For years the Aledo Bearcats and Lubbock Cooper Pirates have been dominant figures in the Class 5A football playoffs. However, for one, the season will end much earlier than they are used to as they will face off at 7 p.m. in the second round of the Class 5A Division I playoffs at the Mustang Bowl in Sweetwater.
The Bearcats (9-2) are renowned for having won nine state championships since 2009 and hold the state record with 10 titles overall (1998, 2009-11, 2013-14, 2016, 2018-20).
Cooper (9-2), while yet to play in a state final, has established itself as a power in its own right with a playoff record of 15-4 over the past four seasons.
And, for both schools, it has been a long time since their season ended in the second round. For Aledo, the last time was in 2012, when they fell 42-30 to eventual state champion Denton Guyer. Cooper last exited in the second round in 2017, falling 45-34 to El Paso Parkland.
With that much success, one would think the Bearcats and Pirates would have met more often in the postseason, but their only meeting ever was in the 2019 Class 5A Division I state semifinals. Aledo won 28-21, going on to dispose of Fort Bend Marshall a week later, 45-42, giving head coach Tim Buchanan a state championship in his return to the helm.
The Bearcats would win state again in 2020, Buchanan’s seventh as a head coach.
In 2021 the Bearcats and Pirates had something in common. Both were eliminated by Dallas South Oak Cliff, which would go on to win the 5A Division II championship. The Golden Bears defeated the Bearcats in the third round 33-28 and dropped the Pirates in the state semifinals 44-10.
Both Aledo and Cooper are capable of big plays as they exhibited in their playoff openers.
In the Bearcats’ 37-0 victory against Killeen Shoemaker (8-3), running back Hawk Patrick-Daniels burst free for a 72-yard touchdown run to get things started. That was only the latest in quite a few big plays against opponents this season - including several at the most critical times of the season.
Quarterback Hauss Hejny had an 86-yard TD scamper late in the game to seal a 35-21 win at Denton Ryan to wrap up Aledo’s 15th consecutive district championship dating to 2008. A week earlier at Burleson Centennial, Hejny threw four touchdown passes of 43 and 32 yards to Jalen Pope and 47 and 76 yards to Gavin Olenjack, along with running for TDs of 75 and 52 yards in a 64-21 victory.
In its 59-7 bi-district annihilation of El Paso Bel Air (8-3), Cooper got long touchdown runs from Abe Brandiger (50 yards), Jackson Austin (73) and Ethan Elkins (88).
“Cooper is well-balanced on offense. Defense is quick and very disciplined,” Buchanan said, succinctly describing what Cooper brings to the game.
The big plays aren’t just limited to offense, either. The defenses have also been steadily improving over the course of the season. Seven times this season the Pirates have limited opponents to 14 points or less and they are 7-0 in those games. The Bearcats have held five opponents to seven or fewer points (two shutouts) and have won all of those games.
Hejny was held out of the bi-district victory with a groin pull. However, Buchanan said his starting quarterback is “100%.”
In his absence last week, the Bearcats’ offense was led by Brant Hayden, who drew praise from Buchanan for his workman-like performance. Hayden was 7-for-14 passing for 51 yards and rushed six times for 39 yards, all while not turning the ball over. The Bearcats also committed just one penalty for 5 yards.
Both teams have been extremely successful when it comes to first-round playoff victories. Buchanan has said the Bearcats’ streak of 27 straight years with a bi-district win is among the things he’s most proud of.
Meanwhile, Cooper has won 10 straight bi-district games and 12 of the past 13 in which they’ve played.
The Bearcats and Burleson Centennial (10-1) were the lone teams to move on to the second round of the postseason. Centennial disposed of Lake Belton (8-3) 56-28 and will take on Amarillo Tascosa (10-1) Friday in Wichita Falls.
Denton Ryan (7-4) fell 29-28 to Red Oak (9-2), while Northwest (6-5) was bested 51-34 by Midlothian (11-0).
Should the Bearcats top Cooper and Midlothian defeat Amarillo (6-5), the Panthers would be Aledo’s third-round opponent. The last time they met was in 2019 in Aledo, a 34-28 Bearcats overtime district victory.
Aledo Bearcats (9-2) vs. Lubbock Cooper Pirates (9-2)
When: 7 p.m. Friday, Mustang Bowl, 1205 Ragland Rd., Sweetwater
What: Class 5A Division I area
How they got here: Aledo is the champion of District 3-5A Division I and defeated Killeen Shoemaker 37-0 in bi-district. Cooper is the runner-up in 2-5A Division I and defeated El Paso Bel Air 59-7 in bi-district.
Cooper offense: The Pirates are averaging 28.5 points per game and are coming off their most explosive output of the season as they scored 42 points in the first quarter alone against Bel Air. Running back Abe Brandiger gained 135 yards on just 11 carries, including a 50-yard TD run, one of several big scoring runs. Others were Ethan Elkins for 88 yards and Jackson Austin for 73 yards.
Aledo offense: The Bearcats are averaging 46.5 points and have scored at least 35 points in each of their nine straight wins. Leaders are: Passing - Hauss Hejny 61-for-104, 1,242 yards, 13 TD, 3 interceptions. Rushing - Hawk Patrick-Daniels 141 carries, 1,068 yards, 16 TD; Hejny 62 carries, 710 yards, 9 TD; Caleb Pope 70-426, 12 TD; Ryan Cox 83-414, 3 TD. Receiving - Jalen Pope 38 catches, 718 yards, 10 TD; Kaydon Finley 14-316, 4 TD; Tyson Timms 22-289, 3 TD.
Cooper defense: The Pirates have held four opponents to nine points or less and are surrendering an average of 17 points.
Aledo defense: The Bearcats’ blanking of Shoemaker was their second of the season. Also, they have held five opponents to a touchdown or less. In all, opponents are averaging 15.5 points, but only 11.3 in the winning streak. Leaders are: Tackles - Dahvon Keys 59, Jake Gillespie 49.5, Andrew Parkhurst 43, Boogie Owens 37. Tackles for loss - Ansel Din-Mbuh 12, Parkhurst 9.5, Lawson Moore 7. Sacks - Parkhurst 3.5,, Din-Mbuh 3, Christian Hillman 2, Carson Dempsey 2. Interceptions - Jaden Allen 3, Chris Johnson 2. Fumble recoveries - Owens 2, Skylar Frank 2.
Team rushing yards per game: Aledo 274.1. Cooper NA.
Team passing yards per game: Aledo 169.1, Cooper NA.
Team rushing yards surrendered per game: Aledo 101.5, Cooper NA.
Team passing yards surrendered per game: Aledo 145.9, Cooper NA.
Turnovers: Aledo 13, Cooper NA.
Takeaways: Aledo 18, Cooper NA.
All-time record: The only other time the Bearcats and Pirates have met was in the 2019 state semifinals. Aledo won 28-21 and went on to win a second consecutive state championship.
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