High school football countdown: Aledo

Seventeenth in a daily series spotlighting key area high school football teams leading to opening night, Aug. 30.

Aledo Bearcats

District 7-4A

Coach: Tim Buchanan

Last season: 14-2 (7-0 in District 6-4A), Class 4A Division II state champions

Key players: RB Caleb Frysinger (Sr., 5-8, 170); QB Pate Davis (Sr., 6-0, 190); WR Willie Gibson (Sr., 6-0, 170); LB Gunner Johnson (Sr., 6-0, 200); DE Jared Hinsley (Sr., 6-1, 218); CB Shea Wood (Sr., 5-10, 170)

The big picture: Aledo can't expect one player to replace running back Johnathan Gray, last year's Gatorade national high school male Athlete of the Year. But Bearcats the still should have a strong running game with running back Caleb Frysinger and quarterback Pate Davis. Frysinger, who played slot receiver last season, has enough speed to present a big-play threat. Davis, who will work with talented wide receivers, is a physical runner who should have more run/pass option plays than Aledo has run in the past. Aledo struggled on defense early last year, which led to losses to Stephenville and Austin Lake Travis. But that defense gained championship experience, and that could carry the team this season.

Quotable: "Aledo loves winning. We are going to have to work harder, and we are doing that in practices. We expect things to be tough this year, and we are taking on that challenge. Everyone will have to step up. On defense, we feel we are carrying some momentum from last year. We want to be one of the best defenses Aledo has had. We plan on throwing up a lot of goose eggs on the scoreboard." -- DE Jared Hinsley

Notable: Aledo outscored its district opponents 443-134 last season. This year, Buchanan expects the Bearcats' games to be much closer. In 7-4A, Aledo will take on talented squads such as Fort Worth Southwest and Fort Worth Arlington Heights.

-- Brent Shirley

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