Lone Star stuns Aledo with 14 points in final two minutes to eliminate Bearcats — PHOTOS
Aledo led Frisco Lone Star 52-42 at the two-minute timeout in a Class 5A Division I state semifinal, and it seemed the Bearcats had the game under control.
The Rangers, however, made it a one-score game with 1:49 and went for an onside kick. Lone Star’s Davian Groce recovered, giving Lone Star a chance, and Zach Forbish then put Lone Star ahead with a 5-yard TD reception, sending the Lone Star sideline into a pandemonium.
Aledo led by 17 with less than five minutes remaining. Now, the Bearcats had 30 seconds to respond. The game ended as officials ruled Aledo receiver Kaydon Finley had possession and fumbled on a lateral attempt.
Lone Star recovered, and the Rangers stunned the Bearcats with a 56-52 victory Friday at Newsom Stadium.
“We needed to recover the onside kick, and that was the difference,” Aledo head coach Robby Jones said. “I hate it for these kids. They work their tails off. And to come up short like that — it’s heartbreaking.”
For the first time since 2008, Aledo (14-1) will go consecutive seasons without winning a state championship. The Bearcats are likely to move to Class 6A in the upcoming UIL realignment.
After the game, with their high school careers at an end, several Bearcat seniors embraced each other as tears flowed down their faces.
“I just told them that I loved them,” Jones said. “We love them. It’s going to sting. Well, the sun is going to come up tomorrow. We are going to rebound from this. And get better because of it.”
Frisco Lone Star (15-0) will go for a perfect season and Frisco ISD’s first football state title against Smithson Valley in the Class 5A Division I state championship at 7 p.m. Friday at AT&T Stadium.
Sophmore quarterback Trey Wright was unstoppable, rushing for 179 yards on 23 carries and passing for 366 yards while accounting for eight touchdowns. Groce, a Florida signee, was his main target; he accumulated 310 receiving yards on 15 receptions, scoring four times, and added 21 rushing yards.
“We just never gave up,” Wright said. “Just kept going. Trusting each other and playing hard. Every single play shows what kind of team we have. It is something special. And if we play our best football with that, nobody is going to beat us.”
With red, watery eyes, Aledo senior linebacker Chase Wilburn made a point to say his faith comes first, regardless of win or loss. He said he has “nothing but gratefulness” for the community, his teammates and the season.
“I love playing for the orange and black,” Wilburn said.
Quarterback Lincoln Tubbs operated the Bearcat offense, passing for 283 yards and three TDs with an interception and rushing for 174 yards and a score. Finley, a Notre Dame signee, was masterful for Aledo, tallying 258 yards on nine receptions.
Aledo starts strong, crumbles against Lone Star
Aledo blitzed out of the gate with back-to-back five-play scoring drives. The first was capped by a 23-yard scoring run from Brady Powell, and the second ended with a 3-yard rush by Kaden Winkfield. That gave them a 14-0 lead less than five minutes in.
The game settled into a back-and-forth from there, as Groce powered the Rangers with three first-half touchdowns.
Aledo answered with a 50-yard touchdown catch from Finley and a 1-yard plunge by Winkfield to stay in front.
Aledo, which had not allowed more than 17 points all season, carried a 28–21 lead into halftime, and extended it with a 54-yard TD from Finley on a quick slant.
After a stop, the Bearcats added another score as Tubbs broke away for a 51-yard TD, and Aledo had a three-score lead three minutes into the third quarter at 42-21.
Lone Star clawed back with consecutive rushing scores from Wright of 31 and 36 yards, although a 34-yard field goal from Aledo’s Peyton Shaffer kept it a two score game.
Finley, continuing his dominance, extended Aledo’s lead to 52-35 with a spectacular highlight. It seemed he was destined to be tackled, but he put on the brakes and cut toward midfield for a 42-yard TD.
Lone Star kept answering, as Groce cut the lead to 10 points with a 44-yard TD with 4:50 remaining. That was the start of a 21-point unanswered spree.
Even with a punt to the 1-yard line, the Bearcat defense couldn’t contain Wright, who put together a six-play, 99-yard drive. The Rangers started it with a 48-yard reception from Groce while pinned at the goal.
A visibly emotional Finley said he was feeling sad after the loss but made a point to stay grateful for the season.
“I’m just thankful for these guys,” Finley said. “The community. They make it fun. Waking up early in the morning. Going to all the dinners. ... It’s definitely been a great journey, and if I could, I would do it all over again.”
The TD ahead of the onside kick was a 19-yard rush by Wright, who said he respected Aledo but wasn’t intimidated by the accolades and history.
“[Aledo] is a great team,” Wright said. “They have a great program. Great coach. But I just went in like it was just another game. I don’t care about what they did in previous years. I care about this moment. I feel like we had the better team, and we played harder tonight.”
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This story was originally published December 12, 2025 at 10:54 PM.
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