success but the Eagles recover on Aledo's side of the field. They pick up eight yards on two running plays. The pass is incomplete but an Aledo penalty gives the Eagles a first down at the 25 yard line. The first down carry is stopped for no gain. They pick up a first down to the Aledo 12 yard line.
They lose two on second and 11. Jaxon Fletcher on the stop. On third down, they score on a fade pattern. Another Lake Ridge touchdown. 6:10 left in the game.
Aledo 14.... Lake Ridge 42
Hunter Rosson had a great return all the way to the Lake Ridge 30. Davis hits Rosson for eight. A miscommunication as the second down pass is incomplete. Davis picks up 18 yards. But wait.... Never mind. No penalty. Davis was tackled at the four yard line.
Primera picks up one. Another run right up the middle. Primera gets one more. Davis gets in but they call him down. Davis scored on a sneak. Touchdown Dillon Davis! PAT is good. 4:02 left in fourth quarter.
Aledo 21.... Lake Ridge 42
The onside kick is recovered by Lake Ridge. Duffy is out of the game. They pick up six yards. Second and four. A gain of three. The clock is running down. They pick up a first down. But wait.... A false start. Third and six. The Bearcats come up with a stop. Fourth down. Time out Aledo.
Will Trawick makes a tackle for loss and the Bearcats get a turnover on downs at midfield.
The pass to Rosson was incomplete. Rosson picks up ten for a first down.A long pass is incomplete. Davis picks up four on a keeper. Third and five. Davis picks up two. Fourth and two. Time out Aledo. 0:52 left.
A false start. Fourth and seven. The pass is incomplete. That will do it. Just a knee for Lake Ridge.
Friday, December 11, 2015
Friday, December 11, 2015
Varsity @ 7:30 PM
Mansfield Lake Ridge (14-0) VISITOR
vs. Aledo Bearcats (13-1) HOME
9200 Mid Cities Blvd, North Richland Hills, TX 76180
Pre sale tickets $10/$6. All tickets at the gate $12
Official Live Blog Link: Aledo vs. Mansfield Lake Ridge
Mansfield Lake Ridge Player Statistics
Friday, December 11, 2015
Bearcats by 12 Points over Mansfield Lake Ridge
Commentary by Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
I've given myself the full week to absorb as much knowledge and analysis as I could before I put my prediction out there for the world to see. I take great pride in my picks because a lot goes into my process each week. I get with Bruce Frantz and we talk about it. If you follow my picks, we are extremely accurate.
I'll admit, after Friday's game with Canyon Randall, I was prepared to go on record with my first ever prediction of a Bearcat loss. I really felt Aledo should have beat Canyon by 40 points. The team just seemed flat.
Given the magnitude of the game, I've changed my opinion after watching a replay on tape delay.
The game was actually a masterpiece painted by Coach Steve Wood and his staff. It was carried out offensively by quarterback Dillon Davis, the rugged Bearcat offensive line, the backs, and receivers.
It wasn't like the Cowboys vs. Redskins where the only way you could lose was to score a touchdown, but it was close.
The Bearcat offense was totally dominate and controlled the second half clock despite only scoring 14 second half points. After Logan Bridges cashed in a 75 yard touchdown on a jet sweep, Aledo led by 28-7 and it looked like they were on the way to another 40 point win.
The process of running out the clock began with Aledo up 28-7 with the ball at their own two yard line with 2:21 left in the third quarter.
It wasn't a thing of beauty, but the Bearcats chewed up 6:11 of clock time despite numerous penalties on the drive. Canyon Randall took over on their own 20 after a punt.
The Aledo defense was equally as dominate despite giving up a long pass and meaningless touchdown with 1:47 left in the game. Aledo players and coaches did what they needed to win the game. There are no style points in the playoffs.
Random Thoughts by Pops
The other reason I'm glad I waited to post anything is I got to see a replay of the Lake Ridge vs. Longview game. They have some impressive athletes on offense. I saw only one guy that could make our defense but that was it. Their defense leaks like a sieve.
Aledo's defense has given up 243 less points and 2,383 less total yards. Those are significant numbers Bearcat fans.
Lake Ridge was up 10 points with 4:25 to play against Longview. Their defense came up with one stop deep in Lake Ridge territory leading to a missed field goal. They could have easily lost the game with a colossal collapse.
It has been very impressive watching the Aledo offensive line pick up their play in the absence of their captain and senior Hunter Harris. It has helped that Hunter is still participating with the team despite his season ending injury.
Drew Barton, Seth Strickland, Carter Tillman, Wes Harris, and Truett Knox are blowing open holes for the Bearcat backs. Preston Jefferis, Garrett Hyles, and Logan Peterson have been sealing the edge with blocks from their positions and the receivers are blocking down field. We will need these guys clicking on all cylinders against Lake Ridge.
It seems like it happens every year. Aledo gets in the state semifinal round and face teams from the Region II who have more overall "athletes" than the Bearcats.
Here we go again. Just like Ennis and Tyler John Tyler, there are comments and perceptions these teams have superior athletes. These people are right. Aledo never has as many Division I college prospects like these teams have.
All you have to look at Lake Ridge. They are big and athletic. They may have superior athletes but Aledo has better football players.
Call it the "Rob Blowers" or "Tyson Mauser" factor. The Bearcats have always had undersized overachievers.
The latest Bearcat to fit the bill is freshman Wyatt Harris (# 25). He has to be 160 pounds soaking wet. He has been playing the physically demanding linebacker position for Aledo.
Wyatt missed the first three games of the season but still has 77 tackles on the season and has kept himself on the field due to his defensive play.
I've been thinking about what a spectacular season Aledo quarterback Dillon Davis is having as a first year Bearcat quarterback. In some ways, I don't think Davis has received his due from the "media" on his play this year.
Then I realized that I'm the media. Since I'm the only writer who does commentaries like this, it's up to me to let Bearcat fans know what's up. So here we go.
Conclusion by Pops
The status of DT Jack McAdams is not for sure this week. He suffered an injury and may or may not play on Friday night against Lake Ridge.
Luckily, the Bearcats have some depth and experience on the defensive line. Seniors Cole Stewart and Garrett Pruett are extremely good. Throw in sophomore Kole Pannell who has been great since being called up.
Reid Smith should be back full speed this week which will add some much needed depth in the Bearcat secondary although Matthew McCartney has been playing light's out defense.
Mansfield Lake Ridge is a fun team to watch. They are scary because they seem to be getting better offensively as the season has gone along. Their problem is they simply can't stop other teams on defense and Aledo can.
They will get their yards and points but it's hard to imagine the Bearcat defense giving up more than four touchdowns. If Lake Ridge pulls their gimmicks like going for it on fourth and long and the onside kicks, this game could turn into a Bearcat route. Aledo by 12.
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Region Champions Crowned Leading to Final Four in Each Division and Classification
Analysis by Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
It's the most wonderful time of the year! Especially for high school football fans in Texas. The state playoffs are in full gear ending in regional champions in every division and classification.
It is an amazing process and the road for the final four is not for the faint of heart. The teams that make it this far are deserving. No matter how weak or strong the regions are, any team that makes it this far has a chance to win two more games to become state champions.
It is four weeks of intense football starting with 64 teams in each region and ends with just one. On a larger scale, the state starts with 256 teams and are left with four in each bracket. That's a lot of playoff teams getting coal in their stockings.
Around the State of Texas
Everman (9-5) had another late season push and ended up in the same place they ended up last year. They lost in the Region I, Division II final. They lost to Lake Dallas (12-2) 41-38. Lake Dallas quarterback Dagan Haehn threw for 465 yards. It ended the outstanding career of Everman running back Kierre Crossley who had 237 yards and five touchdowns. Well done Bulldogs! You make our district proud.
Lake Dallas will face Frisco Lone Star (13-1) in the state semifinals. Not much is known about Frisco Lone Star except they have a good football team in only their third year of varsity football. The Lone Star Rangers are certainly a new team to watch in Class 5A Division II. Region II has been dominated by the likes of Ennis, Tyler John Tyler, Longview, and other strong teams for years. Add in Mansfield Lake Ridge in Division I and you have two brand new schools threatening to win a state championship.
Mansfield Lake Ridge (14-0) won a slugfest against Longview (11-3). The two teams combined 1.062 total yards and 109 points. Lake Ridge held the advantage most of the second half. They were up by 10 points with 4:25 to play but somehow had to sweat out a missed 33 yard field goal that would have sent the game to overtime.
Another upstart school, Richmond George Ranch (14-0), won regional final revenge from Aledo's state opponent last year, Temple (12-2). The Longhorns are only in their fifth year of varsity football and have been to the quarterfinals the last three years. They lost to Aledo's eventual state finals opponent the previous two years. Brenham won 35-6 in 2013 and Temple won 28-14 last year. George Ranch got their revenge on Temple with a 59-46 win.
Region IV is almost a carbon copy of Region I. They have one great team, Cedar Park (14-0). The Timberwolves got by Corpus Christi Calallen 35-21. Cedar Park's Jav Guidry intercepted Gaige Lamb on and returned the ball 37 yards. Three plays later, Guidry scored from the 7 and the Timberwolves led 35-7. Cedar Park hung on for the win.
