Aledo denied eighth state championship

Aledo’s quest for its eighth state championship fell short Saturday as the Bearcats lost, 20-19, to College Station in the Class 5A Division 2 final at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. In a matchup featuring two explosive offenses, defense reigned supreme in a nail biter that remained anyone’s game until the final seconds. When it finally ended, College Station, a new school which fielded its first full squad in 2014, walked with the state championship trophy and a 14-2 record. Aledo finished with a 15-1 record. Trailing 20-19 with 1:14 to play, Aledo quarterback Jake Bishop dropped back to pass from the College Station 31-yard-line on third and nine. Scrambling to his right, scanning the field for an open receiver, Bishop found nothing but College Station defenders in his face. Running for his life from multiple Cougars, Bishop reversed direction and ran backward, eventually being sacked on Aledo’s own 47-yard-line and turning the ball over on downs in the process. The Aledo sideline fell silent as the game clock mercilessly continued ticking down following the sack. College Station took over near midfield, remaining committed to the run and forcing Aledo to use all three of its time outs in an attempt to run out the clock. Going three-and-out, the Cougars punted back to Aledo with 19 seconds remaining, forcing the Bearcats to start their final drive on their own 27 yard line with no timeouts remaining. Aledo’s Bishop attempted to work a miracle for the Bearcats, tucking the ball and running to midfield before being pummeled. Attempting to spike the ball to ensure one last desperation heave, the clock hit zero right before the snap, ending the game. An ironic mix of euphoria and dejection filled AT&T Stadium as the officials waved Aledo’s last play dead. Booming cheers from College Station fans and deafening silence from the Aledo sideline filled the venue, each team in disbelief of the game’s final few plays. Aledo nearly spoiled the Cougars’ fun on that very same College Station drive, as an Aledo defender jumped a route and barely missed a pick six, watching the errant Perez pass slip through his fingers. Several plays prior, the Cougars escaped fumble trouble as Aledo forced College Station’s DaDa Anderson to cough up the ball. Anderson had already been ruled down however. The Bearcats playmakers kept Aledo in this game until the end. After a dominant season, Aledo running back Jase McClellan finished the Bearcats’ championship pursuit with a vintage performance, compiling 141 yards on 22 carries and scoring two touchdowns. The extra defensive attention paid to Aledo’s running back put pressure on Bishop to make plays with his legs, a responsibility he took in stride, helping Aledo move the chains with his running ability. Fellow Aledo running back Tre Owens was a force on special teams, racking up 113 return yards on the day and helping Aledo to start drives in good field position. College Station maintained a balanced offense on the day, switching up quick-rhythm passing with a large dose of read-option. Cougar quarterback Marquez Perez finished the day with 128 yards passing. He also added 53 yards on the ground. College Station running back DaDa Anderson ran for 109 yards and two touchdowns on the afternoon and added 27 yards through the air on five receptions. A handful of big plays accounted for the majority of both team’s offensive output. With 3:48 left until halftime, the Cougars broke a 60-yard touchdown run up the middle by running back DaDa Anderson to put the Cougars up 10-7. Coming out of halftime, Aledo’s McClellan scampered 76 yards up the middle of the field on the first play of the second half for a touchdown to tie the score at 13-13. Overall, neither offense was able to gain much of an upper hand on the afternoon, however, with the two teams combining for 12 punts. Missed opportunities hurt Aledo, with the Bearcat defense missing several potential interceptions as well as recovering a fumble that was instead ruled a dead ball. It was uncharacteristic of the Bearcats, who made a habit of capitalizing on opportunities such as those throughout the regular and post season. With Bishop and McClellan returning next season to lead the Bearcats’ offense once again, Aledo remains a threat to win that anticipated eighth state title. However, the Bearcats’ “chase for eight” will have to wait at least one more year.

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ALEDO DENIED EIGHTH STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

FORREST MURPHY

Weatherford Democrat | 12/23/2017

PHOTO CREDIT: Heidi Dutcher