STEPHENVILLE -- Junior quarterback Tyler Jones closed his eyes and prayed.
Then, as Aledo missed a game-winning field goal with no time left, Jones and his Stephenville teammates erupted from the home bench at Tarleton State's Memorial Stadium. Just one problem, a personal foul negated the blocked kick, giving the Bearcats a second chance.Again, Jones and the Yellow Jackets held their breath. And for a second time, this one a 28-yard try, Stephenville's Preston Brown blocked the Aledo attempt to secure an epic 48-47 win."I couldn't stop my legs from shaking," Jones said. "It was an intense moment."Aledo blocked a Stephenville punt with five seconds left in the fourth.The Bearcats tried to take the lead with 1:26 left in the game as well. QB Matthew Bishop completed a 35-yard TD pass to Willie Gibson down the left sideline, cutting Stephenville's lead to one. The Bearcats tried for two, but came up a yard short. Johnathan Gray took a handoff and cut back up the middle, where he was stopped.Stephenville, which had trailed 20-3 and 34-17, controlled the line of scrimmage on several key plays."They out-physicalled us, they outcoached us, and they deserved to win," Aledo coach Tim Buchanan said.Gray, who finished with 219 yards rushing on 28 carries with four TDs, gave the Bearcats a comfortable lead on their first play of the second half, a 58-yard TD run. But Jones and the Yellow Jackets answered."Stephenville never quits," said Jones who finished 20-for-27 for 230 passing yards and three TDs.Jones scrambled for a 31-yard score to cut Aledo's lead to 34-24. After Aledo scored on a 69-yard pass play from Bishop to Gibson, Jones led another TD drive that ended with a 17-yard TD pass from Jones to Hunter Bernays.Aledo fumbled the next kickoff, and Stephenville took the lead with a 15-yard TD from Jones to Brice Gunter, who had 10 catches for 133 yards.The win snapped a five-game Stephenville losing streak to Aledo, and ended the Bearcats' 29-game overall win streak that includes two state championships.Gray rallied his teammates: "We know this is a hard loss, but we have to leave it here and go back to work next week."Brent Shirley, 817-390-7760