Top-ranked Aledo rolled to a 34-14 victory over Red Oak Friday night in a Class 5A, Division II, Region II semifinal at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
The Aledo defense came up with a huge stop on Red Oak’s opening possession after the Hawks drove to the Aledo 1. A penalty and a 12-yard sack by linebacker Keenan Hess forced Red Oak to attempt a 37-yard field goal that was so short it barely made it to the end zone.
That big stop game Aledo momentum to jump out to a 28-0 lead.
“If we had given up a touchdown there it probably would have been a different game,” Aledo coach Tim Buchanan said.
Buchanan said the defense has made huge strides since giving up 60 points to Denton Guyer in the opening game of the season. He said the Red Oak offense is explosive like Guyer’s, but his defense was able to contain the Hawks with great tackling to eliminate explosive plays.
Aledo will play Ennis, a 17-0 winner over Frisco, in the Region II championship game next Saturday.
After a scoreless first quarter, McClellan got the Bearcats on the scoreboard with a 62-yard TD run on Aledo’s second offensive possession.
The Aledo defense then got the second touchdown when Bryan Allen returned a fumble 10 yards for the touchdown after the ball sailed over the head of Red Oak’s punter.
The defense then stopped Red Oak next possession when safety Nathen Fingar intercepted an Red Oak pass.
The Bearcats then marched 86 yards, which was capped by a 1-yard McClellan run.
McClellan finished with 20 carried for 178 yards. Quarterback Jake Bishop added 54-yards on nine carried as he picked up several big gains by keeping the ball on the speed option. Aledo rolled to 279 rushing yards in the game.
The big plays on Aledo’s third TD drives were a pair of Bishop passes. He hit a wide open Cade Jones for a 32-yard gain. Then, on a 4th-and-12 play, Bishop hit Jo Jo Earle for a 23-yard gain down to the Red Oak 1. Earle out-jumped the Red Oak defender to haul in the pass. McClellan’s second TD run made it 21-0 Aledo with just six seconds left in the first half.
Aledo’s fourth touchdown was set up by Bishop’s 34-yard run down the right sideline. Three plays later Bishop tossed a 6-yard TD pass to Earle to make it 28-0 with less than 3:40 to play in the third quarter.
Red Oak got it’s first score with 7:47 left in the game when Coby Cavil caught a 14-yard pass from Joshua Ervin. However, the PAT kick was missed, leaving the score 28-6.
Aledo answered right back and backup running back Jeremiah James ran around left end for an 18-yard TD run with 2:49 left in the game to make it 34-6. Red Oak scored it’s final TD with 1:07 left in the game.
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