In Region IV, Division II, Cedar Park Vista Ridge (12-2) beat fellow District 25-5A opponent Austin Vandegrift (11-3) 24-17. Vista Ridge plays Richmond George Ranch this week for a trip to state.
Yet another upstart school, Fort Bend Ridge Point (11-3) got by Angleton (8-5) 36-35. Ridge Point is also in their fourth year of varsity football. Last year, Ridge Point lost in the state quarterfinal round against Temple 38-35. Cedar Park is a 15 point favorite over Ridge Point.
Projected Brackets and Class 5A Rankings:
It's a bit of a moot point now with only four teams remaining in each division but the ranking sheets have other valuable information for fans. See below.
Aledo Sports Daily Projects:
Quarterfinals Brackets and Results Class 5A Division I
Quarterfinals Brackets and Results Class 5A Division II
Projected Class 5A Playoff Brackets Division I
Projected Class 5A Playoff Brackets Division II
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Bearcats Have Some Work to do Friday Night but Will Survive
Analysis by Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
A lot of Bearcat fans are feeling a little anxious about Friday night's game against the undefeated Mansfield Lake Ridge Eagles.
There is reason for concern. Lake Ridge is an amazing offensive team. They just have not had a bad game offensively this season.
The good news for Bearcat fans is they have not been able to stop anybody either.
It has been the philosophy of the Bearcat coaches has been to shore up the defense first. The reason is because defense wins championships. They have emphasized defense just for games like Aledo vs. Lake Ridge.
The shift of talent has not been as noticeable the past few years because our athletes and depth have improved over the years. The Aledo coaches have developed talent all the way back to middle school.
We have to dig a little deeper this week in order to figure out an anticipated result. In some ways, Lake Ridge is better. In some ways Aledo is better.
Bruce Frantz has compiled some comparisons below to help us sort this out. I've also included a little more on my "Tale of the Tape" to help detail the differences.
Overall, I'll not argue that Lake Ridge had a slightly better schedule. Their district, District 14-5A, is a little tougher top to bottom than Aledo's District 8-5A.
However, Lake Ridge did not play an opponent the caliber of Cedar Park or Noxubee County for that matter. Noxubee won the Mississippi Class 4A state championship again this year.
The playoff opponents for Lake Ridge have also been a little tougher. The Eagles had to hold off Longview last week for a three point win. Aledo was a little flat against Canyon Randall and still won by 14 points.
The scary thing about Lake Ridge is they are improving on offense as the season has gone along. They are averaging 626 total yards per game.
Eagle fans should be equally scared to face an Aledo defense giving up only 127 yards per game in the playoffs. Aledo's defense has also improved as the year has gone on.
Intangibles Could Be the Difference
Lake Ridge has relied on the "shock and awe" factor to overwhelm opponents this year. They run an offensive system much like the Baylor Bears. They keep defenses on their heels with a quick tempo. Last week, they ran 88 plays. This is very high for a high school team.
Some of the gimmicks they use to shock opponents simply will not work against Aledo. The Bearcat players are smart, well coached, and experienced. Aledo has been here before.
Both teams have a great turnover ratio. Aledo is a plus 22 and Lake Ridge is a plus 14. This could be a factor in the game. The Eagles really are impressive because they protect the ball despite running all the offensive plays.
The biggest intangible in favor of Aledo is playoff experience. This is the part of the playoffs that gets really tight with everything on the line. I remember some of the same concerns last year facing Tyler John Tyler. The Bearcats won that game by 30.
Bearcat fans don't have to look that far back to know how good defense can derail a juggernaut offense. As good as Lake Ridge has been scoring points this year, they are nowhere close to the 2013 Bearcats. Lake Ridge has 763 points through 14 games and the 2013 Bearcats had 956.
In 2013, Aledo played Ennis and the highest scoring team in the history of high school football went to halftime with zero points. Luckily, the Bearcat defense was just as awesome that year. The 2013 Bearcats gave up 131 points through 14 games. The 2015 Bearcats have given up 129.
A lot of these Bearcat players were a part of the 2013 state championship run and a lot more were here last year for the 2014 state championship. That experience should be the difference.
I'll say an Aledo win but haven't decided on a score yet. Stay tuned.
Aledo vs. Lake Ridge: CalPreps Analysis
Aledo vs. Lake Ridge: Bruce Frantz TRF Ranking
Aledo vs. Lake Ridge: Pops Tale of the Tape
Aledo vs. Aledo: 2014 vs. 2015 Tale of the Tape
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
# 9 Hunter Rosson leads Aledo with 38 catches for 638 yards and six touchdowns. He had three catches for 61 yards and a touchdown against Randall. Photo by Ramon Morales
Leading Bearcats- Offense (SEASON TOTALS)
Leading Bearcats- Defense (SEASON TOTALS)
# 26 Matthey McCartney led Aledo defenders with 12 tackles against Randall. He has 60 for the year and four interceptions. Photo by Ramon Morales
Leading Bearcats- Offense (vs CANYON RANDALL)
Leading Bearcats- Defense (vs vs CANYON RANDALL)
Official Aledo Bearcat Offensive Stats vs. Canyon Randall
Official Aledo Bearcat Offensive Stats Y-T-D
Official Aledo Bearcat Defensive Stats vs. Canyon Randall
Official Aledo Bearcat Defensive Stats YTD
Official Aledo Bearcat Game Stats & Y-T-D Thru Randall
Friday, December 4, 2015
# 1 Logan Bridges ignited the Bearcat offense with two long touchdowns against Canyon Randall. Photo by Ramon Morales
Logan Bridges Has Two Big Plays in Aledo's 28-14 win over Gritty Canyon Randall
Jerry World, TX—Watching the Bearcats play football at Jerry World is very interesting. From the press box, you can see the plays on the field and also watch on the jumbo screen. Whether it's watching the smaller version by eye or the jumbo screen, one thing was evident tonight in Aledo's 28-14 win over Canyon Randall. Logan Bridges is fast.
It is much more noticeable from the smaller "naked eye on the field" prospective. I tend to watch the plays develop with the naked eye and watch the replay on the jumbo screen. On Aledo's first touchdown, Dillon Davis hit Bridges on a crossing pattern. The defenders looked like they had a shot at Bridges but he flew by them like they were standing still.
Again in the third quarter, Bridges took a handoff on a jet sweep. Once he got in the open field, nobody on Canyon Randall had the speed to catch him. Bridges put on the afterburners and was a blur crossing the goal line. The 39 yard touchdown pass was Aledo's first score and cut the Randall lead to 7-6 when the extra point was blocked.
Aledo needed the big plays to put away a pesky Canyon Randall team. A third big play to Hunter Rosson from Dillon Davis came with 5:01 left in the second quarter. Rosson scored on a 32 yard touchdown pass to put Aledo ahead to stay. The Bearcats made the two point conversion to pull away 14-7 at halftime.
Randall took a rare first quarter lead on Aledo with a 61 yard drive on their second series. It is only the second first quarter touchdown allowed by Aledo this year. The last first quarter score was way back in week eight against Burleson.
Credit should be given to the Canyon Randall defense. They made getting yards on the ground very difficult. Taking away the 75 yard touchdown run by Bridges, the Bearcats only had 121 rushing yards on 37 carries.
Dillon Davis got on a hot streak in the second half completing seven of ten passes and keeping the chains moving in the absence of a strong running game. Davis finished with 208 yards.
The Bearcat defense did the job again allowing only two scores. The Raiders were able to move the ball but the defense forced seven punts. Jack McAdams also recovered a fumble and Michael McKay had an interception to end the first half.
If Mansfield Lake Ridge wins, the next game will be Friday at Birdville. If Longview wins, it will be Friday in Denton.
Game Reset
Reid Vierling kicks off. Wyatt Young on the tackle at the 27 yard line. Randall picked up nine yards on first down. The second down pass is incomplete. They pick up the first down to their own 46.
Big Game James Williams tackled the runner for a loss. It was a loss of four. The second down pass picked up four. The third down pass was incomplete. Punt formation. The punt went out of bounds at the Aledo 14 yard line.
Dillon Davis was sacked for a three yard loss. The second down pass intended for Ryan Mullins was incomplete. The third down pass intended for Rosson was just too far. The fourth down punt by Matthew McCartney rolls down at the Randall 39.
The Randall quarterback Nix kept for a two yard gain. Running back Paul Terry picked up 16 yards to the Aledo 44. Nix picked up another Raider first down to the Aledo 29 yard line.
They picked up five on first down and Terry got the first down to the Aledo 18. Terry gets four yards with TJ Zalar on the tackle. Nix kept around the left side for a Randall touchdown from the Aledo 14. 5:16 left in First Quarter. The extra point is good.
Aledo 0.... Canyon Randall 7
It's a stunning start for the Bearcats who are not accustomed to playing from behind. Wyatt Harris returned the pooch kick to the Aledo 36.
Donnie Evans picks up four yards to the 40. Evans gets two yards to bring up third and four. Evans gets close. They will have to measure. The Bearcats are short and will punt. The punt rolls to the 10 yard line. A 35 yard punt.
