For the first time in almost a year, the No. 1 ranked Aledo football team faced a deficit.
Frisco Reedy had just kicked a field goal to take a 3-0 lead, making the first time this season that the Bearcats were behind in a football game.
Aledo responded by scoring the next 19points in the 26-16 victory in the Class 5A Division II Region II title game Saturday afternoon at Northwest ISD Stadium.
The deficit was just enough to get the Bearcat’s ire up.
Aledo and Jasse McClellan responded by dominating the second and third quarters to take control of the game and a 19-3 lead.
McClellan carried the ball 28 times for 185 yards and three touchdowns.
After Aledo took the 7-3 with 10:12 to play before halftime, Frisco Reedy could only manage 1 first down until the fourth quarter.
After falling behind, Aledo drove 75 yards on 6 plays, all runs, to claim the lead for good.
McClellan provided the big play when he took a run around the right end 43-yards for the TD to give Aledo a 7-3 lead with 7:26 left to play in the half.
Reedy managed one first down after Aledo took the lead, but the Bearcats got the ball back at their own27. On the second play of the drive, McClellan ripped off a a59-yard run that was classic Jase.
McClellan started out up the middle,finding a small crease created by the offensive line. After breaking a couple of arm tackles, he spun to the outside before finally getting pushed out of bounds at the Reedy 14.
On two consecutive carries in the second quarter, McClellan had two runs for a total of 102 yards that turned the game around.
Bishop threw a 9 yard pass to Jordan Montes that gave the Bearcats a first down at the Reedy 4. Two plays later McClellan scored his second TD on a 1-yard run to make it 13-3.
Aledo got the ball first in the second half and the Bearcats used their running back to control the ball and time of possession. The Bearcats had the ball for more than 11minutes in the third quarter. They had two long drives, which both ended with field goals from Harper Smith to give Aledo a 19-3 lead with 11:05 left in the game.
The Lions showed why they were undefeated coming into the game as they responded with a 14-play, 71-yard touchdown drive to make it 19-9 with 7:48 left to play.
Aledo then put the game away by running the ball 9 consecutive times, covering 64 yards. McClellan got his third TD, from 5 yards out, to complete the drive and give the Bearcats a 26-9 lead.
Reedy got their final TD with 15 seconds left in the game.
In Friday’s state semifinal game, Aledo will be a heavy favorite against a 10-5 Wichita Falls Rider team.Rider has surprised everyone by winning four playoff games after starting the season 1-4. The losses were to Azle (21-0), Amarillo (28-0), Brownwood (20-16), and Dumas (33-7). They lost another game later in the season to Lubbock Cooper, 21-7.
In the playoffs, Rider has defeated O.D. Wyatt (57-77), El Paso Andress (41-10) Randall (38-7) and Lubbock Cooper (38-35).
The state semifinal game will be played at 8 p.m. Friday at AT&T stadium.
Click here for a link to a gallery of action images.
Scoring Summary
FR – Will Harbour 46-yard field goal
A – Jase McClellan 43-yard run (Harper Smith kick)
A – Jase McClellan 1-yard run (kick failed)
A – Harper Smith 26-yard field goal
A – Harper Smith 24-yard field goal
FR – Josh Foskey 1-yard run (run failed)
A – Jase McClellan 5-yard run (Harper Smith kick)
FR – Josh Foskey 2-yard run (Will Harbour kick)
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