Add fishing to the long list of sports - and other activities - at which Aledo High School is great.
The Aledo Anglers recently competed in the Texas High School Bass Association State Tournament. Three two-person teams competed on Lake Palestine and the program finished 15th in the state overall.
Competing at state were freshmen Tyler Page, Peyton Hills and Declan Lickerman; sophomores Mark Cerja and Miller Hill; along with junior Max Moore.
The duo of juniors Samuel Belyeu and Landon Benton finished fourth overall in the Angler of the Year for the West Division, with Cerja and Hill finishing eighth. Both teams will fish in the Angler of the Year Tournament on June 22 on Lake Ray Roberts.
"We consistently places in the top five in our division, with several teams qualifying for regional and state tournaments each season," said Cody Hoff, who is in his third year of coaching the program. "For the 2023-2024 THSBA season, our team was represented by 22 anglers (11 teams).
"We do have some of our anglers that fish with other organizations outside of our team," Hoff added.
Aledo finished in third place overall in the West Division, which includes 39 programs. The Anglers had eight pairs qualify for regional competition at Possum Kingdom Lake in April, competing against 231 teams from three divisions, with the top 77 teams advancing to state.
Along with those who advanced to state, regional qualifiers included Grayson Meador, the lone senior on the team; Belyeu, Benton and fellow juniors Garrett Hoff, Noah Peffer, Aiden Bristow, Mason Nutt and Logan Belt; and freshmen Colt Brinkman and Maxton Ferreira.
Other competitors on the team this season included freshmen Casen Standifer, Jackson Kilman, Austin Bell and Carson Weatherley; sophomore Payton Shaffer; and junior Trevor Wheaton.
Like other sports, Hoff said fishers can get college scholarships based on their performances to fish on college teams.
"Depending on placing at the individual tournaments, scholarships are one of the prizes that the top finishers receive (typically top three places). These scholarships are held by THSBA until the angler graduates, and then they are transferred to the angler to pay for college or technical school," he explained.
In addition, he said donations from sponsors results in awards and scholarships to the top three fishing teams in the club, as well as to graduating seniors.
Hoff said the Anglers lost just one member this season due to graduation. He also anticipates a strong group of incoming freshmen.
"We expect to have a very competitive team for the 2024-2025 season, which kicks off September 21 at Lake Whitney," he said.
Hoff also wished to thank the program's sponsors for the 2023-24 season, which included Ginger and Associates, Day VII Outdoor Living, Texas Fleet Inspections, Acumen Commercial Interiors, Epic Supply, Tortuga Pines Ranch, Premier Aircraft, Chris Moore Salon, Rockin' S Truckin', Martin Lawyers, The Complete Backyard, SR1 Roofing, Choice Consulting, Phelps Motorsports, and Roto-Rooter.
"Their generous sponsorships enable our club to cover costs incurred during the tournament season, as well as provide scholarship money for graduating seniors and anglers who perform exceptionally well throughout the season," he said. "We are always looking to partner with new sponsors."
For more information about the club, contact them at aledoanglers@gmail.com or check them out on Facebook at Aledo Anglers (https://www.facebook.com/AledoAnglers/).
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