The Bearcats stopped the first two plays for a total gain of three. The third down run was stopped by Jack McAdams. The Raider punt went out of bounds at the Aledo 39. A bad punt. 1:07 of first quarter.
Davis ran the option and tossed to Caleb Primera for no gain. On second and 10, Davis hit Logan Bridges wide open and he scored on a 39 yard pass. Touchdown Logan Bridges! The PAT was blocked. 0:31 of first quarter.
The Raiders start at their own 32. They picked up one on the read option.
Paul Terry picks up four yards. Third and five. Terry picks up a first down to the Randall 45. Matthew McCartney made a great solo tackle after a gain of three. Mike McCay hit Nix in the bread basket after a gain of four. Third and five. Patrick Peek made a tackle for a loss of two. Fourth and five. The punt was blocked! Aledo takes over at their own 46 yard line.
Truett Knox and Carter Tillman opened a big hole for Primera on a gain of eight. The second down pass was incomplete. Another drop for Aledo as the ball slips out of the hands of Hunter Rosson.
McCartney's punt went to the end zone. Randall starts at the 20. The first down run goes for four yards. Lobo Childs makes a stop on a wide receiver screen. Paul Terry gets nowhere with Will Trawick on the tackle. 6:04 left until halftime. Aledo will take over at their own 31 yard line.
Donnie Evans broke two tackles and he picked up 16 yards to the Aledo 47. Davis completes a pass on a seam route down to the Randall 32. A 21 yard gain. Davis hits Hunter Rosson on a post route for a touchdown from the 32. Touchdown Hunter Rosson! 5:01 of second. Davis hit Logan Peterson for the two point conversion.
Aledo 14.... Canyon Randall 7
# 54 Jack McAdams and # 11 Will Trawick bring down Paul Terry of Canyon Randall. against Canyon Randall. Photo by Ramon Morales
Jack McAdams fell on a fumbled snap and recovered at the Randall 20. Logan Bridges picked up five on a jet sweep. Primera gained two with a tough run on second down. Third and three. Primera took t right up the middle for four yards and a first down. First and goal at the nine.
Primera was dropped for a loss of six on first down. Second and goal. Davis had his pass picked off and returned to the Aledo 20. 2:31 until half. A personal four moves Randall back to the 11 yard line.
They hit a huge 38 yard pass on first down to the Aledo 49 yard line. They pick up two on first down. An injury timeout. 2:00 left in half. Terry picks up four. Third and four from the Aledo 45. They pick up the first down to the Aledo 39. Time out Randall. 1:02 until halftime.
Garrett Pruett sacks Nix for a three yard sack. The pass was complete to the 37 bringing up third and eight. Time out Randall with 0:17 left.
Michael McCay picked off the pass in the end zone for a touchback. Evans picked up four yards as the clock expires.
The Bearcats are back on the field ready to accept the opening kickoff of the second half. Rosson had a good return but fumbled. It was recovered by Wyatt Young at the Aledo 45 yard line. Evans picked up six. But wait.... A personal foul facemask moves Aledo back to the 30. First and 25. Davis hits Ryan Mullins on a huge pass to the Randall 30. A gain of 50.
Evans gets stopped after a gain of one. Davis hits Bridges on a swing pass for a gain of six. Third and three at the 23. Evans carries to the 17 for a six yard gain. First down.
# 27 Donnie Evans plows over a Randall defender for an Aledo touchdown. The score put Aledo up 21-7. Photo by Ramon Morales
Evans had three carries to get a first down at the six. A false start costs Aledo five yards. First and goal from the 11 yard line. Davis hit Logan Peterson for a gain of ten. Third and goal at the two. Drew Barton opened a hole for Donnie Evans for the touchdown from the two. Touchdown Donnie Evans! 7:00 left in the third quarter.
Aledo 21.... Canyon Randall 7
The pooch kick by Vierling was fair caught at the Randall 29 yard line. Terry gets 11 yards to the 40 yard line. First down. Big Game James slams Terry down for no gain. Give him one yard. The second down pass is incomplete. Third and nine at the 42 yard line. The third down pass intended for Terry was too high. Peek was defending. Rosson calls for a fair catch at the 18. 5:57 left in the third quarter.
Primera gets seven to the 25 yard line. Logan Bridges catches a seam and carries 75 yards for a touchdown on a jet sweep! Touchdown Logan Bridges! Ben Rogers adds the PAT. 5:06 of third quarter.
Aledo 28.... Canyon Randall 7
Good coverage by the Bearcats on the kickoff. Randall starts at their own 23. The first down pass goes for six and Terry picks up the first down to the Randall 34 yard line. They pick up nine on first down. Second and one. The Raiders move the sticks with a three yard pass play. 3:33 of third quarter.
They get three on two running attempts and a procedure call moved them back into their own territory. The third an 11 pass was overthrown. Fourth and 11 and a timeout by Randall. The punt is downed at the Aledo two yard line.
Primera gets seven on first down giving Aledo some breathing room. He was met at the line of scrimmage but picked up two. Third and one. Primera gets two yards for the Aledo first down at the 13 yard line. Primera follows Wes Harris for a gain of two. Injury Timeout. 0:24 left in third quarter.
Primera has another tough run bringing up third and two yards. Aledo calls time out with 11:09 left in the fourth quarter. Davis picks up the first down with a 15 yard gain to the Aledo 36. Primera picks up four on first down. Davis hits Hunter Rosson for a first down into Raider territory at the 41.
Primera picked up two and two more bringing up third and six. Davis is dialed in right now. He hits Rosson for 10 more and a first down. Primera picked up another first down. But Wait.... Holding. Davis keeps and picked up three yards. Second and 17. Davis was sacked at the 42 yard line. A loss of eight. Third and 25. But wait...False start. Third and 30. A slip screen tp Primera gained five. But wait.... Declined. Aledo will punt. 7:02 left in game. The punt is into the end zone. Randall will start on the 20 yard line.
Larry Brown III rides down the running back after a gain of three. The second down pass is incomplete. The third down pass is incomplete defended by Rhett Harris. Hunter Rosson downed the punt at the 30 yard line.
Bridges picks up four on the jet sweep. Evans follows with a gain of three. But wait... Holding. The spot foul moves the ball to the 27. Davis keeps to pick up 18 yards and a first down to the Aledo 41. 5:00 left. Primera gets stopped for a loss of one.
Primera picks up three. Third and eight. The pass was incomplete leading to an Aledo punt. McCartney booms one to the 23 of Randall. 3:25 to play.
They pick up five and complete a pass for a first down. But wait... Will Trawick is called for a facemask. First down. They hit a 40 yard pass to the Aledo nine. First and goal. Terry picks up eight. Second and goal from the one. Terry carries it in. They will go for one. Kick is good. 1:47 of fourth quarter.
Aledo 28.... Canyon Randall 14
The Bearcats are expecting an onside kick. It is covered up by Hunter Rosson at the Aledo 49. Evans picks up two yards. Clock is running. Evans gets four. Third and four. Time out Randall. 0:55 left in game. Evans gets the first down on a stretch play. That should do it. Davis takes a knee. But wait... A false start. Clock is still running.
Friday, December 4, 2015
Saturday, December 5, 2014
Varsity @ 5:30 PM
Canyon Randall Raiders (12-1) HOME
vs. Aledo Bearcats (12-1)VISITOR
Advance Tickets through Ticketmaster
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Official Live Blog Link: Aledo vs. Canyon Randall
The schedule for AT&T stadium for Saturday is:
10:30 Everman vs. Lake Dallas (Lake Dallas favored by 3)
2:00 Denton Ryan vs. Allen (Allen favored by 19)
5:30 Aledo vs Canyon Randall (Aledo favored by 18)
9:00 Longview vs Mansfield Lake Ridge (LK. Ridge favored by 6)
Ok Aledo Fans, Randall Fans have been posting saying they will be louder than Aledo, so here is a way to show them Aledo has the best Spirit Fans ever. To get yall started read below to win this contest and bring all your Cowbells and have everyone in your section being as loud as possible when Randall is on offense. But bell down when Aledo is running offense. Post thise Bell pictures to win. Ready, Set, Go!!
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Aledo Bearcat Footall Parents on Facebook
Friday, December 4, 2015
Bearcats Will Prevail Against Canyon Randall Behind "Shut Down" Defense
Analysis by Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
It's time to face the fact that the 2015 Aledo Bearcats are a really good football team. They have played one bad half of football in their first game of the year. Since then, the defense has been lights out and the offense is steadily improving to championship caliber.
Noxubee County was the start of Aledo's defensive dominance and it has continued throughout the season and on through the playoffs. By the way, Noxubee County is playing for another Mississippi state championship this week.
No matter what has happened to this team, an unsung hero has stepped in to fill a void with no measurable decline in the quality of play.
The Bearcat secondary has been especially hard hit with injuries this season. It actually started before the season with Caleb Primera moving from defense to offense.
Scooby Carter made the varsity as a freshman which raised some eyebrows at the time. Carter was having a great year but has missed the last four games and is out for the season due to injury.
Senior Reid Smith undoubtedly earned All District honors with his play this year. Smith was also hurt and has been out for all three playoff games.
