MANSFIELD - Thanksgiving is a time of reflection and being grateful. However, in Aledo it also means something else in most years, including this one.
The Bearcats are practicing for another football game in the third round of the postseason. And that is the case once again after they disposed of the Abilene Eagles 59-14 in the second round of the 5A Division I playoffs at Vernon Newsom Stadium on Friday, Nov. 22.
“It’s tradition, something you want to make sure you’re doing, practicing on Thanksgiving,” Bearcats head coach Robby Jones said.
The day after Thanksgiving, Friday, Nov. 29, the Bearcats (11-1) will be making an early trek to Snyder. There, they will face Amarillo Tascosa (7-5). The Rebels, who were 3-5 on Oct. 25, have won four straight, including a 35-13 victory against Saginaw (11-1) in the area (second) round.
Game time is 1 p.m.
The victory against Abilene (8-4) was the 11th straight for the Bearcats, who are No. 1 in the state in 5A Division and seeking a third three-peat state championship. They accomplished this in 2009-11 and 2018-20, part of 11 state titles since 2009 and a state-record 12 in all (they won their first in 1998).
For Aledo running back Raycine Guillory, Friday’s game was a homecoming of sorts. He attended junior high in Mansfield and was even given a sign from some old friends at Daniel Jones Middle School, which he held up with pride after the victory.
He gave those who came to see him a show as he carried 13 times for an unofficial 146 yards.This included touchdowns of 36 and 76 yards, giving him 26 touchdowns on the season (24 rushing, 2 receiving) and unofficially close to 1,500 yards of offense (1,295 rushing and 180 receiving).
His first touchdown tied the game at 7-7 after the Eagles recovered a Bearcats fumble at the Aledo 24. His second, which came a minute and 17 seconds later, gave them the lead for good at 14-7 just over the midpoint of the first quarter.
“It’s a blessing to be able to play here one last time,” Guillory said. “My friends were here to see me one last time in this stadium and it was great to see them and visit with them.”
Guillory played his freshman season with Mansfield Lake Ridge before moving to Aledo. He led the Eagles with almost 1,000 yards of offense, including 769 on the ground, and a dozen TD (9 rushing, 3 receiving)
Guillory, a junior, announced earlier in the month that he plans to graduate early. He hasn’t announced his college commitment yet.
After Guillory’s second touchdown, the Eagles were looking to regroup. Then, Adrian Fuller put an end to those thoughts.
The senior cornerback stepped in front of a pass, intercepted it and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown that gave the Bearcats a 21-7 advantage at the 3:47 mark of the first quarter. It was the third Aledo touchdown in just over three minutes as dominance began to set in.
It was also the fourth pick six in four games for the Bearcats.
“I felt like I had to score,” Fuller said with a chuckle. “Everybody else has been doing it. I had to get mine.”
Jones said of the pick and score, “He jumped on a hitch route. He read it well. You pick one of those off and that’s often the result.”
Fuller would get a second interception, giving him four on the season. Junior teammate Lamel Swanson would also get his first of the season and the 16th for the team after entering the season with the Bearcats’ pass defense being the least experienced part of the squad.
Abilene sophomore quarterback Tristan Beal, who took over as the starter late in the season after junior Brayden Henry got injured, came into the game with 18 touchdown passes and no interceptions.
The passing connection of best friends quarterback Gavin Beard and wide receiver Kaydon Finley, both juniors, continued to click. On this night they combined for five completions for an unofficial 169 yards and three touchdowns.
The first was a 92-yard pass in the closing moments of the first quarter that gave the Bearcats a 28-7 lead. Then, after Beard connected with senior wide receiver Blake Burdine for a 13-yard score, he and Finley found the end zone again on a 10-yard pass for a 42-7 Aledo halftime lead.
Their final touchdown came just over three minutes into the second half, a 49-yard connection and 49-7 lead.
The four touchdown passes raised Beard to 30 this season with only three interceptions, while missing two full games with an injury. Finley now has 19 TD catches.
The Bearcats once again had a strong night defensively, both against the pass and run. Along with the three interceptions, senior linebacker Owen Henderson recovered a fumble, only the second lost fumble of the season by the Eagles.
The run defense clamped down, holding Abilene to an unofficial 89 yards on 26 carries. The pass rush also registered four sacks, including two by senior linebacker Ben McElree.
The Bearcats will see something for the first time this season against Tascosa, a flexbone offense. It’s an option offense that’s heavy on the run, though the Rebels tend to throw the ball more than most flexbone teams.
Still, Tascosa is averaging around 270 yards per game rushing compared to just over 80 through the air. The Bearcats are averaging around 240 on the ground and just under 225 passing.
Aledo 28 14 7 10 - 59
Abilene 7 0 0 7 - 14
Ab - John Miles Wagstaff 11-yard pass from Tristan Beal (Naim Segura kick), 8:01 first quarter.
Al - Raycine Guillory 36-yard run (Cole Crawford kick), 6:44 first quarter.
Al - Guillory 76-yard run (Crawford kick), 5:17 first quarter.
Al - Adrian Fuller 52-yard interception return (Crawford kick), 3:47 first quarter.
Al - Kaydon Finley 92-yard pass from Gavin Beard (Crawford kick), 1:18 first quarter.
Al - Blake Burdine 13-yard pass from Beard (Crawford kick), 9:02 second quarter.
Al - Finley 10-yard pass from Beard (Crawford kick), 3:01 second quarter.
Al - Finley 49-yard pass from Beard (Peyton Shaffer kick), 8:57 third quarter.
Al - Kaden Winkfield 4-yard run (Shaffer kick), 9:52 fourth quarter.
Ab - Ryland Bradford 13-yard pass from Beal (Segura kick), 5:30 fourth quarter.
Al - Shaffer 28-yard field goal, 1:48 fourth quarter.
Rushing: Guillory 13 carries, 146 yards, 2 TD; Brady Powell 6 carries, 66 yards; Winkfield 10 carries, 60 yards, TD; Beard 3 carries, 39 yards.
Passing: Beard 11-of-14, 224 yards, 4 TD, 0 interceptions; Nash McElree 3-of-3, 18 yards, 0 interceptions.
Receiving: Finley 5 catches, 169 yards, 3 TD; Burdine 2 catches 31 yards, TD; Guillory 2 catches, 27 yards.
Interceptions: Fuller 2, Lamel Swanson 1.
Fumble recovery: Owen Henderson 1.
Sacks: Ben McElree 2.
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