Photos by Brian McLean
By Nolan Ruth
X – @RealNolanRuth
ALEDO— Every year, the University Interscholastic League awards the Lone Star Cup to one school per classification as recognition for outstanding achievement in extracurricular activities. Despite incredible success in several athletic events, and even fine arts events, the school that is affectionately known as the Bearcats has always fallen short of the award.
However, after a rough start at the beginning of the 2024-25 scholastic calendar, Aledo snuck up and came through in the final events of the year to take the Class 5A Lone Star Cup outright for the first time in school history.
“It’s really about the kids and the staff who are working super hard to have exceptional experiences,” Aledo superintendent Dr. Susan Bohn said after receiving the award for the district. “It’s staff building up these kids to be champions in all different things. What I love about it is that it’s not just about football, but football contributed big time. But it’s about all that we do here including academics.”
The football team, which contributed 10 points to the cup race a year ago, made a spectacle out of the event by dominating nearby rival Brewer 54-7 on the turf of Tim Buchanan Stadium.
Unlike the football game, the Bearcats really battled for the first outright Lone Star Cup. Team tennis and girl’s cross country both got off to good starts with contributing six points, and the marching band added six as well.
Despite the football team being an earlier exit than they expected, falling in the region final, the volleyball team backed them up by reaching the state semifinals to secure 12 more points. The spirit team ended one point at the end of the fall semester.
Halfway through the school year, Aledo stood with 41 points. Respectable, but not on a great pace to claim the Lone Star cup.
Tonight, the first half went spectacularly for the Bearcats, jumping out to a 44-0 lead behind a strong defensive performance, only allowing the Bears two first downs the entire first half.
Offensively, Kaydon Finley got back into the box score after two weeks of being solidly covered by the defenses of Denton Guyer and Lancaster.
“We, for different reasons, weren’t getting the ball to him,” head football coach Robby Jones said after the game. “We had opportunities to get him the ball in some of the earlier games but tonight we were doing a better job protecting the quarterback, giving the quarterback time to see it, and then the quarterback got the ball to him.”
While the football team was in dominating form tonight, back in January the school trailed in the Lone Star Cup race and was not on a good pace to catch up. District championships for both boy’s and girl’s basketball helped with the girls getting six points after a playoff win, and the boys getting four for the district title. Midway through the spring semester, robotics added a point of their own, and the soccer teams both added four points each after district titles.
Academics got four more points just before the end of the school year, but the Bearcats still needed one last push from the remaining events. From under the radar, the already very decorated theatre program at Aledo pulled out its best result at competition ever, bringing home silver in One Act Play to add 10 points to the total. Suddenly, the Bearcats were right back in the mix.
The softball team then kept its roll going by reaching the state semifinals for the fourth time in five years after another district title, to add another 12 points. However, Aledo still trailed with one event remaining. Then it was the Bearcats baseball team that came up clutch by making an incredible run to Round Rock, and claimed the school’s second state championship to add 18 more points, edging out Frisco Wakeland 108-95.
“Everybody had a role to play,” head baseball coach Chad Barry said with a cheeky grin after being on the field to receive the award. “But to be able to get those few extra points by winning a state championship was special to me.”
At halftime of Friday night’s football game, every coach and director took center stage as representatives from the UIL presented Aledo ISD with its first ever outright Lone Star Cup. Jones and his team then went back into the locker room before coming back out and capping off a historic night by cruising to victory 54-7.
“The really neat thing about this award is that it encompasses everything,” high school principal Michael Martinak said after the ceremony. “And also how we support one another. Whether it’s the football team going to the baseball games, or the softball team going to the volleyball games, how everyone really supports one another; they really are ‘All In Aledo.’”
Aledo looks to repeat its success in extracurriculars this season as the school year has begun again, and the Lone Star Cup is once again up for grabs in what could be its final year in Class 5A. On the field, the win improves Aledo to 3-0 on the season, and they will face Birdville next Friday in North Richland Hills to continue district play.