Senior safety Patrick Peek has played at an All-State level for two years now in the Bearcat secondary. Peek also missed two games earlier in the season.
With all these injuries, teams must be running roughshod over the Bearcat defense, right? Not so fast. This defense is getting even better in the playoffs.
Passing, the three opponents are 19 of 54 for 158 yards in three games. The Bearcats have allowed 19 receptions and have five interceptions in the playoffs. That's a 35% completion rate.
For the season, opponents have completed 102 of 245 passes for 1,113 yards. That's a 42% completion rate. The Bearcats have 18 interceptions on the season.
Ok, since the defense is so tough against the pass, teams have to be running all over the Bearcat defense. C'mon Man!
In the playoffs, the Bearcats have allowed 83 yards on 76 carries. That's a whopping 1.1 yards per carry. In the three playoff games, the defense has made 24 tackles behind the line of scrimmage for negative 92 yards. Yes, they have more yardage on tackles for loss or sacks than they have given up on the ground.
For the season, the Bearcats have given up 1,077 rushing yards and opponents are averaging only 2.5 yards per rushing attempt. The defense has 108 tackles behind the line of scrimmage for – 380 yards. They have 18 interceptions and 12 fumble recoveries. The Bearcats are a + 21 in turnover margin for the year.
With Peek back at full steam, the defense has been bolstered by the consistent play of senior Michael McCay. The cornerback has been dinged up this year but has fought through the injuries to have an outstanding year. He has 39 tackles, four interceptions and seven pass break ups.
On the other side, junior Lobo Childs has been spectacular at the corner on the side opposite McCay. Childs is tied with McCay with seven pass breakups for the team lead. He has 29 tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown last week against Cooper.
Senior safety Matthew McCartney has turned into a very valuable Bearcat. He attended Aledo schools earlier and came back last year to Aledo and was a starter on the Bearcat baseball team. As a Bearcat safety, McCartney has 48 tackles and is tied with McCay with four interceptions. He also returned an interception for a touchdown against Abilene Cooper. By the way, McCartney has been an excellent punter this year averaging 35 yard per punt.
Aledo by 19 points
Canyon Randall is another inconsistent team. They were undefeated District 3-5A champions and turned around and laid an egg with a 21-14 overtime bi-district win over 5-6 Plainview. The next week, Randall had a big second half to turn a 21-21 halftime game into a 53-35 win over El Paso Chapin. The key here is giving up 35 points.
Last week, I listened to the entire game against Burleson Centennial on the radio. The Raiders did their best Aledo impression running the ball down the throat of Burleson Centennial on their way to a 28-0 halftime lead. The second half ended in a 7-7 tie but Randall dominated the game.
If there is one thing we have learned about the Aledo Bearcats it's that inconsistent teams do not do well against the consistent Bearcats.
Randall has some quality wins this year. They beat Class 6A Amarillo Tascosa (10-3) who were just eliminated from the playoffs by Denton Ryan 41-34.
But Randall just beat (3-7) Lubbock Monterey 35-28. And (5-5) Lubbock Coronado 28-23. They also lost to (9-2) Lubbock Cooper 17-14. Cooper has already been shown the door in the Class 5A playoffs.
This Randall team is better defensively than Denton High but they remind me a lot of the Broncos on the offensive side of the ball. Their quarterback Logan Nix has passed for close to 1,500 yards and added 426 on the ground. Passing is a secondary thought for the Raiders.
Their running back Paul Terry is over 2,200 rushing yards this season which is similar to Xavier Scott of Denton who had 2,400 yards. Terry is a much different runner than Scott. Terry is listed at 5' 8" and 170. Scott was a bigger back at 5' 10" and 213.
Terry is an interesting story because he was at Randall through his sophomore year and moved to Frisco with his mom for his junior year. Randall had a crowded backfield with Wyatt Garton, who set a school record by running for 2,646 yards and 28 touchdowns last season.
The Raiders planned on Terry being a receiver last year. But Terry moved to Frisco and ran for 1,875 yards and 23 touchdowns in his junior year. He is back as the Raiders feature running back in 2015.
The problem the Randall Raiders or any other team that faces the Bearcats is how do they sustain enough drives to score three touchdowns? In the playoffs, the longest run has been 30 yards and the longest pass is 33 yards. The Bearcats just don't give up big plays.
The Bearcat defense is allowing just five yards per pass attempt and 2.5 yards per rushing attempt. Getting multiple first downs on a drive is hard enough. Getting touchdowns is near impossible.
Conclusion by Pops
Oh by the way, the Bearcats can also bring it on offense. Aledo has rushed for 3,806 yards this season with 64 touchdowns. That's an eye popping 8.2 yards per carry. The Bearcats have 1,014 yards in three playoff games and average 7.2 yards per carry. The Bearcat offensive line have rallied around Coach Lee Bishop with the loss of All-State offensive lineman Hunter Harris. They are each doing their parts.
Aledo has passed just enough to keep teams guessing. The Bearcats have 471 passing yards in the playoffs. Why take the risk if teams can't stop the run?
The Bearcats have outscored opponents 412-47 in the first half this year. The chance of the Raiders repeating the 21-13 first half from last year is somewhere between slim and none.
Canyon Randall has back-to-back 12-1 seasons behind Coach Bryan Wood. They are a program on the rise but it will still be awhile before Coach Wood (Bryan) can beat Coach Wood (Steve).
Tale of the Tape: Aledo vs. Canyon Randall
Tale of the Tape: Aledo vs. Aledo
Canyon Randall 2015 Statistics
Friday, December 4, 2015
Top Four Class 5A Teams Pulling Away with State Quarterfinals Looming
Analysis by Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
It's hard to believe we will be crowning two Class 5A state champions in just two weeks. There are 16 teams left in Class 5A and only eight will remain after Saturday.
There have not been many upsets in the Class 5A playoffs this year. The top four teams are very strong and upsets are not likely this week either.
It is not a coincidence the top four teams are leading the classification in point differential this season.
Cedar Park (13-0) has been the # 1 team in Class 5A all season. The Timberwolves are in the fast lane to collect their second state championship in Division II of Class 5A. (2012)
It will be another disappointing season for Corpus Christi Calallen (12-1) this year. They might as well stay in the right hand lane and watch Cedar Park zoom by on the Autobahn. Always the bridesmaid and never the bride, Calallen has more wins than any other program in Class 5A over the past 29 years. They have 325 wins with Aledo second at 274 wins.
Despite all that success in the regular season and playoffs, Calallen has never won a state title.
A lot of Aledo fans wish Aledo had another shot at Cedar Park this year. I'm not so sure. They are number two in point differential trailing only Aledo 550 to 460.
The Timberwolves have played a much tougher schedule. Two other schools from their District 25-5A are still active in the Class 5A Division I playoffs (Vista Ridge and Vandegrift).
Aledo (12-1) is a solid # 2 behind Cedar Park. The Bearcats should be the favorite to take the Class 5A Division I crown. The Bearcats are playing their best football of the year in the playoffs. They are 3-0 outscoring opponents 161-3.
The Bearcats are first in point differential (550), second in total points (665 to 707) for Mansfield Lake Ridge, and # 1 by far in points allowed with 115. Temple second with 167.
Temple (12-1) like Aledo, their only loss this year was a quality loss. The Wildcats lost to Austin Westlake 28-17 way back in week two. Westlake is still active in the Class 6A playoffs.
Their defense is really improved this year and Temple is second in points allowed and third in point differential. They did not blow away Houston Stratford (14-6) or Richmond Foster (27-7) the past two weeks but they have only given up 19 points in the playoffs.
Temple faces Richmond George Ranch 13-0 this week. They are a solid # 5 team in Class 5A and an up and coming team. They just have the misfortune of facing Temple. They lost to Temple 28-14 in the quarterfinals last year.
Mansfield Lake Ridge (13-0) is a rising star in Class 5A. They have an explosive offense scoring 209 points in three playoff games. The problem for the Eagles is they have allowed 103 points for a differential of 106 points. Aledo has scored 161 points with a differential of 158.
They will get a defensive test against Longview (11-2). The Lobos have allowed only 178 points this season which is tied with Cedar Park for fourth best of the teams remaining in the Class 5A playoffs.
In Class 5A Division II, Everman (9-4) faces Lake Dallas (11-2). These are the two weakest teams left in the playoffs in Class 5A. Lake Dallas is favored by three points but the Bulldogs have played well in the playoffs. One of these two teams has to win. It might as well be the Bulldogs.
2015 Class 5A Rankings Updated
Class 5A Playoff Teams Points For Ranking
Class 5A Playoff Teams Points Against Ranking
Class 5A Playoff Teams Point Differential Ranking
Predicted Playoff Brackets Class 5A Division I
Predicted Playoff Brackets Class 5A Division II
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Canyon Randall the Last Hope for West Texas Teams
Commentary by Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
High school football has not lost popularity in west Texas. This area in Texas is famous for MOJO. The allure of the Odessa Permian Panthers has died off a bit from the height of "Friday Night Lights" the movie that came out back in 2004.
The demise of MOJO underscores what has been happening to many schools playing high school football in west Texas. This area has a rich tradition of success but their teams have not been relevant on a state-wide basis for many years.
