Aledo ties mark for most 11-man championships in state history with 55-19 victory
The Bearcats were dominate in winning their 8th state championship, and seventh title since 2009. The victory in front of 26,155 fans tied them with Celina, Katy and Southlake Carroll for most 11-man championships in 11-man state history.
Jase McClellan, who gave Aledo the lead for good with a 42-yard TD run on the Bearcats’ second offensive play, scored 4 touchdowns to earn the title game Offensive MVP award. McClellan finished with 149 yards on 21 carries.
He scored Aledo’s first four touchdowns on runs of 42, 6 and 2 yards as well as a 22-yard screen pass reception from quarterback Jake Bishop.
Aledo finished the season at 16-0, while Fort Bend Marshall ends its season with at 15-1. It was the third time in four weeks that Aledo sent home a previously undefeated team.
“(The Offensive MVP award) could have gone to anyone on the offense,” McClellan said. “The o-line was just pushing and making holes for me and the quarterback was throwing great. Everyone was playing their part.”
The victory also helped the Bearcats erase the sting of losing by one point in last year’s state title game.
“We had to wait a whole year to come back and get redemption,” Aledo senior linebacker Wyatt Harris said. Harris was named the games Defensive MVP. The first string defense held the high-scoring Fort Bend Marshall team to one touchdown. Marshall also scored a defensive touchdown and got a score against the Aledo reserves late in the fourth quarter.
Aledo began imposing its will in the middle of the second quarter, right after Fort Bend Marshall scored a touchdown to cut Aledo’s lead to 14-12. The Bearcats stuffed the two-point conversion attempt to keep the lead then scored the game’s next 41 points.
Harris, who led Aledo with four solo tackles and two assists to win the Defensive MVP award.
“(The award) means everything. But it’s our coaches putting us in position to make plays,” Harris said while holding his plaque and wearing the state championship medal round his neck.
Harris was in on the tackle of the 2-point conversion attempt to keep Aledo ahead 14-12 eary in the second quarter. He also had a big tackle on Fort Bend’s opening drive.
“We came out and played fast and physical like we always do,” Harris said. “If you play us, you’re going to play a defense that’s going to come at you on every play. It’s a four-quarter game.”
During Aledo’s dominate third quarter, the defense came up with two fumble recoveries. One on a kickoff and another on a sack.
Senior Regan Rice recovered the kickoff at the Fort Bend Marshall 21 right after Aledo had scored on their opening drive of the third quarter to make the score 35-12.
Three plays later tight end Devan Daugherty caught a 20-yard TD pass on third and nine to open the score to 42-12.
Fort Bend Marshall’s next drive lasted only three plays. On third and seven, sophomore defensive tackle Oliver Crow forced a fumble by Buffalo quarterback Malik Hornsby, which was recovered by Aledo’s Will Greenwood.
Jake Bishop completed an 8-play, 36-yard drive with a 7-yard TD run with 32 seconds left in the third quarter to stretch the lead to 48-12.
At that point in the third quarter, Marshall had run three offensive plays, while Aledo had scored three touchdowns.
Aledo only punted one time in the game.
Bishop finished the game by completing 14 of 17 passes for 174 yards and three touchdowns. The effort helped him become the third of the Bishop brothers to win a state championship as a quarterback at Aledo. His older brothers Matt and Luke were winning quarterbacks during 5 of Aledo’s 8 state championship teams.
The brothers stood side-by-side answering questions from the media on the AT&T Stadium turf after Aledo’s convincing victory.
Scoring Summary
1st Qtr. 8:18
Aledo – Jase McClellan 42-yard run (Harper Smith kick)
1st Qtr. 6:35
Marshall – Frank Miller 0-yard fumble recovery (Kick failed)
1st Qtr. 3:42
Aledo – McClellan 6-yard run (Smith kick)
2nd Qtr. 10:23
Marshall – Malik Hornsby 4-yard run (2-point conversion failed)
2nd Qtr. 7:22
Aledo – McClellan 2-yard run (Smith kick)
2nd Qtr. 2:00
Aledo – McClellan 22-yard pass from Jake Bishop (Smith kick)
3rd Qtr. 6:42
Aledo – Tre Owens 3-yard run (Smith kick)
3rd Qtr. 5:23
Aledo – Devan Daugherty 20-yard pass from Bishop (Smith kick)
3rd Qtr. 0:32
Aledo – Bishop 8-yard run (Kick failed)
4th Qtr. 5:47
Aledo – Jo Jo Earle 27-yard pass from Bishop (Smith kick)
4th Qtr. 1:51
Marshall – Devon Achane 49-yard pass from Hornsby (Angel Martinez kick)
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