As a lifelong Bearcat, QB Lincoln Tubbs is living his childhood dream with Aledo
Aledo senior quarterback Lincoln Tubbs has been playing football for almost as long as he’s been able to run.
Growing up in a place like Aledo, that’s a pretty common thing for a kid.
He played flag football and then started playing tackle in third grade, dreaming of one day playing for Aledo High School’s varsity football team while wearing black and orange under the Friday night lights.
During youth football, Tubbs developed two crucial skills that would come in handy down the line.
“I turned on the wheels, and I realized I could run a little bit,” Tubbs recalled. “And I could see the field pretty well.”
Tubbs made the varsity roster, but earning playing time as a quarterback was hard to come by. Eventually, the skills developed during youth football helped him stand out as one of Aledo’s best athletes.
Eventually, the position opened, and Tubbs seized an opportunity in his senior season. His running ability helped him earn the starting quarterback job, head coach Robby Jones said.
Now, Tubbs and the Bearcats (14-0) are set to face Frisco Lone Star (14-0) in a Class 5A Division I state semifinal at 7 p.m. Friday at Newsom Stadium.
“He wasn’t always the guy at quarterback, and he has just persevered,” Jones said. “He didn’t do what you see a lot of people do nowadays. The way of the quarterback nowadays is, if they don’t think they are going to be the starter their junior year, they’re jumping ship and trying to move off to another school.
“And he didn’t do that. He stayed here, and eventually he became the quarterback at Aledo High School. Now, he’s taking us to the state semifinals.”
A lifelong Bearcat
Growing up in Aledo, the Bearcat standard of success is always in sight. Players like Tubbs see the program’s 135-game district winning streak and the UIL-record 12 state titles and want to add to that history, legacy and tradition.
Tubbs “is a lifelong Aledo Bearcat,” Jones said. “And he has grown up here. He has seen guys lead us to championships in the past, and he wants to do that.”
As kids, Tubbs and his youth football teammates shared dreams of one day contributing to the Aledo varsity team. And over the years, they developed a strong sense of camaraderie.
“We’ve all played together since the second grade,” Tubbs said. “And we just built a chemistry. We built a bond. I’m best friends with all the kids on my team because we’ve had such a great relationship. And I think that relays how we execute on the field.”
Thus far, Aledo has cruised through the Class 5A Division I bracket, winning each game by 26 or more. Still, the group needs two more wins to meet championship expectations and maintain the program’s standard.
If Aledo doesn’t win a state championship, it’ll be the first time since 2008 the program has gone consecutive seasons without a title.
After Aledo lost in the quarterfinals in the 2024 playoffs, Tubbs’ rise as the starting quarterback has helped propel the Bearcats back to the top. You wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at him that he’s in his first season as the starter.
Unlike many high-profile QBs in Texas high school football, he wasn’t recruited as a quarterback. He committed to Air Force as a pure athlete long before he took snaps as Aledo’s starting signal-caller.
He doesn’t have a handful recruiting stars attached to his name like former Aledo QB Hauss Hejny. He doesn’t even have a 247Sports recruiting profile.
What he does have, however, is just as important, if not more valuable: an undefeated record as Aledo’s starting QB. And what he lacks in experience, he makes up in composure, heart and grit.
Progress throughout the season
The Bearcats started the season rotating Tubbs and Nash McElree at quarterback. During that time, Tubbs showcased his athleticism as a receiver, contributing any way he could when McElree was under center.
Both players are talented and capable, but in the end, Tubbs took over the reins as the primary starter.
This season, Tubbs has accounted for 28 TDs. Against Denton Ryan in the Class 5A Division I state quarterfinals, he had five of them in his best game of the year.
Tubbs didn’t throw for over 100 yards in Aledo’s first six games, but has steadily shown improvement as a pocket passer and has earned the trust of the team.
Starting Oct. 10, he has thrown for more than 100 yards in every game while averaging 176 passing yards per contest. At the same time, he has maintained his elite running ability.
“He’s an amazing quarterback,” said wide receiver Kaydon Finley, a Notre Dame pledge. “He has progressed throughout the season. … He is fast, and he can throw the ball. His confidence is rising. I think he’ll just get better and better.”
The leader Aledo needed
Finley said Tubbs has a calmness about him that sets the tone for the rest of the team. He helps others keep their composure, which is something Finley said he appreciates.
“He is just a natural leader,” Finley said. “He is a great guy. Obviously, he is a great football player. But off the field, he is a great guy. He is always the first one there and the last one to leave. He is that type of guy. You can always count on him.”
Throughout the season in interviews, Tubbs tends to avoid taking credit at all costs, citing his teammates around him as the reason the Bearcats are thriving. Even after a near-perfect performance, completing 7 of 7 passes against Denton Ryan, he deflected the credit.
“The O-line gave me a good pocket,” he said. “The receivers got open. It’s all credit to them.”
He is extraordinarily humble, but he deserves a lot of credit for helping Aledo get back to the state semifinals.
Players and Jones said the buy-in level last season wasn’t up to the Bearcats’ standard. They feel like they’re back to playing a Bearcat brand of football, and Tubbs has spearheaded that charge.
Now, the Bearcats are just two victories from turning Tubbs’ lifelong dream into another chapter in Aledo’s state title history.
This story was originally published December 10, 2025 at 10:44 AM.
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