The Panthers were state champions in 1989 and 1990. Midland Lee had three years of glory behind Cedrick Benson with a three-peat in 1998, 1999, and 2000. Since then, only Abilene High in 2009 has won a state title in either 5A or 6A.
I'll admit I'm predisposed to thinking the schools out west are weaker than teams from our area. It's just been that way for as long as I have covered the Aledo Bearcats.
The big reveal always comes in the Regional round. The schools from districts 1-4 play each other the first two rounds. In the Regionals, they face teams from Districts 5-8.
Canyon Randall made it through to the Quarterfinals this year with an impressive 35-7 win over Burleson Centennial which is a team from our area.
Winning state championships for teams from west Texas has dried up like a tumbleweed dancing across the west Texas plains.
Bruce Frantz put together a comprehensive analysis of every district in Texas for Class 5A and Class 6A. He presented the records of every single team in each district for the past 29 years ending in 2014.
In Class 6A, I've already mentioned the state titlists. Permian, Lee and Abilene. These are the only three schools to win a title in the last 29 years. In Class 6A, only Districts 1-3 are comprised of teams from west Texas. All have been eliminated in both Division I and Division II this season.
In Class 5A, there are no teams from west Texas who have won a state championship in the last 29 years. None. We can even throw in District 5-5A which has the two Wichita Falls schools. Zero. The Coyotes have won six state championships but none in the last 45 years since 1969.
Class 5A Results by District 1986-2014
Class 6A Results by District 1986-2014
Most State Championships in Texas High School Football
Last year, Canutillo from the El Paso area became the first team to ever make it to a state semifinal from El Paso. They ended up losing to Ennis 41-13.
Since 2002, Aledo has faced a team from west Texas 16 times. The Bearcats are 15-1 against the west. The only loss was to Wolfforth Frenship in 2005. Frenship has since moves to Class 6A.
Canyon Randall is the last hope for teams from west Texas in 2015. This will be the third shot Randall has to beat the Bearcats. Aledo won 42-14. The Bearcats survived last year 47-29 in a game much closer than the final score indicated.
Looking at the games Aledo has played against teas from west Texas, these games are much closer than most Bearcat games in the playoffs. Canyon Randall will bring it Saturday. The Bearcats will be ready.
Aledo vs. West Texas Teams- Playoffs
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
# 33 Lobo Childs returned an interception 25 yards for a touchdown and broke up a fourth down pass for a turnover on downs.
Leading Bearcats- Offense (SEASON TOTALS)
Leading Bearcats- Defense (SEASON TOTALS)
Leading Bearcats- Offense (vs ABILENE COOPER)
Leading Bearcats- Defense (vs ABILENE COOPER)
Official Aledo Bearcat Offensive Stats vs. Abilene Cooper
Official Aledo Bearcat Offensive Stats Y-T-D
Official Aledo Bearcat Defensive Stats vs. Abilene Cooper
Official Aledo Bearcat Defensive Stats YTD
Official Aledo Bearcat Game Stats & Y-T-D Thru Cooper
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Ranked Teams Fare Well in State Regionals
Analysis by Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
Canyon Randall's Raiders completed a clean sweep of ranked teams beating the underdogs in Class 5A Division I. Randall punished the Centennial Spartans on the ground on their way to a 28-0 halftime lead and a 35-7 victory Monday afternoon in Sweetwater. Randall was a seven point favorite in the state regional round over Centennial.
The Division I bracket in Class 5A looks like a "who's who" of the top ranked teams in Class 5A. The Cedar Park Timberwolves are the number one team in our composite rankings but the next five ranked teams are all in Division I.
# 2 Aledo (12-1) took care of business with a 33-0 win in the cold rain Friday night with the Bearcat defense forcing five turnovers. The Bearcat defense held Abilene Cooper (7-6) to 92 total yards (officially). It was the fifth time this year the Bearcats have held an opponent under 100 total yards.
# 3 Temple (12-1) breezed through their game against # 18 Richmond Foster (10-3) 27-7.
# 4 Mansfield Lake Ridge (13-0) continues to pour on the points with a 69-40 shootout against Mesquite Poteet (9-4).
# 5 Richmond George Ranch (13-0) remained undefeated with a 48-28 win over Bryan (9-4).
# 6 Longview (11-2) kept their state title hopes alive with a 35-14 win over Wylie (8-5).
All five of these ranked teams continue to advance. The other three advancing in Region I were favored in their games.
# 20 Canyon Randall (12-1) was favored by nine over Centennial and won 35-7.
The other two teams advancing are from Region IV. They are both from District 25-5A which is also the home of # 1 Cedar Park.
# 12 Cedar Park Vista Ridge (11-2) beat Victoria West (11-2) 35-14.
# 17 Austin Vandegrift (11-2) beat Edinberg Vela (12-1) 49-39.
What's Happening in Class 5A Division II?
There were a few upsets in Class 5A Division II.
Class 5A Divsion I Brackets and Results
Class 5A Division II Brackets and Results
Monday, November 27, 2015
Bearcats Reach 240 Wins in the Last 20 Years
Analysis by Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
Bruce Frantz has us Bearcat fans spoiled. He has done an excellent job keeping us up to date on the amazing Aledo Bearcats and their habit of winning. With the 33-0 win over Abilene Cooper this week, Aledo now has won 240 games and average exactly 12 games per year over the past 20 years.
We know the Bearcats have a history before the last 20 years but our tracking is what we call the "Tim Buchanan Era". No one can dispute the success of the Aledo Bearcat football program began when Coach Buc took over the program. The Bearcats have continued their success the past two years under Coach Steve Wood.
Bruce put together the records of the top teams in Texas regardless of classification to compare Aledo's record over the last 20 years.
The only school with a better record are the Class 6A Katy Tigers. Katy has 258 wins in the last 20 years. They have equaled Aledo's six state championships in the last 20 years. The Tigers have also reached the state finals in five other years (1999, 2005, 2009, 2013, and 2014).
Katy has played Cedar Hill the last three years in the state championship for Class 6A Division II. Cedar Hill has won the last two but they made an early exit in the 2015 playoffs losing to Southlake Carroll 37-33 in bi-district.
I've been following Katy this year because the Tigers because they are 13-0 and have only allowed 38 points the entire season including three playoff games.
From Bruce Frantz: Still playing in the 20th year of Bearcat Football excellence:
For comparison here are a few Texas teams with rich winning tradition. The records for each of these teams from the last 20 seasons (1996 - 2015). These numbers do not include November 27-28 games.
Update on Top Seven Teams:
Top Seven Teams in Texas High School Football
Aledo Bearcats History since 1996- All Games
Aledo Bearcats History on One Page
Aledo Bearcats Playoff History since 1996
Friday, November 27, 2015
Bearcat Defense Mauls another opponent in Aledo's 33-0 win over Abilene Cooper
By Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
Bearcat Stadium, Texas—The Aledo defense completely dominated the Abilene Cooper Cougars with five turnovers and held the Cougars to 110 yards of total offense in a 33-0 Aledo Bearcat victory.
James Big Game Williams recovered a fumble leading to a Dillon Davis touchdown run and a 6-0 Aledo lead. Patrick Peek came up with the second turnover on an interception early in the second quarter leading to a Donnie Evans touchdown run and a 13-0 Aledo lead.
Matthew McCartney got Aledo's first touchdown on a pick six early in the third quarter. It was the first direct score for Aledo's defense. Colt Ellison had a defensive touchdown last week against Denton High. McCartney's touchdown put Aledo up 19-0.
Lobo Childs made the first of two big defensive plays when he defended a fourth down pass leading to a turnover on downs by Abilene Cooper. Donnie Evans scored from 41 yards out giving Aledo a 26-0 lead.
Finally, Lobo Childs was not finished yet. He picked off another Cougar pass and returned the ball 26 yards for the last touchdown of the game and a 33-0 Aledo victory.
The Bearcat defense came up with five turnovers leading to all five Bearcat touchdowns. By the way, Aledo has given up just 250 total yards and three points in three playoff games.
Caleb Primera carried the load for the Aledo offense with 143 yards on 19 carries. Donnie Evans added 65 yards and scored two touchdowns.
Some Good News and Bad News
First, the really good news. Regardless if we play Canyon Randall or Burleson Centennial, the game will be played next Saturday at A.T. & T. Stadium (Jerry World) Saturday at 5:30 PM.
The bad news is Bearcat fans will not know our opponent until late Monday. The Spartans and Raiders game has been postponed until Monday at 4 PM.
Game Reset:
Hunter Rosson and Ryan Mullins are back. The Bearcats start at the 21 yard line. Hayden Hyles made the catch at the Aledo 21. Caleb Primera got a nine yards carry on first down. Primera gets a first down at the Aledo 32 yard line.
Caleb Primera picked up two yards. Dillon Davis hits Hunter Rosson for seven. Third and one. Primera gets a first down on a gain of six to the Aledo 46. Primera gets a huge run of 36 yards inside the Cooper 10 yard line. Donnie Evans picks up one yard to the Cooper six yard line. Primera gets four to the two yard line. Third and goal. A big stop by the Cougars. Fourth and goal at the three. The fourth down pass is incomplete. Turnover on downs.
