Aledo rolled to a 53-20 6A Division II bi-district playoff victory over Keller Central by controlling all three phases of the game and scoring in just about every possible way.
Aledo got touchdowns by running the ball, passing the ball’ on a kickoff return and a punt return. The Bearcats also had a pair of field goals as they won their first playoff game as a 6A school.
Aledo’s defense also came up with a pair of interceptions, a fumble recovery on a muffed punt reception and stopped Keller Central on two fake punts. The turnovers and fake punt stuffs, gave Aledo short fields and the punishing Aledo run game took advantage throughout the game.
Aledo rushed for 313 yards, including 172 yards on just 19 carries by quarterback Eli Pinnick. Pinnick rushed for two touchdowns and the Bearcats also had rushing touchdowns from Izzy Roberts and Wyatt Dorsey.
Aledo only threw the ball eight times, completing five for 84 yards and one touchdown.
The Bearcats jumped out to a 13-0 lead and never trailed in the game. Aledo led 23-14 at halftime, then put the game away by outscoring the Chargers 30-6 in the second half.
Aledo’s scouting report must have shown that Central’s defense was susceptible to a running quarterback. Pinnick got the start for the Bearcats and the quarterback run plays were a big part of the run game.
Pinnick scored the first two touchdowns for Aledo on runs of 31 and 15 yards.
After the Chargers cut the lead to 13-7, Aledo got a 96-yard kick return for a touchdown from Cooper Hull to push the lead to 20-7. Central answered right back when quarterback Isaiah Taylor threw a 45-yard TD pass to Gavin Smith to make it 20-14.
Hudson Parks kicked a 33-yard field goal later in the second quarter to make the score 23-14.
Hull got another TD on a return in the third quarter, this time a punt return for 47 yards, to make the score 30-14. Parks added a 33-yard field goal later in the quarter to make it 33-14.
Aledo put the game away with three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Dorsey had a 14-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter to make it 39-14.
Central then got its only points of the second half with a touchdown drive that was aided by four penalties against the Aledo defense. Three of those penalties came on consecutive plays to move the ball 30 yards.
The Bearcats closed the scoring on a 6-yard run by Izzy Roberts and the 20-yard TD pass from Tre Williams to Mason McCadam.
Aledo finished the game with 397 yards of offense and had more than 200 return yards from kick and punt returns, including the two returns that went for touchdowns.
Aledo moves on to play El Paso Eastwood, which had a bi-district victory over San Angelo Central, 35-33.
That game will be played at 6 p.m. Friday at Lubbock ISD’s Lowery Field at Plains Capital Park. El Paso Eastwood will be the home team.
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