Tougher competition ahead, expectations remain

It was October of 2007 when Aledo last lost a district game, falling 35-28 to the Everman Bulldogs. Since that night, the Bearcats have won nine more state championships and 103 consecutive district games.

For the first time since that year, Aledo is not the favorite to win its district. Despite being ranked third in the state, the Bearcats sit one ranking behind their brand new district opponent, Denton Ryan.

With Aledo being promoted to Class 5A Division I, the team now looks ahead to facing tougher competition with the Ryan Raiders being the biggest threat to the near 15-year old district winning streak.

However looking too far ahead could prove troublesome, and head coach Tim Buchanan knows that.

“Their kids play good,” Buchanan said. “But if you’re sitting around worried about playing Denton Ryan, and that’s all you’re worried about then somebody else is going to beat you. We don’t play Denton Ryan till the second-to-last game of the season. We need to have our heads on a swivel and we need to be looking at who we have each week.”

Who the Bearcats have each week is a mix of old rivals and teams not yet played against. The Bearcats open the season with two teams who both played for state championships in 2021.

The Parish Episcopal Panthers, Aledo’s first opponent, won the state title in the largest private school division in Texas. The week after facing off with the Panthers, the Bearcats renew their rivalry with the Denton Guyer Wildcats, who played for the 6A Division II state title where they fell to Austin Westlake.

“Parish Episcopal is as talented a football team as we’ll see all year long,” Buchanan commented. “You go through and look at how many offers their kids have, their size, speed and strength, it kind of turns your stomach upside down.”

However, those two are non-district opponents. Aledo opens district play on a Thursday against the Northwest Texans out of Justin. While Northwest is not a new face for Aledo, they do have a weapon unlike any they have had before in quarterback Jake Strong who is considered one of the best in the state.

Later in the year, the Bearcats will face off with Azle and Burleson Centennial, who have been common opponents recently. Both teams have made incredible strides in the pedigree of their programs since last facing Aledo.

“You can never just count any game as a win,” Buchanan said. “That’s especially the case with Burleson Centennial and how tough and physical they are, not even just the way they play but the scheme that they run. That’s always going to be a challenge and we’re going to have to be prepared for it.”

Once out of district and into the playoffs, the Bearcats will once again be turning their attention westward. After four seasons in Region II, which encompasses the metroplex from east to west, Aledo is now back in Region I which spans from El Paso to Interstate-35W running from Fort Worth to Belton.

El Paso Del Valle is an opponent that Aledo faced in the playoffs back in 2014, and could be poised to make another playoff run again. Amarillo Tascosa is another team that has recently made deep playoff runs at the 6A level and runs a similar style of offense to Burleson Centennial which is extremely difficult to stop.

Lubbock Cooper accompanied Aledo in the move up to 5A Division I, and faced the Bearcats in the 2019 semifinals, a game that ended 28-21 in favor of Aledo. Midlothian and Red Oak are two more teams that Aledo has a history with and will be looking for a chance to knock the Bearcats out come postseason play.