What could Aledo’s new Class 6A district look like? How could Bearcats fare?
It’s been a hectic week for Aledo football after a stunning loss to Frisco Lone Star in a Class 5A Division I state semifinal Friday at Newsom Stadium.
On Tuesday, the Bearcats learned the official UIL cutoff numbers, which will place the school in Class 6A for the upcoming February realignment.
High School Sports Editor Charles Baggarly breaks down what it means for the future of Aledo football:
How could Aledo football fare against Class 6A competition?
We already know that Aledo can take down some of the best in Class 6A.
The Bearcats have played Denton Guyer in non-district the past four seasons, splitting the games.
The Bearcats won the most recent clash 21-14. The Bearcats lost 44-14 in 2022 and 35-30 in 2024. In 2023, Aledo won 48-35 en route to its last state championship.
Aledo and Guyer have a competitive history, and it’s fair to say that the programs are on a similar level.
Guyer, however, is the least of the Bearcats’ problems in Texas high school football’s largest classification.
Guyer has been eliminated from the playoffs by Southlake Carroll in consecutive years. This season’s 6A Division II state quarterfinal matchup wasn’t close, with the Dragons winning 51-19.
Guyer has been able to break through to make two state championship appearances, in 2019 and 2021, but hasn’t won a state title in Class 6A. Still, Guyer has a really talented and deep program. With the stars aligned and a few individual stars, the Wildcats have a program that could definitely compete for titles in the future.
Aledo has the same potential.
However, it seems teams like DeSoto and Southlake Carroll are on an entirely different level than squads like Guyer. DeSoto could win its third 6A Division II title in four seasons Saturday after knocking off No. 1-ranked Carroll in the state semifinals.
Keep in mind that the UIL separates Division I and Division II based on enrollment within districts, so it’s possible the Bearcats would have to compete with the large schools in Division I. Considering their enrollment of 2,404, though, it’s unlikely.
What’s in store for Aledo’s new era?
Until Friday, Aledo hadn’t gone consecutive seasons without a state title since 2008. Now, reaching that level of unparalleled, dominant greatness will become semi-unrealistic.
In 6A, the Bearcats will be another great team on a very long list.
Until the Bearcats prove themselves, teams like Southlake Carroll and DeSoto have a significant leg up. Those two squads, however, do showcase that enrollment isn’t everything; DeSoto opted up with a Class 5A enrollment and is still thriving.
However, simply looking at the number of Division I players on the Dragons’ and Eagles’ rosters could be a scary sight for Aledo.
The Bearcats are losing an All-Area-caliber wide receiver in Kaydon Finley. They have tons of questions next season, including one at quarterback.
What Aledo does have is a proven championship system that develops talent from youth football through varsity. When one player leaves, another always finds a way to step up.
The Bearcats’ strength is their depth, and that’ll only improve with more players, rising enrollment and Aledo’s booming population.
It’ll push Aledo toward greatness, and eventually, the Bearcats could be on par with teams like Southlake Carroll, DeSoto or even 6A Division I kingpin Duncanville.
Rising from 5A and establishing a program as the best in Texas, however, could take a couple of years. Dynasties aren’t made overnight.
But it’s worth noting that Aledo has found a way to stay near the top of the mountain for the past two decades. The Bearcats are like a cockroach — regardless of what threat they face, they usually find a way to defy the odds and remain relevant.
Being a championship favorite every season, however, is in the past.
The harsh reality for Bearcat fans is that the level of state title contention they’re used to is no longer a guaranteed annual outcome.
Could Aledo head west in realignment?
There are a few possible district placements for the Bearcats. The UIL typically groups by geography, but it’s not necessarily the deciding factor.
There is a fixed number of schools per region in each classification, and every 6A school needs a group to play.
Geography works against Aledo and its fans, with the school located farther west than most other Dallas-Fort Worth-area 6A schools.
That means there is a strong possibility the Bearcats could be placed in a district with schools in Odessa, Midland and San Angelo.
Weatherford and Granbury could share the same fate, as they are both in 6A and farther west than other potential selections.
There are endless possibilities, though. The UIL could decide to reduce Odessa Permian’s district. Permian’s district had only six schools in 2024 and 2025, so that’s another possibility for the upcoming realignment.
That would save Aledo, Granbury and Weatherford from having to make multiple costly five-hour trips to west Texas.
There are a few potential benefits from playing out west. It would be much easier for the Bearcats to maintain their historic 135-game district winning streak, though those within the program have repeatedly said the streak isn’t the most important aspect of a season.
The 12-time state champions want to add to their trophy case.
Playing relatively weak competition in Odessa and Midland won’t prepare Aledo for the playoff battles to come. Then again, the Bearcats’ current district isn’t competitive, aside from Denton Ryan and Richland.
Could Aledo land in a Dallas-Fort Worth district?
If the UIL wants a group of eight out west, Aledo is likely to head that way.
However, if the governing body eyes a group of six or seven, Aledo could stay with the Dallas-Fort Worth teams, as the Bearcats are farther east than Weatherford and Granbury.
The most challenging and threatening possibility would be a placement in a district alongside state powers such as North Crowley or Southlake Carroll.
The UIL won’t necessarily place Aledo in a district because of proximity, though it’s still a possibility.
The Bearcats are a bit closer to the District 3-6A schools in Crowley and Mansfield. A matchup against North Crowley would definitely be a threat to the district streak.
In the last alignment, a nine-team District 4-6A included Carroll and teams from H-E-B, Keller and Northwest ISDs.
According to the UIL, it’s possible to create a 10-team district, although that hasn’t happened recently in the Fort Worth area.
The UIL does not consider socioeconomic factors or rivalries when making districts. Competitive balance is not mentioned in the realignment policy. UIL executive director Jamie Harrison told the Brownwood News that the level of competition within districts is not a factor.
Regardless of what competition they face in district play, the Bearcats aren’t known for running away from a challenging non-district clash.
That’s why they’ve been scheduling Denton Guyer the past four seasons. If Aledo keeps to the precedent it has set, the Bearcats will attempt to schedule the hardest possible non-district competition before beginning their journey in 6A.
This story was originally published December 17, 2025 at 2:52 PM.
.jpg)