Bearcats buzz Arlington Heights

For just the second time in program history, the Aledo Bearcats basketball team won a bi-district title. 

The Bearcats (20-12), who finished fourth in District 5-5A, edged out 6-5A champion Arlington Heights, 48-46, at Cleburne High School on Tuesday, Feb. 20, to advance to the area round for the first time since the 2001-02 season. The Bearcats were playing Colleyville Heritage (27-6) at press time.

Aledo leaned heavily on their perimeter play early on to establish a comfortable lead. Jackson Todd, Owen Peterson, and Joaquin Pacheco accounted for 14 of the Bearcats’ 16 first-quarter points, all while shooting from outside the paint. 

Starting off the second quarter with a nine-point cushion, Pacheco went to work. The junior guard put in a couple of buckets, drained a three-pointer, and knocked down a pair of free throws for nine of Aledo’s 13 points in the frame. 

With Arlington Heights settling into their offense in the second quarter while doing equal damage, Aledo headed into the break at halftime still holding onto a nine-point advantage.

The second half became about survivability for the Bearcats. The Hornets worked out the kinks in their offense that held them to just seven points in the first quarter, and were chipping away at Aledo’s lead in the third quarter. Arlington Heights outpaced the Bearcats 12-9 in the third stanza, cutting the Bearcat lead to just six points with a quarter left to play.

Within striking distance with the game winding to a close, the Hornets threw everything they had left in the tank at Aledo in the fourth quarter. They outscored the Bearcats once more, 14-10, in the final quarter. Coming close to punching their ticket for free basketball in overtime, Aledo did just enough to hold off the Hornets.

Class 5A bidistrict boys basketball

Bearcats vs. Arlington Heights – Feb. 20

Aledo 16 13 9 10 - 48

AHHS 7 13 12 14 - 46

Aledo scoring: Joaquin Pacheco 18, Jackson Todd 10, Jack Sawyer 9, Owen Peterson 5, Cohen Christie 5, Kaydon Finley 1.