Aledo high school football set to compete for UIL record 12th state championship
Aledo is one win away from its 12th state football championship, which would extend its UIL record.
The Bearcats have a storied legacy under Tim Buchanan, who spent 25 years building the foundation of football greatness at Aledo. Following the Aledo legend’s retirement, Robby Jones was promoted from an offensive coordinator position to head coach.
Jones has been with Aledo for over two decades, and said the feeling of winning a state semifinal is the same regardless of the position.
“It’s exciting for these kids,” Jones said. “Not everybody gets to experience going to a state championship so I’m proud of these kids and proud of the work that they put in to put themselves in this position.”
Aledo has 15 wins this season, has extended its district play win streak to 119 and has defeated every playoff opponent by 17 points or more.
“When we’re out there playing to the best of our ability, we’re a tough team to beat and that’s what I told the kids,” Jones said.
Aledo has won four state championships in the last five seasons. On Friday at 7 p.m. CT in the Class 5A D1 State Championship against Comal Smithson Valley (14-1), Jones’ team has a chance to accomplish something that the legendary Buchanan couldn’t quite grasp in his career.
The Bearcats have the opportunity to complete a perfect season in Class 5A D1 for the first time in program history. They’ve reached perfection in 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2018 all while the team was in Class 5A D2.
Players powering the Bearcats
Running back Raycine Guillory, a sophomore, has led the Aledo running game throughout the season, averaging 112 yards per game. The young star, however, did not play in the state semifinal vs. Forney and is questionable for the state championship due to a leg injury.
Hawk Patrick-Daniels, who has played running back for the Bearcats before, stepped into the starting role and tallied 185 yards and two touchdowns.
Another player to watch in the Aledo ground game is Davhon Keys, an LSU commit. Keys is primarily a linebacker for the Bearcats and leads the team in tackles per game, interceptions and fumble recoveries.
The Bearcats tend to hand him the ball in the red zone as Keys can power through with elite size and strength. The senior superstar rushed for 37 yards and four touchdowns.
Keys said he’s fine being a utility man and is willing to play whatever role necessary to help the Bearcats win.
“Wherever I can help my team then that’s where I want to be,” Keys said. “Primarily I play linebacker, but if I need to play running back and take the load off the Hawk (Patrick-Daniels), take the load off of (Kaden) Winkfield I’ll do that to help the team win.”
Quarterback Hauss Hejny is also an elite senior to watch. Hejny, a TCU football commit, brings championship experience to the Bearcat offense. Hejny averages 183 passing yards and 69 rushing yards per game as one of the most elite dual threats in all of high school football.
His primary target has been wide receiver Trace Clarkson, who averages 59 yards per game. Against Forney, however, the Bearcats didn’t need to pass the ball. Hejny only completed three of 10 passes in a contest where he rushed for 122 yards.
Turnovers have been an issue for Hejny as of late. The Forney defense hauled in two interceptions in the semifinal while Abilene did the same in the quarterfinals. The turnovers, however, were inconsequential in two 35-point plus blowouts.
Aledo’s wide receiver two is sophomore Kaydon Finley, who has championship experience from the 2022 season as a freshman on varsity. He was the star in the win against Red Oak, tallying 161 yards and two touchdowns on seven receptions.
Leading the offensive line is Devron “DJay” Williams, a Louisiana commit. With a 6-foot-4, 295 pound frame, Williams has been a driving force in Aledo’s pass protection and running game.
The next opponent: Smithson Valley
Smithson Valley stands in the way of the Bearcats’ making history. The Rangers have been in some dogfights throughout their playoff run, defeating Magnolia West 20-17 in the area round and besting College Station 26-11 in the regional semifinal.
The Rangers narrowly bested A&M Consolidated 31-24 and followed it up with a blowout 49-21 victory over Veterans Memorial to advance to the Class 5A D1 State Championship.
Wide receiver Freddie Dubose, a 247Sports’ four-star recruit committed to Texas, leads the Smithson Valley offense. With a 6-foot-1, 170 pound frame, is a speedy target and will be a good matchup for Aledo cornerbacks Jaden Allen and Chris Johnson Jr.
Smithson Valley’s one loss in the 2023 season was to Reagan in the season opener. Since then, the Rangers have claimed 14 wins and have gradually built momentum on the way to the state championship.
The main thing for Aledo, a massive favorite, will be not to underestimate Smithson Valley. History suggests Aledo won’t. At 7 p.m. CT on Friday at AT&T Stadium, we’ll find out if the Beacats will add another trophy to the Bearcat dynasty.
This story was originally published December 14, 2023 at 10:53 AM.
.jpg)