The best high school football players in America competed at the prep level for one last time this past Saturday at the Alamodome in San Antonio in the All-American Bowl. The game featured the best high school athletes across the United States.
It included a pair of Aledo Bearcats, Davhon Keys and Hauss Hejny.
Think about that for a minute. The absolute best 108 players across the entire country - and two, not one but two, are from the same school. Add to that Aledo is a school that is not among the largest in its own state, not even in the largest classification.
But no reputation is larger.
Folks in Texas are well aware of how great Aledo football is. This game featuring two Bearcats is further proof that the program is renowned across the United States.
But then, when you win more championships (12) than any other program in the history of the state best known for high school football, it's pretty much impossible not to be known coast-to-coast. That reputation is also reflected on college rosters across the land, with one former Bearcat (Jase McClellan) having won a national championship (2020), finishing second (2021) and reaching the College Football Playoff final four this season.
The two Bearcats who played Saturday will soon be joining a college roster as well. Keys has committed to play linebacker at LSU and Hejny will enter the battle for quarterback at TCU.
The game was broadcast on NBC TV and Peacock. While a thorough search for statistics from the game proved impossible to find, I did watch the contest and both Aledo players played for the West Team, which jumped out to a 24-7 lead and held on to win 31-28.
Keys had a most impressive solo tackle on special teams. A video of the play continues to make its way around social media.
Hejny showed why the Horned Frogs are looking to him as their possible quarterback of the future. Yes, he threw a couple of interceptions - one on a ball that was beautifully thrown and should have been a TD had it not been for the defender taking it away from the receiver on a jump ball, and the second was after the ball was batted around in the air and bobbled so many times Hejny himself had a chance to catch it.
But Hejny showed poise, perhaps best indicated on a play where he delivered a pinpoint pass for a first down while getting hit on a third-and-7 play.
Overall, he looked like a guy who could be leading Horned Frogs offenses to many touchdowns in the years ahead.
Keys, on the other hand, looked like a guy who could be stopping opponents from scoring very many touchdowns.
Both Keys and Hejny have the potential to leave their mark on their respective college programs, otherwise they would not have been playing in San Antonio to begin with.
With the Southeastern Conference, in which LSU plays - and with the Tigers being one of the better teams in the league - local fans will get plenty of chances to see Keys. Likewise, TCU and the Big 12 can regularly be seen locally, and it’s a lot easier for them to drive a few miles down the road to Amon Carter Stadium.
There is a lot to learn about the college game for both of them, but neither was the high school All-American they became when they first entered the Aledo program. Like all great athletes, they combine their talent with a strong ability to learn and improve.
And, like many great athletes, they are as hard workers as you will find.
Case in point, they both graduated early and are now each reporting to their respective schools to get a jump not only on a quality education - both are very smart, Keys was even offered a scholarship to Stanford - but also to get started on all they can learn about their new football program.
Saturday might have been the first time we saw Keys and Hejny on national TV, but it definitely won't be the last.
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