By Nolan Ruth
X – @RealNolanRuth
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Like several other teams in Parker County, it is the beginning of a new era for the Aledo Bearcats. For the first time ever, the 12 time state champion will play in the state’s largest classification. While this is definitely big news across the state, the Aledo program and community has not batted an eye. Head coach Robby Jones did not shy away from scheduling some of the premier programs in Class 6A.
That was evident on Thursday night in an impressive showing against Southlake Carroll. The Bearcats showed up defensively and made Carroll fight for every yard, while transfer quarterback Tre Williams settled into his new role and led the Bearcat offense for a pair of touchdowns in the exhibition.
Williams takes the reins after moving in from 6A Lewisville where he threw for 2,504 yards and 29 touchdowns in his junior year. His pocket presence is different from that of Aledo quarterbacks from the past, but he is not afraid to keep it himself or throw on the run. The three-star recruit will have a few weapons in the passing game with fellow transfer Kingston Parks who comes in from Arlington Oakridge where he caught 24 passes for 380 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Maddox Nurse is a junior receiver who steps up into his first varsity season, and Jones has high hopes for. Senior Kane Lanier and sophomore Wyatt Dorsey could also burst onto the scene as receivers. In the backfield it will be senior Jeremiah Johnson who, at 6’0, 220 pounds, is expected to make a big impact with his size and physicality. For speed and agility, expect sophomore Izzy Roberts to get a few carries scattered throughout.
Up front is where Aledo has the most returning experience. Senior center Grant Forman and guard Omari Din-Mbuh are both back along with tackle Cooper Elms. This strength on the line will be crucial for the offensive success of this team. Tight end Colby Thompson will also help up front while potentially being a big weapon downfield as well.
The Bearcats also lost a lot defensively to graduation, but the expectations remain the same. Based on their performance in the scrimmage, they have not missed a beat in reloading. Senior tackle Tymon Meeks is back after a standout junior season in which he totaled 96 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and 7 sacks. He is expected to be joined by Din-Mbuh who will be a rare ironman in Class 6A. JoJo Cooper will be at defensive end after recording 20 total tackles in limited time a season ago.
At linebacker, Cole Cox is the big name to know after 106 tackles a year ago on the outside. He is expected to move to middle linebacker for his senior season. Flanking him will be Max Forman and Kaeden Weaver. Forman saw some time at defensive end a year ago where he accounted for 29 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. Weaver also saw time on the defense a year ago.
In the secondary, Jordan Hall is the lone returner after seeing action in all 15 games as a sophomore. Ashton Hebel is expected to see time at safety after a junior season that saw him mostly working on special teams.
Schedule & Analysis
at North Crowley
vs Waco Midway
at Euless Trinity
at Granbury
vs Arlington Martin
vs Arlington Bowie
at Arlington
vs Weatherford
at Arlington Sam Houston
vs Arlington Lamar
Floor: 6-4, 2-seed
The non-district schedule is a baptism by fire into Class 6A. Before even mentioning North Crowley, Waco Midway and Euless Trinity may not be who they once were but they still rank highly as feared programs in the state. Aledo is also known, in seasons of uncertainty, to take some time to get going. If that happens, it is very possible that the season starts with an 0-3 record. Then when district rolls around, coming off of a bye week to play the toughest competition in the district in Arlington Bowie is a trap game if I have ever seen one. Especially after opening with what I imagine will be wins over Granbury and Arlington Martin. (Don’t sleep on Martin or Lamar either.)
Ceiling: 10-0, District Champions
This entire section completely changed from what I was initially going to write. Going into the scrimmage with Southlake Carroll, I thought that an opening night loss to North Crowley was almost certain. However, based on what I saw Thursday night, I can see a way for the Bearcats to pull it off and almost immediately thrust themselves into the state spotlight. It is still not likely, but I can see it. Midway has quite a bit of talent, but has issues on the offensive line, which is always a problem when facing Aledo. Trinity will be the final big test before a district that is far from the most competitive that this program has seen in the recent past. That Trinity game will come down to the trenches and Aledo’s ability to stop the run, which it did quite nicely against Carroll.
Nolan’s Prediction: 9-1, District champions
I still cannot quite talk myself into Aledo taking down North Crowley in the season opener. With the amount of talent on that Panther squad, I see this game slipping away late. However, I do believe that Midway and Trinity are the perfect opponents to find solid ground in this inaugural 6A season, and it only gets better from there. If the team can keep its head on straight and not get caught napping against Arlington Bowie, and possibly even Lamar, the district winning streak should live to see 142 games.
