Bearcats Headed to The State Championship Game
Aledo used a dominate defense and the offense came up big in the third quarter to rally the Bearcats from a 14-3 deficit to topple top-ranked Longview 17-14 to earn Aledo’s 13th trip to the state championship game.
It took a two-hour lightening delay to play the final 56 seconds, but it was well worth the wait for the Bearcats.
The Bearcat defense held Longview to its lowest point total of the season and held the Lobos’ star running back Taylor Tatum to less than 50 yards in the game. Longview came into the game averaging more than 200 rushing yards per game but could only manage 67 against Aledo’s defense.
However, Longview receiver Jalen Hale came up with two touchdown receptions to give Longview the halftime lead despite Aledo’s ability to stop the Lobo rushing attack. Aledo outgained Longview in the game 254 yards to 211. Aledo had 208 rushing yards to 67 for the Lobos.
Aledo opened the scoring by driving 49 yards to the Longville 20 on their second possession of the game. Clay Murador’s 37-yard field goal gave Aledo the 3-0 lead with 13 second left in the first quarter.
Longview came up with two interceptions in the second quarter to grab momentum.
The first interception gave Lonview the ball at the Aledo 39. Seven plays later Hale out jumped two Aledo defenders to pull in a 28-yard TD catch to make it 7-3 with 5:49 left in the half. Less than three minutes later, Hale got behind the Aledo defense for a 55-yard touchdown reception to make it 14-3.
Longview came up with a second interception before the half, but Aledo’s defense didn’t allow the Lobos to get any points from the turnover.
Aledo got the ball first in the second half and the Bearcats wasted little time in taking the lead for good by scoring on their first two drives of the second half.
Aledo coach Tim Buchanan said the Bearcats were able to get their running game going in the third quarter by cleaning up some missed blocking assignments on the offense line. Hawk Patrick-Daniels broke a 60-yard TD run on Aledo’s first possession of the third quarter to make it 14-10.
Patrick-Daniels started right, then cutback to the left, broke a tackle at the line and broke free for the 60-yard run.
After Longview went three and out, Aledo marched 65 yards on just six plays to take a 17-14 lead with 5:44 left in the third quarter. Patrick-Daniels had runs of 29 and 17 yards in the game-winning drive, but it was Davhon Keys who had the 10-yard TD run.
Late in the third quarter Murador picked up a huge play for Aledo. With the Bearcats forced to punt from their own13-yard line, Murador mishandled the snap and the ball fall to the ground inside the 5. However, Murador was able to pick up the ball, make one Lobo defender miss, then take off running for a 25-yard gain.
In the fourth quarter, the Aledo defense came up with a sack and a tackle for loss to end one Longview drive. Aledo then recovered a Longview fumble at the 30 with 1:40 left in the game. Longview forced a three-and-out and got the ball back at Aledo’s 44 with a little over a minute to play.
On first down defensive tackle Bryon Wheeler got a sack at the 50, forcing Longview to use its final timeout.
As the teams went to the sidelines, word came that lightening was detected in the area, forcing a 30-minute delay. That 30-minute delay stretched to more than two hours as every lightening strike caused the 30-minute clock to reset.
When the two teams finally got back on the field, the Aledo defense continued its steller play. On second down Longview tried to hit Hale deep, but double coverage didn’t allow Hale to make an adjustment to a ball.
On third down, Aledo ran a stunt on their defensive line to get pressure on the quarterback and force him to throw the ball away.
On fourth down, Aledo again ran a stunt and Christian Hillman got pressure and knocked down Longview’s fourth-down pass to send Aledo to the state championship game next Saturday at AT&T Stadium.
College Station beat Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial 33-7 in the other semifinal. College Station advances to the 5A-D1 title game against Aledo. College Station upset Aledo in the 2017 5A-D2 state title game.
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