They get a big play on second down of almost 30 yards. First and 10 at the 35. They get stopped for no gain. But wait! Offside against Aledo. First and five at the 41. A fumbled snap recovered by James Big Game Williams for the Bearcats at the 34 yard line.
Donnie Evans picked up three on first down. Evans was stopped for no gain. Third and seven. Davis gets five yards. Another fourth down. Evans gets the first down to the Cooper 23 yard line. Evans picks up two. Dillon Davis picked up a first down all the way down to the three yard line. Davis scores from the three. Touchdown Dillon Davis! Ben Rogers kick is blocked. 2:17 of First Quarter.
Aledo 6.... Abilene Cooper 0
Cooper starts with a fair catch at the 32. A three yard tackle for loss. The pass is complete but for a loss of three more. Third and 16. The pass is incomplete defended by Wyatt Harris. A punt upcoming. The kick goes out of bounds at the Aledo 41. 0:29 left in first quarter.
Primera did pick up two just before the first quarter ended. This weather is a great equalizer. Primera picked up five. Third and three at the 47 yard line. The Bearcats get six on a pass from Davis to Garrett Hyles. Davis loses one on a keeper. Second and 11. The pass is broken up. Third and 11. Davis is sacked. Matthew McCartney to punt. The ball dies at the Cooper three. 10:25 of second quarter.
Another tackle for loss which was almost a safety. Other than the one big play they have not gained much. A pass picked up eight. Third and three. The ball is picked off by Pat Peek! Peek with the pick-off!
Aledo starts at the 36. Primera picks up a big gain of 20 yards. First and ten at the 16. Primera picked up two. Both Evans and Primera are in the backfield. Primera picks up five. Third and three. Evans dives to the Cooper three yard line. First and goal at the three. Evans gets it! Touchdown Donnie Evans! Ben Rogers hits the PAT. 5:57 in the Second Quarter.
Aledo 13.... Abilene Cooper 0
They get only one yard on first down. From the 32, the quarterback keeps for no gain. They get a first down all the way down to the Cooper 44 yard line. The snap gets loose and a huge loss all the way back to the Cooper 32 yard line. They get eight. Third and 14. Pass is broken up by Michael McCay. Punt time for Cooper. 2:05 of second quarter.
The put died at the Aledo 12 yard line. Primera picked up two. The Bearcats are not in any hurry. Davis picks up six yards. They are being cautious. Another keeper by Dillon Davis to the 22 yard line. The Bearcats are content to run out the clock.
A great start for Aledo. The ball was fielded at the three and Aaron Hale made the tackle at the three. They gain eight on first down to get out from under the shadow of their own goal line. Another pass play. They get eight more yard. But wait! Holding on Cooper. It backs them up to their own six yard line. Wyatt Harris has another pass break up. Third and seven. The ball is picked off by Matthew McCartney. A 17 yard return. Matthew McCartney touchdown! The kick is blocked again. 10:30 of third quarter.
Aledo 19.... Abilene Cooper 0
The Cougars return the kickoff to their own 30. They pick up three on a running play. Second and seven. The second down pass is incomplete. The third down pass is also incomplete. Another Cooper punt upcoming. Rosson is deep. A good punt ends up at the Aledo 24 yard line.
Primera picks up three on the first offensive snap of the second half. Primera only gets one to the 28. Third and six. The third down pass is incomplete intended for Logan Bridges. McCartney gets the kick away but the ball goes only 15 yards to the Bearcat 43 yard line.
They pick up four on a pass. But wait! Bearcats off side. First and five. They pick up three. Second and two. Another flag. Illegal procedure on Cooper. Second and seven now. From the 40. The quarterback picks up five. Larry Brown III on the stop. Third and two. The Bearcat defense get to the runner for a loss of one. Fourth and tree. They go for it. Pass is batted down by Lobo Childs! Turnover on downs!
Hunter Rosson gets 13 on a pass from Dillon Davis. First down near midfield. Another pass goes for nine yards. Logan Bridges gets five on another pass. Three straight pass completions by three different Bearcat receivers. Ryan Mullins had the last catch. The first down pass was incomplete intended for Preston Jefferis. Touchdown Donnie Evans! A great run of 41 yards for Donnie Evans. The PAT by Ben Rogers is good! 5:01 of the third quarter.
Aledo 26.... Abilene Cooper 0
The Bearcats make another great play on the kickoff. They start at their own 12 yard line. Another snap is fumbled for a loss of nine. Second and 19. The QB is stopped for no gain. Larry Brown III makes the tackle. They get a good reception for a first down. A quick pass gains four yards. Wyatt Harris makes another play. The second down pass is incomplete. They call a timeout. 3:00 of the third quarter.
Third and six. Michael McCay makes another play with the help of McCartney. The Bearcat secondary has been amazing. They punt. The ball is downed at the Aledo 46.
It was another great run by Caleb Primera. Into Cougar territory at the 33 yard line. A gain of two by Primera. He gets it again for nine yards and another first down. Primera gets three yards down to the Cooper 20 yard line. The second down pass is incomplete. Third and seven. The Bearcats have been running a lot of formations with both Primera and Evans in the backfield. The third down pass is incomplete. Fourth and seven. The fourth down pass is incomplete. 0:12 of third quarter.
The Cougars are having all kinds of problems with the snap. Another loss of 13. Second and 23. Another pickoff for Aledo. Lobo Childs gets Aledo's second pick six with a 26 yard return! Touchdown Lobo Childs! PAT is good!
Aledo 33.... Abilene Cooper 0
They will start from their own 32. They have no choice except to pass. A false start costs the Cougars five. The first down pass is incomplete. Second and 15. They pick up three on a pass. The third down pass was incomplete. Another punt. 47 yard punt dies at the Aledo 23 yard line.
Garrett Hyles is in at quarterback. Donnie Evans gets one on first down. Hyles gets five on a carry. The third down pass is complete for 13 yards to Logan Bridges. He did a great job staying in bounds. Great play by Bridges and a great pass by Hyles. Donnie Evans gets three on first down. Aledo gets to their own 47 on a two yard run by Evans. Hyles gets sacked on third down. A delay of game against Aledo. 7:05 left in the game. The Bearcat punt goes to the Cooper 35.
Jacob Diaz breaks up the first down pass. But wait! A penalty against Aledo to midfield. They get another first down on the Aledo 38. The first down pass gets two yards. Another Aledo interception! But wait! The ball hit the ground. Incomplete. They get a first down to the Aledo 28. The first down play is stopped by Colt Ellison. Second and ten. They get another personal foul on Aledo. 4:43 left. The ball is at the Aledo 10 yard line.
The first and goal pass is incomplete. Colt Ellison gets a ten yard sack! They get a good play to the Aledo five yard line. Fourth and goal at the Aledo five. The ball slips out of the hands of the quarterback. The fumble was recovered by Aledo at the ten yard line.
Michael Jordan picks up three. Will Greenwood picks up five yards. Zane Hayden is in at quarterback. A false start costs Aledo five to their own 16 yard line. Hayden gets a first down past the 25 yard line! That should do it.
Friday, November 27, 2015
Varsity @ 6:00 PM
Abilene Cooper Cougars (7-5) VISITORS
vs. Aledo Bearcats (11-1) HOME
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Inconsistent Abilene Cooper Cougars Have Their Hands Full with the Aledo Bearcats
Preview by Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
Tale of the Tape: Aledo vs. Abilene Cooper
Tale of the Tape: Aledo vs. Aledo
Doing the preview of Abilene Cooper (7-5) reminded me in a lot of ways of the Everman Bulldogs. At their best they can be competitive with Aledo. Being competitive and winning are two different things.
The Cougars have been extremely inconsistent this year. Their best loss was to Austin Vandegrift (10-2) in the second game of the season. Cooper lost that game 42-43. Three of their other losses were to Class 6A teams. The only problem is their 6A competitors were good teams but not great. They also played and beat Class 6A Midland Lee (4-6) 28-21.
They lost to South Grand Prairie (7-5) 36-30. Amarillo (9-3) beat Cooper 30-7 and Abilene High (7-4) slammed Cooper 56-37. Then they lost to district rival Lubbock Cooper 28-20. Lubbock Cooper (9-2) got escorted out of the Class 5A Division II playoffs by El Paso Eastlake.
There are two reasons Abilene Cooper played so many Class 6A teams. First, they have only four district games in District 4-5A. Second, they were a Class 6A school until last year. They just continued some of their rivalries.
The Cougars beat Wichita Falls Rider 36-32 in the first game of the season. Rider was a playoff team but fell to Everman 42-23 last week.
The biggest red flag for the Cougars is surviving their bi-district matchup against Amarillo Caprock 45-43. Cooper scored two touchdowns on kickoff returns and two more on interception returns for touchdowns. Caprock outgained Cooper 532-291. Cooper trailed 30-24 at halftime.
Last week, El Paso Del Valle (9-3) hung tough with Cooper 14-14 at halftime. The Cougars ran away with the game in the second half and came away with a 31-14 win. The quarterback for Del Valle is now Raymond Montez who is the freshman brother of Steven Montez who played against Aledo last year. Steven is now at Colorado on a football scholarship.
