Aledo bends, but doesn’t break in state-ranked showdown with Frisco Lone Star
Aledo opened its title defense last week with a 47-7 shellacking over Parker county neighbor Weatherford.
The Bearcats appeared to be on their way to another convincing win Thursday night, but Frisco Lone Star decided to give them a scare in the second half.
Lone Star cut a 28-7 deficit to 31-28 with 2:21 left in the third quarter. Then down 38-35 with 3:13 to play in the fourth, the Rangers had a chance to tie or take the lead.
Running back Ashton Jeanty caught a pass and scampered 25 yards inside the Aledo 35, but Cap Mooney poked the ball out and after a few bounces, Sammy Steffe landed on it to give the Bearcats possession.
Mooney was Defensive MVP of the Class 5A Division 2 state championship game in January when Aledo captured its UIL state record 10th football title.
“They ran a normal pace in the first half and came out of halftime at a faster pace which we didn’t expect,” Mooney said. “Defense adjusted a little bit and was able to force a turnover on the last drive. That was our main goal, to cause a turnover.”
“Cap did a heck of a job punching it out and Sammy was right there to jump on it,” added Aledo coach Tim Buchanan.
Ryan Williams, who started the game with fireworks, ended it with a 67-yard touchdown run and Aledo went on to beat Lone Star, 45-35, at Toyota Stadium.
Williams, who moved from linebacker to running back this season, rushed 30 times for 159 yards and one touchdown. He opened the game by returning the kickoff 81 yards for a score and 7-0 lead.
“He’s getting better every day and he’ll start punishing defenders as he runs the ball more,” Buchanan said. “He hasn’t played running back since his sophomore year.”
The Bearcats (2-0), ranked the No. 1 team in the 5A D2 state and Fort Worth-area rankings, scored 14 points in each of the first two quarters and took a 28-7 lead into intermission.
“We didn’t panic,” Williams said. “Playing running back in my senior year, I have some big shoes to fill, Jase [McClellan], DeMarco [Roberts], Johnathan Gray...I have to put the team on my back.”
But Lone Star (1-1), ranked No. 5 in the 5A D1 state rankings, was a far different team entering the third quarter. Jeanty picked up a 25-yard run during the first drive and capped it off with a 19-yard touchdown run to pull within 28-14 early in the period.
After a Clay Murador 20-yard field goal gave Aledo a 31-14 lead, it took Lone Star all but three plays from scrimmage to score 14 points. Garrett Rangel hit a wide-open Devin Turner on a 57-yard touchdown and then Jeanty on a 43-yard score that brought the margin to 31-28 late in the third.
Aledo responded on its ensuing drive going 86 yards in eight plays.
Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi hit Oklahoma tight end commit Jason Llewellyn 26 yards on third-and-15 at their own 15 and Fowler-Nicolosi connected with Hauss Hejny on a 55-yard TD to make it 10 early in the fourth.
“Ryan returning the kick and giving us a lead, then we got another touchdown...we played a mistake free first half,” Buchanan said. “Second half, not so much. We made way too many mistakes. We’ll clean that up.”
Lone Star cut the lead back to three again with 4:22 left when Jeanty broke four tackles on a 49-yard scoring run. Jeanty rushed for 154 yards on 16 carries. He also scored on an 8-yard run midway through the second to cut the Aledo lead to 14-7.
The Bearcats extended their lead to 14-0 following Williams’ kickoff return on a Davhon Keys’ 15-yard run. After Jeanty’s score, Aledo went up 28-7 on two Nicolosi TD passes, 75 yards to Brian Fleming and 13 yards to Llewellyn, the latter coming with a minute remaining in the first half.
“Blocks were perfect and set up really well. I shot up the middle, made a few guys miss and hit a home run,” Williams said about his kickoff return.
Nicolosi threw for 254 yards on 13 of 19 passing and three TDs.
Fleming had four catches for 98 yards. Llewellyn added 89 yards on six receptions. Jaden Allen, who has offers from Texas, LSU and USC, intercepted a pass in the second quarter.
Rangel, a 3-star Oklahoma State commit, threw for 238 yards and two TDs before coming off the field in the fourth quarter. He would finish the game on the sideline on crutches.
Jeanty and Turner combined for 175 yards receiving on 10 catches.
This story was originally published September 3, 2021 at 12:28 AM.
