As Aledo prepares to meet North Forney in the area-round playoff game at 3:15 Friday at Globe Life Park in Arlington, here are a few notes you may not be aware of.
First thing of note is that this will not be the first time this year Aledo and North Forney have meet on the football field.
Very few people outside the programs realize that Aledo and North Forney had a scrimmage back in September. Scrimmages aren’t listed on the team’s scores for the season, but I was there taking photos and some notes of the scrimmage.
If you have never attended a high school football scrimmage, you may not realize they aren’t played like a regular season game. The scrimmage starts with a team’s first string offense getting the ball for a set number of plays (10 or so) to go against the other team’s starting defense. The team keeps the ball even if they don’t get a first down, however the ball does move back to the 30-yard line.
The coaches are on the field during this part of the scrimmage, calling plays in the huddle and coaching up players in between plays.
The scrimmage was fairly evenly matched. However, Aledo running back DeMarco Roberts had a 64-yard TD run early in the scrimmage and the Aledo defense came up with turnovers early in the scrimmage.
In the timed part of the scrimmage, neither team scored. In fact, most of the live football part was played on Aledo’s end of the field.
The Bearcats had the ball fist and went three and out, losing six yards on three plays. North Forney took over near midfield after a punt and quickly moved down to the Aledo 7. However, the Bearcat defense then came up with a pair of sacks and forced the Falcons to turn the ball over on downs.
The second time Aledo had the ball, the Bearcats moved the ball from the 9 out to the 40 with some good running from Roberts. However, on third-and-four from the 40, North Forney came up with an interception.
Two things to remember about that scrimmage is that Aledo receiver Jo Jo Earle, who signed this week with Alabama, did not play. Also, Aledo starting quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi was still living in California.
Fowler-Nicolosi has started the last for games for Aledo, after his family moved to Texas in early October. Prior to his first start Nov. 20 at Mansfield Timberview, he only played in one JV game and his knowledge of the Aledo offense was limited. However, since he has taken over as starter Aledo has cut down on the turnovers that stalled the offense earlier in the season. In four games as a starter, Fowler-Nicolosi has completed 37 of 55 passes for 656 yards with 9 touchdown and just one interception.
One other thing to note is Aledo will be without two of their coaches, who are currently in covid 19 quarantine (defensive coordinator and passing game coordinator).
If this is anything like that scrimmage back in September, it will be a very competitive game.
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