Aledo steamrolls Denton Ryan with relentless intensity to seize statement win — PHOTOS
Denton Ryan entered a Class 5A Division I quarterfinal against Aledo having forced the Bearcats into rare territory in recent years.
Ryan eliminated Aledo in a 2024 quarterfinal and narrowly missed taking down the Bearcats’ 135-game district win streak on two occasions. The Raider-Bearcat matchup had developed into a competitive local rivalry.
But on Friday at Northwest ISD Stadium, the game between the two 5A powers was anything but competitive. Aledo reminded Ryan why it’s a 12 time UIL state champion by seizing a stunning, dominant 43-17 victory and a bit of revenge.
“It felt great,” said wide receiver Kaydon Finley, who signed with Notre Dame Thursday. “Going out there, we had a chip on our shoulder from last year — losing in the fourth round and also only beating them by 1 the last time we played them. We had to come out here, show them up and ultimately, get the dub.”
Aledo (14-0) will face Frisco Lone Star (14-0) in a Class 5A Division I state semifinal at a time or place that is to be determined.
To start the bludgeoning, Aledo quickly established the run game in its opening drive with runs of 30 and 44 yards — that set up a 9 yard rushing TD from quarterback Lincoln Tubbs.
Tubbs went on to score four TDs in the first half. Head coach Robby Jones credited cleaning up the penalties and quarterback Lincoln Tubbs’ moving the chain on his legs for the fast start.
Running back Kaden Winkfield also found the end zone, giving the Bearcats a 33-3 lead heading into the third quarter. He left the game with a high ankle sprain in the third quarter, finishing with 136 yards on 17 carries.
“That’s the best I’ve seen him run all year,” Jones said. “And I hate to see him leave the game with an injury. It’s something that I think he is going to be able to overcome. But we got a couple of guys that got banged up tonight, so we’ve got to go home and get healed up.”
Tubbs notched 106 rushing yards on 12 attempts, although a few sacks set back his numbers. He passed for 147 yards on perfect 7 of 7 passing. He accounted for five total touchdowns.
“That’s a great performance,” Jones said. “He did what he was asked to do. It was manage the game — he did a great job. His legs were the reason why we felt like he could be our quarterback with the fact that he could run with the football the way he did today.”
The Aledo defense, led by linebackers Cooper Cyphers and Chase Wilburn, limited Ryan’s offensive production with blistering pressure and intensity. The Raiders had 41 yards of offense in the first half while Aledo tallied 341, more than Ryan would muster in the entire game.
“That’s what we’ve seen out of those guys, day in and day out,” Jones said. “We didn’t really bring [the intensity] back in the second half like we wanted to. But, you know, from the get go, they were getting after it. And it was fun to watch.”
The third quarter saw Aledo’s Cole Cox rip the ball away from Ryan receiver Raymond Smith for a fumble recovery. The bully ball play perfectly summarized how Aledo dismantled Ryan for the majority of the contest.
The Bearcat offense drastically slowed in the second half, but Notre Dame signee Kaydon Finley got his team back on the scoreboard with a 40 yard reception at the 11:16 mark in the fourth quarter. Finley finished with 113 yards on 4 receptions.
The Ryan offense was able to cut the lead with 30 and 11 yard TD receptions from Connelly Cunningham, but faced an uphill battle after Aledo’s stellar first half.
Aledo is two wins way from a UIL record 13th state championship — A UIL record 13th state title would prevent the Bearcats from losing an impressive streak; since 2008, Aledo hasn’t gone two seasons without winning a state championship.
“We have to do what we did tonight — don’t let our foot off the gas,” Finley said. “Keep it on the gas the whole game. No matter what the score is or the quarter. Start to finish.”
This story was originally published December 5, 2025 at 9:51 PM.
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