Tale of the Tape: Aledo vs. Abilene Cooper
"The Black Hole of Nothing" got me again trying to get information on Cooper. Their newspaper, The Abilene Reporter-News, didn't even have a score of the Cougars game against Del Valle. I had to go to the abyss out west, The El Paso Sun, to get even a little story on the game.
We got this though Aledo! I'll give Abilene a slight edge in schedule strength but not enough to make a dent in the disparity between the two teams. Aledo leads in points scored 642-428. Aledo leads in points allowed 115-349. I was able to find their offensive total yards. Aledo leads 5,562 to 4,667.
Aledo by 35
Tale of the Tape: Aledo vs. Aledo (All comparisons are through the first 12 games)
The 2015 Aledo Bearcats are starting to put some distance on the state champion 2014 Bearcats. It's mainly on defense where the 2015 team has given up 73 less points and 939 less total yards.
The 2015 team has a slight edge on offense with 39 more points and 212 ore total yards.
Even with all the injuries, the 2015 defense is much better at this point than last year.
Digging a little deeper, the 2015 and 2014 teams are remarkably similar. On the defensive end, Aledo has only six more tackles for loss or sacks this year than last year. This year our team has only ten more yard in losses than last year.
Ryan Heiss had 108 tackles last year and Larry Brown III has 126 this year. Garrett Uhl had 76 tackles last year and Rhett Harris has 79 this year. Larry Brown III had 76 tackles last year. Will Trawick has 60 and Wyatt Harris 63.
On offense, Dillon Davis and Luke Bishop both have/had 119 completions through 12 games. Davis has thrown 17 less passes than Bishop. Bishop threw for 223 more yards (2,140 to 1,917). Bishop had four interceptions and Davis has two. Bishop had 27 touchdowns to 22 for Davis. Pretty darned close!
The 2015 Bearcats have rushed for 469 more yards (3,553 to 3,084) on 29 less carries (452 to 423). The 2015 Bearcats are averaging 8.4 yards per carry. The 2015 Bearcats have 61 rushing touchdowns to 47 I 2014.
Last year, Jess Anders, Isaiah Mallory and Luke Bishop all rushed for more than 1,000 yards. At this point, Bishop had 512 yards. He really picked things up late in the playoffs.
Anders had 716 yards on 110 carries. Mallory had 888 yards on 92 carries and Bishop had 516 yards on 77 carries.
This year, Donnie Evans has 1,152 on 84 carries. Caleb Primera has 1,191 on 154 carries. Dillon Davis has 423 yards on 66 carries.
The biggest difference in this year and last year is with the receivers. Last year Ryan Newsome had 44 receptions for 827 yards and 10 touchdowns. He averaged 188 per catch. Newsome ended with over 1,000 receiving yards. Toby Gray was a big play receiver with 27 catches for 677 yards and 10 touchdowns. Gray averaged 25.1 yards per catch.
This year, Hunter Rosson has 33 catches for 558 yards and five touchdowns. Rosson averages 16.9 yards per catch. Ryan Mullins is the big play receiver for Aledo with 14 catches for 395 yards and five touchdowns. Mullins averages 28.2 yards per catch.
Conclusion by Pops
As good as this team has been in the last ten weeks, I still get the feeling certain players are just scratching the surface of their potential for this team. Garrett Hyles has done a great job blocking and has 21 catches for 281 yards. He is an explosion waiting to happen.
Logan Bridges can give the Bearcats another deep threat. I've seen him totally dominate games as a freshman on last year on JV before he was moved up.
Defensively, it is just hard to visualize a team being able to score three touchdowns on our defense. These guys make too many plays behind the line of scrimmage. Aledo's defense has given up only 1,076 yards on the ground for a 2.6 average.
Passing, opponents only have 1,013 yards completing just 89 of 217 passes. That's a measly 41% completion rate. It's a 4.7 average per pass attempt. It's hard for opponent quarterbacks to complete passes when they are running for their lives.
The Bearcat defense has a plus 16 turnover ratio. 15 interceptions and ten fumble recoveries. Aledo has lost seven fumbles and have just two interceptions.
C'mon Man!
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Tradition Rich Abilene Cooper Meets Aledo Bearcats in 2015 Regional Game
Analysis by Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
The Abilene Cooper Cougars have a rich history of playoff appearances dating back to 1967. Most of their playoff history was as a 6-A team. This is only their second year to play as a Class 5A playoff team. Cooper is one of the biggest Class 5A schools with 2,044 students. Denton High had 2,086 compared to Aledo with 1,548.
With all the success Aledo's football program has during the past 20 years, it's easy to forget how successful Aledo was between 1962 to 1995. The Bearcats played 24 playoff games during these years with a state finals appearance in 1974. It was a 19-18 loss to Grapeland in Class 3A.
Stat Guru Bruce Frantz has put together another interesting analysis of Aledo and Abilene Cooper and each team's playoff history.
From Bruce Frantz:
Aledo's first year in the playoffs was 1962 when we lost to Allen 51-0. Abilene Cooper's first was in 1967 when they beat EP Burges 52-21.
Aledo has been in the playoffs 33 different years since 1962 for a total of 106 games (this week is #107) with a record of 80-25-1.
Abilene Cooper has been in the playoffs 25 different years since 1967 for a total of 62 games (this week is #63) with a record of 38-23-1.
We have been involved in 33 bi-district games, 15 area, 23 regionals, 17 quarter finals, 11 semifinals, and seven finals. Back in the earlier years (and also in the 90's) there wasn't as many teams in the playoffs so they played only five games to win state instead of the six it takes now. In these charts during those years they didn't list an area game; it went from bi-district directly to regionals.
The Bearcats record in the regional round is 17-5-1 and Cooper's is 5-8-0.
Abilene Cooper Playoff History
Aledo Bearcats Playoff History
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Learning to Expect the Unexpected in Class 5A Region I
Analysis by Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
After covering playoff games in multiple sports for years, the one thing we can count on in Region I is to expect the unexpected.
Districts 1 and 2 are comprised of El Paso area schools. Getting information on these teams is like crawling into the Black Hole of nothing.
Districts 3 and 4 are not much better. District 3-5A is comprised of teams from the Amarillo area. There are only six teams in their district. District 4-5A are mainly Lubbock area schools and they have only five teams in their district.
A big problem for these two Class 5A districts is the two major media outlets in Lubbock and Amarillo do more coverage of the Class 6A schools than the Class 5A schools.
It is really hard for the schools in these districts to play other highly ranked teams because it is just geographically undesirable. They end up playing each other which just leads to more head scratching from an analysis standpoint.
Case in point is El Paso Chapin. Aledo (112) was second in points allowed in Class 5A to El Paso Chapin (97). Their Area matchup was Canyon Randall from District 3-5A. Randall had a less than impressive 21-14 win over Plainview (5-6) in overtime the previous week. As mentioned, these school play against each other before district. This was the second meeting between Randall and Plainview. Randall won the first game 29-14.
The Black Hole of Region I wins again. Just as anybody could have predicted, Randall hung 53 points on Chapin and won the game 53-35. Aledo takes over the points allowed lead in Class 5A with 115.
Here we are at the Regionals again. Half the teams are from Districts 1-4 and half are from Districts 4-8. All of the El Paso schools have been eliminated again except for El Paso Eastlake (10-1). They upset Lubbock Cooper (9-2) 24-21. Lubbock Cooper was the District 4-5A Champion where Aledo's opponent Abilene Cooper played. Cooper (Lubbock) beat Cooper (Abilene) 28-20 this year.
District 5-5A usually has the strongest teams in Region I. There was a changing of the guards this year. Aledo beat Denton High 52-3, Burleson Centennial beat Boswell 28-10, and Everman pounded Wichita Falls Rider 42-23. Scoreboard District 8-5A.
Canyon is still alive in Division II giving District 3-5A two teams in the Regional. District 8-5A can improve their bragging rights in Region I this week with Everman playing Canyon and Centennial playing Canyon Randall.
Lake Dallas (10-2) is the only school left from District 6-5A. They get to eliminate the last El Paso area school (Eastlake) this week.
Strongest Remaining Districts in Class 5A
Four districts in Class 5A have three teams left in the 2015 playoffs. Besides Aledo's District 8-5A, three other Class 5A districts have three teams left. District 18 5A has Bryan (9-3) in Division I. They have A & M Consolidated (9-3) and College Station (10-2) in Division II. These teams are in Region III.
District 24-5A in Region IV has Richmond George Ranch (12-0) and Richmond Foster (10-2) in Division I. Angleton (7-5) is still alive in Division II.
District 25-5A has Cedar Park Vista Ridge (10-2) and Austin Vandegrift (10-2) still playing in Division I. Cedar Park (12-0) is playing in Division II.
A fourth District 25-5A team Georgetown (9-3) lost a 70-66 shootout to Boerne Champion.
Class 5A Teams of Interest
Speaking of Cedar Park (12-0), the Timberwolves are playing on house money the rest of the Division II playoffs. They eliminated their best opponent in Division II with a 49-14 win over previously undefeated Kerrville Tivy (11-1).
