The Aledo Bearcats open football season in 15 days and the coaches and players are busy putting in the work to continue the success of the program in the face of change.
The biggest change facing Aledo is moving from 5A Division II to 5A Division I and being put in a 9-team district that includes six teams that qualified for the playoffs last season. Many of the football experts don’t pick Aledo as the favorite in District 3-5A.
The district includes Denton Ryan, Burleson Centennial, Northwest, Azle, Brewer, Saginaw, South Hills and The Colony.
Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine picks Ryan to win the district and Aledo to finish second. Ryan went 12-2 in 5A Division I last year and was a regional finalist.
Aledo has two weeks of practice to fill the gaps left from losing 14 starters to graduation.
The Bearcats will find out how good the 2022 team is early in the season as they open with four games against teams that made the playoffs last year.
Aledo opens the season against defending TAPPS state champion Parish Episcopal. In the Texas Football computer rankings, Parish Episcopal enters the season ranked 8th in the state, while Aledo is ranked 24th.
The Bearcats second game is the home-opener against 6A power Denton Guyer, which went to the 6A-Divison II state finals last year and Texas Football’s computer rankings put them as the No. 2 team in the state.
Here are a few photos from Thursday’s football practice.
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