Aledo takes first step in quest for 13th state title with win over Denton Guyer
On the first Friday under the lights of the Texas high school football stadium, Aledo fans donning the orange and black and packed the stands to see their Bearcats compete.
The team delivered a statement win, capturing a first-quarter lead and holding it the rest of the way to defeat 6A squad Denton Guyer 21-14 on Friday at Tim Buchanan Stadium.
“This win means everything,” senior athlete Lincoln Tubb said. “Home opener at Aledo with stands packed and just everyone here. You’ve got to set the tone first game. And I feel like we went out there and did that, especially coming back from last year’s loss.”
Aledo’s offense was led by Tubbs, who started at quarterback and also spent time at receiver. He primarily attacked with his legs, tallying 65 rushing yards, 22 receiving yards and 6 passing yards.
“The opportunity is unbelievable,” Tubbs said. “The standard is set pretty high, so you know what you’re getting into. Aledo is a great program. Great coaches. It’s a blessing.”
Junior Nash McElree also spent time at QB, attacking through the air. He completed 7 of 11 passes for 39 yards.
“Having Lincoln out wide is another threat out there,” Aledo coach Robby Jones said. “We just got to get comfortable with our personnel and who’s doing what, and you’ll probably continue to see both of them at quarterback for a while.”
Senior Kaden Winkfield thrived with 96 rushing yards and two scores.
In 2024, the Bearcats lost to Guyer and looked out of sorts. To avenge that loss, the Bearcats took a first step in the right direction toward capturing their 13th state title, which would extend their state record.
The Bearcats played without junior offensive lineman Omari Din-mbuh and senior defensive end Carson Dempsey, a Tulsa pledge, who were sidelined with injuries.
Aledo secures lead, survives Guyer comeback
In the first half, the Bearcats added two scores with a pair of runs: a short 2-yard plunge from Brady Powell and a 23-yard burst by Kaden Winkfield. On the latter, Winkfield nearly stumbled but recovered, turning a broken play into a highlight.
“A couple of big runs by him,” Jones said of Winkfield, who finished with 92 yards and two scores. “I thought the offensive line did a good job of opening some holes for him, but, yeah, great job by [Winkfield]. That’s what we expect out of him. He’s being recruited by some big-time colleges for a reason.”
Special teams cemented a stellar first half with a blocked 23-yard field goal that kept Guyer off the board.
“One of the things that we’ve talked about, is going out and finishing,” Jones said of his halftime message. “That was the goal when we came out at halftime, go finish the game off. Finish it off the right way.”
Guyer opened the second half with a crucial answer, a 36-yard sprint from Kaedyn Cobbs, who found daylight along the sideline. But Aledo wasted no time countering, as Winkfield powered in from a yard out to restore the Bearcats’ momentum and 14-point lead.
Neither team scored again until the 4:21 mark in the fourth quarter, when Guyer athlete Carter Morgan caught a pass in the middle of the field and turned upfield for a 49-yard touchdown. Aledo then punted, giving Guyer a chance to tie with 2:44 remaining.
In the final moments, the Bearcat defense secured a clutch stop to seal the game. Jones credited the Bearcat defense for a good performance, but said it will need to limit missed tackles moving forward.
Jones also wants to get four-star wide receiver Kaydon Finley more involved. The Notre Dame commit finished with 15 yards on four receptions, with a few of his targets being uncatchable.
“We’ve got one of the best receivers in the state of Texas, and we need to be able to get him the ball,” Jones said.
This story was originally published August 29, 2025 at 10:48 PM.
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