Tivy came into the game with the highest points scored in Class 5A with 637. Great defense always trumps great offense in the playoffs. It was the fourth straight year Cedar Park knocked Tivy out of the playoffs. Barring a major upset, there are just no teams left in Division II who can beat Cedar Park.
Mansfield Lake Ridge (12-0) can sure put some points on the scoreboard. They put up 77 points in a 77-51 win over Tyler John Tyler (8-4). The two teams both went over 500 yards of total offense in a game where the wind hurt the passing game. Most of the yards were on the ground.
The 77 points lifted Lake Ridge to the top scoring team in Class 5A left in the playoffs. They now have 638 to Aledo's 633. But wait…. Lake Ridge has also given up 279 to 115 for Aledo.
Lake Ridge should breeze into the state semifinals against Aledo with only Longview (10-2) left to give them a game.
Temple (13-1) knocked off # 9 Houston Stratford (10-2) 14-6 last week to keep their hopes alive for a grudge match against Aledo in the Class 5A Division I finals. A lot of football needs to be played by both teams before a rematch can happen but both are in line for the game.
Last year, Houston Stratford's Rakeem Boyd, a hard Texas A & M commit, ran for 421 yards and five touchdowns against Temple. This year, the Wildcat defense held Boyd to 94 yards on 27 carries. Temple gave up only 197 total yards in the game.
Area Brackets and Results Class 5A Division I
Area Brackets and Results Class 5A Division II
Bearcats Move Up to # 2 in Composite Ranking
It took a long time but Aledo has moved into second in Class 5A after two weeks mauling their opponents in the playoffs. The Bearcats beat the predicted score against Trimble Tech by 21 points and Denton High by 28 points.
The bulk of the top ranked teams are in Division I of the playoffs. The # 1 team overall, Cedar Park (12-0), is playing in Division II. A & M Consolidated is in Division II at # 7.
Aledo (11-1) is by far the highest ranked team in Region I. Canyon Randall (10-2) is # 20. In Division II of Region I, Lake Dallas (10-2) is the highest ranked team at # 30. Everman (8-4) has been moving up ad they are projected to beat # 66 Canyon (10-2).
In Division I, Temple (11-1) is third. Also in Region III, Richmond George Ranch (12-0) is fifth. From Region II, Mansfield Lake Ridge (12-0) is # 4 and Longview (10-2) is # 6.
As usual, Region IV does not have another team in the top 10. They are pretty much a carbon copy of Region I every year with Aledo usually the only highly ranked team. In Region IV, it is Cedar Park.
TRF Predicted Brackets Division I on 11/14/2015
TRF Predicted Brackets Division II on 11/24/2015
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Leading Bearcats- Offense (SEASON TOTALS)
Leading Bearcats- Defense (SEASON TOTALS)
Leading Bearcats- Offense (vs DENTON HIGH)
Leading Bearcats- Defense (vs DENTON HIGH)
Official Aledo Bearcat Offensive Stats vs.Denton High
Official Aledo Bearcat Offensive Stats Y-T-D
Official Aledo Bearcat Defensive Stats vs. Denton High
Official Aledo Bearcat Defensive Stats YTD
Official Aledo Bearcat Game Stats & Y-T-D Thru Denton High
Friday, November 20, 2015
Friday, November 27, 2015
Varsity @ 6:00 PM
Abilene Cooper Cougars (7-5) VISITORS
vs. Aledo Bearcats (11-1) HOME
Friday, November 20, 2015
Bearcats Earn Home Game against Abilene Cooper with Big 52-3 Win over Denton High
By Steve Keck-Aledo Sports Daily
See More: Playoff Game 2- Denton High
Friday, November 20, 2015
Bearcats Ready to Roll against Denton High Broncos.... Final Denton High Preview
Analysis by Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
See More: Playoff Game 2- Denton High
Friday, November 20, 2015
Class 5A Pushes the Pedal to the Metal in Playoff Action This Week
By Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
See More: Playoff Game 2- Denton High
Thursday, November 19, 2015
# 78 Wes Harris, a junior, has started 13 playoff games for the Bearcats and has never been a part of a Bearcat playoff loss.
2015 Bearcats Compare Favorably with Past Aledo Championship Teams
Analysis by Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
See More: Playoff Game 2- Denton High
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Bearcats will be wearig new headgear against Denton High.
Savage Seven Turning up heat on Aledo Opponents
Commentary by Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
See More: Bearcat Playoff Central
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Leading Bearcats- Offense (SEASON TOTALS)
See More: Playoff Game 2- Denton High
Monday, November 16, 2015
District 8-5A Sweeps District 7-5A in Bi-District Week
Analysis by Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
See More: Bearcat Playoff Central
Sunday, November 15, 2015
See More: Playoff Game 2- Denton High
Thursday November 12, 2015
Bearcats Roll Trimble Tech 76-0 to Win Bi-District in 20 Straight Years
By Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
See More: Playoff Game 1 Trimble Tech
Thursday November 12, 2015
Bearcats Seek Bi-District Title for 20 Years in a Row
Analysis by Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
See More: Playoff Game 1 Trimble Tech
Wednesday November 11, 2015
Around Region I and Class 5A State Competitors:
See More: Playoff Game 1 Trimble Tech
Wednesday November 11, 2015
Reviewing Final Week in District 8-5A... 2015 Playoff Preview # 1
Analysis by Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
See More: Bearcat Football 2015
Wednesday November 3, 2015
Aledo Bearcats District Championship History
Analysis by Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
See More: Bearcat Football 2015
Tuesday November 3, 2015
# 13 Caleb Primera passes 1,000 yards with 22 touchdowns.
See More: Playoff Game 1 Trimble Tech
Friday, November 6, 2015
Bearcats Blast Cleburne 70-19 to Finish District 8-5A a Perfect 7-0… Everman Wins… Aledo Division I Playoff Team
By Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily.
Friday, November 6, 2015
Brannon Webb and Bearcat Defense Help Subdue Cleburne 35-0 in the Rain
By Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
Friday, November 6, 2015
Aledo Freshmen Black Finish Strong behind Tre Owens and Regan Rice with a 27-6 Win
By Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
Friday, November 6, 2015
Aledo JV Orange Combined with JV Black Beats Cleburne 49-0 to End Season 9-1
By Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
Friday, November 6, 2015
Cleburne Yellow Jacket Preview
Analysis by Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
Aledo by 43
Thursday November 5, 2015
Jase McClellan and Jake Bishop Lead Aledo to 42-0 Win at Stephenville Henderson
Contributed by a Bearcat Fan
See More: Middle School Football
Thursday November 5, 2015
Eighth Grade "B" Team Completes Perfect Season with 20-0 Win over Stephenville
Contributed by a Bearcat Fan
See More: Middle School Football
Wednesday November 4, 2015
Hampton Fay and Caden Anderson Lead the Seventh Grade "A" Bearcats to Complete a Perfect Season with 42-0 Win
By Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
See More: Middle School Football
Wednesday November 4, 2015
Ty Johnson and Jaxon Gleaton Lead Bearcat Defense and Offense to 28-0 Win Over Stephenville Henderson
By Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
See More: Middle School Football
Tuesday November 3, 2015
Aledo Middle School Bearcats Sweep Once Again to End the 2015 Season in Style
By Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
Aledo Middle School 2015 Final Schedule and Results
See More: Middle School Sports
Tuesday November 3, 2015
History of Bearcat Football Updates
Analysis by Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
Aledo is now in third place on the list of All Time District Wins. We cannot catch Euless Trinity from 2005-2014 until next year. They are second with 62 wins and Aledo has 60 wins.
Cleburne has a rough row to hoe against Aledo at Bearcat Stadium. Aledo has won 35 straight District Home Games and are 50-3 at home since 2006.
We also have a list of the Highest Individual Game Scores for the last 20 years. Four of the top 33 scores have come this year and 17 of 33 have been in the last three years.
Aledo is 6-0 against Cleburne in the last 20 years. I'm posting the Fan's Select an Opponent again. You will need Microsoft Excel to open it. You can select a team and Aledo's All-Time record of that team comes up.
History of Bearcat Scores since 1996- All Games
History of District Scores since1996
All Time District Winning Streaks in Texas
History of Bearcat Scores on One Page
History of Bearcat Stadium Home Games since 2006
Highest Scoring Games since 1996
Fan's Pick and Opponent Excel Spreadsheet
Tuesday November 3, 2015
# 53 Carter Tillman and # 75 Drew Barton have picked up the slack with so many injuries this season for the Bearcats.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Aledo Middle School Bearcats End Breathtaking Seasons Tuesday
By Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
See More: Middle School Sports
Monday, November 2, 2015
Crowley Gets Last Playoff Spot in Three-way Tie Scenario
By Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
See More: Bearcat Playoff Central 2015
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Bearcats Tune Up for Playoffs with 68-0 Drubbing of Granbury
By Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
View from the Pops: Commentary by Steve Keck
Dynamic Duo: James and Johnathan Gray
Commentry by Steve Keck- Aledo Sports Daily
See More: Steve Keck's Columns: James and Johnathan Gray
Thursday, August 6, 2015
View from the Pops: Commentary by Steve Keck
Preview to the 2015 Bearcat Football Preview
See More: Bearcat Football 2015
Aledo Sports Daily