Bearcats did what champions do

The Aledo Bearcats were in extremely unfamiliar territory Friday night against Denton Ryan at Tim Buchanan Stadium. They trailed very late in a the game and were facing a third-and-11 from their own 43. 

All sorts of history - and not the good kind if you are a Bearcats fan - was on the line. A national-record district winning streak of 117 games and a district championship streak of 15 consecutive years were on the verge of going by the wayside.

Some dared not watch. Many prayed. All were hoping for a miracle.

And then, the Bearcats - as Ian Malcolm in the original “Jurassic Park” movie said about life - found a way. Quarterback Hauss Hejny, with some great blocking from his offensive line and receivers, found a seam and sprinted 57 yards to the winning touchdown in a 25-19 victory.

The looks of concern became statements of faith, such as “You’ve got to believe” and “I knew they could do it.” 

Someone who said he knew all along is Bearcats tight end Tyson Timms.

“Going into that drive I knew we’d find a way. I didn’t know what play or when, but I knew,” he said. “I thought of that 86-yard play against them last season and I said, Oh my gosh, it’s happening again!”

Hejny’s 86-yard run a year ago in the fourth quarter sparked a 35-21 victory in Denton.

Meanwhile, on the Ryan side of the field, a look of “What does anyone have to do to beat these guys?” spread throughout the team, coaches and fans.

Ryan played great, they had a good game plan developed during their bye week and the Bearcats were helping the Raiders with turnovers and penalties.

Ryan overcame a 17-0 deficit and had the Bearcats on the ropes. But, as has been proven before, there is a big difference between landing blows and delivering a knockout punch.

And, as has happened before in boxing matches, all it takes is one opening for the opponent who is seemingly defeated to land a giant punch and register a knockout themselves. 

That is what happened with Aledo. It is a difference between champions and others. Champions realize all they need is a slim opening, the slightest of opportunities.

“When you’re down to to a good team like Ryan with a couple minutes left, yeah, you think about it (losing), but then you remind yourself that you’ve been here before. You found a way then and you’ll find a way now,” Timms said.

While it’s not that often Aledo has found itself on the verge of defeat, it has happened. Last year, in the third round of the playoffs at a 12-0 Midlothian, they were down 21-14 after three quarters before winning 27-21. Also last season they overcame a 14-3 halftime deficit to defeat Longview 17-14 in the state semifinals.

Earlier this season at Denton Guyer they needed a 17-8 fourth-quarter outburst to win 48-45 on Cole Crawford’s game-ending field goal.

And, and while it was before he joined the varsity, in 2019 the Bearcats needed overtime to fend off an upset-minded Midlothian squad 34-28, rallying from a 28-21 fourth-quarter deficit. It’s the closest they’ve come to having the district winning streak broken before last week.

Aledo will someday lose another district game. We all know that. With all due respect to the Bears, it won’t be to Brewer next week.

So, for now, however, both streaks continue - as does their 23-game overall win streak dating to last season. 

Wakeup call? Without question. Proof they are both vulnerable and championship quality? Yep.

“They showed us we’re not the perfect team,” Timms said. “It’s games like this where you dig deep and find out who you really are.”

Nope, the Bearcats are not the perfect team, which is a good thing. Too many “perfect” teams have ended seasons in disappointment.

They are, however, a program that finds a way, time and again - and that has led to a lot of championships, as we all know.