Devhon Keys scored three times, Raycine Guillory played for the first time in a month and rushed for 187 yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Hauss Hejny ran for one touchdown and threw for another in Friday’s 48-31 playoff victory over Lubbock Cooper.
It was the most points Cooper has given up this year and the fewest points it has scored.
Aledo never trailed in the game, but Cooper did keep answering to make it interesting.
Aledo advances to the third round of the playoffs to play the winner of the Red Oak vs. Amarillo playoff game.
Aledo scored on its first two possessions of the game to take a 14-0 lead.
Guillory didn’t start the game and only had six carries in the first half. On the opening possession, Hejny was 4-5 passing for 53 yards. On second and goal from the four, linebacker Keys came in to run from the wildcat formation. Keys ran like a freight train the whole night when he was called on for short yardage situations. He finished with seven carries for 46 yards.
Aledo’s Cooper Kohan recovered a Cooper fumble in the Pirate’s first drive and Aledo quickly took a two-score lead. The big plays in the drive were a Hejny 21-yard pass to Hawk Patrick-Daniels and a Guillory 16 yard run to give Aledo a first and goal at the 5. Keys came in and easily ran around the left end to give the Bearcats a 14-0 lead with 51 seconds left in the first quarter.
But Cooper quickly answered. The Pirate option offense gave Aledo fits all night. Cooper marched down field to make it 14-7, then a short kick hit the turf and Cooper recovered and the Pirates scored to make it 14-14.
Aledo got a great kick return from Aven Lawrence to start at mid field and it took just four plays to regain the lead. Hejny keep the ball and ran it in from 29 yards to give Aledo a 21-14 lead with 5:47 left in the half.
The Bearcat defense forced a quick three-and-out and Aledo quickly made it 28-14. A 36-yard run by Gillory put Aledo in the red zone, but it was a 7-yard TD pass from Hejny to Kaydon Finley on fourth down to put the points on the board.
Cooper then managed a field goal to make it 28-17 at half.
Aledo forced a punt on Cooper’s first drive of the second half, then Guillory scored in a 78-yard run to make it 35-17 with 8:01 left in the third quarter.
“With me and Hauss in the backfield, the defense has to pick one to try and stop. If you pick me, Hauss is going to beat you. If you pick Hauss, I’m going to beat you,” Guillory said after the game. Hejny rushed for 117 yards and passed for 134 yards as Aledo had 354 rushing yards.
It looked like Aledo was in control when it was 35-17. But just like it did in the first half, Cooper scored 14 quick points to get back in the game.
After the first score cut the lead to 35-24, the Pirates forced a quick three-and-out by Aledo. A good punt return put the ball on the Aledo 25 and they got a 25-yard TD run on the first play to make it 35-31with 1:45 left in the third quarter.
However, the fourth quarter was all Aledo. The Bearcats quickly moved into Cooper territory with a 17-yard and 10 yard run from Hejny. Facing a fourth-and-1 at the Cooper 29, Keys came on to run out of the Wildcat. Keys ran around right end and rumbled down the sideline for a 29-yard TD run to make it 42-31 with 10:31 left in the game.
The Aledo defens then forced a turnover on downs and Aledo drove 59-yards on nine plays. Guillory got his secord TD run from 10 yards up the middle with 2:13 left to play to make it 48-31 with 2:13 left in the game.
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