By now, anyone who has been paying any attention to Aledo football probably knows the legendary statistics that accompany the program.
Not the least of which is a national-record district winning streak of 117 games dating to 2007. That, coincidentally, is the last season the Bearcats did not take home their league title.
To put that in perspective, none of the current players were even in pre-K yet - some weren’t even born. The Bearcats had only won a single state championship.
Now, fast forward. A victory against visiting Denton Ryan on Friday, Oct. 20, at Tim Buchanan Stadium will give Aledo - which has already clinched a playoff berth - its 16th straight district title.
“It never does get old,” Bearcats coach Robby Jones said. “We’ve kind of taken those for granted, but it is a big deal. We need to make it a big deal, celebrate it.”
First, however, they have to win the game - another thing that has become almost as commonplace as death and taxes. However, Jones warns folks not to take Ryan for granted.
Ryan’s shocking 27-20 loss to The Colony at home on Sept. 21 put some doubt in the minds of many. However, the Raiders set those aside the next week with a 35-14 dismantling of previously unbeaten Burleson Centennial.
Also, Ryan has had two weeks to prepare for its biggest game of the season as the Raiders are coming off a bye week.
“Denton Ryan is a good football team,” Jones stressed. “Ryan has a good defense. That’s something they’ve always hung their hats on. They’ve had some great quarterbacks and other great offensive players come through, but the one consistent they’ve had is a good defense - and they have one again this season.
“If we’re not focused this team can beat us and then we’ll be second in district.”
The Raiders are among that rare group of teams that has a winning record against Aledo in their history. Ryan has won two of the past three meetings, albeit the first two were more than two decades ago.
“It’s a district championship game, and we’re playing a program with a lot of pride,” Jones said. “And they’re one of the few programs that holds an advantage on us.”
The squads first met in 2002, with Ryan winning 34-27. A year later, Ryan won 17-0, which was also the last time the Bearcats were shut out.
Aledo has since scored in 292 consecutive games since then.
This will be the 100th game for the Bearcats in Buchanan Stadium - formerly known as Bearcat Stadium. They have a record of 93-6 there.
The only district game they’ve ever lost in the stadium was 31-28 to Stephenville in 2007.
“We don’t lose a whole lot of football games,” Jones said with a smile. “It shows you the success we’ve had over the longevity of the program.
“This is a special place to be. I consider myself lucky. The kids have to look at it and understand they are lucky their parents put them here.”
While the Raiders fall far short of Aledo’s 11 state championships - after all, the Bearcats do have more than any other team in Texas - they do have their own stellar history of which to be proud.
Since opening its doors in the mid-90s, Ryan has won three state championships. They captured their first two titles in 2001 and 2002, reaching the state final four consecutive seasons.
Their most recent championship was in 2021, when they capped a 15-0 season. The Raiders have also played in seven state finals altogether.
Sophomore defensive end Carson Dempsey returned in last Friday’s 42-0 win over Burleson Centennial. It was his first action in district as he suffered appendicitis and had his appendix removed following the 48-45 win at Denton Guyer in the season’s second week.
At the time he left Dempsey led the team in tackles for loss with four and he now has 4.5 (third on the team). He is still the Bearcats’ sack leader with three.
Of course, the one tackle on which he assisted Friday was for a loss.
“He played well. He disrupted some things,” Jones said. “He was blowing plays up inside and making them go back. He was always around the ball. It’s good having Carson back.”
The Bearcats are once again atop the Class 5A Division I state rankings in Dave Campbell’s Texas Football. They remain the only team from their district to be ranked, though Ryan was in the state’s top 10 earlier this season.
Aledo ranks seventh among all Texas teams at all levels nationally, according to MaxPreps, led by No. 6 Duncanville. Overall, the Bearcats are No. 38 in the nation.
Last week's results
Aledo 42, Burleson Centennial 0
Northwest 37, The Colony 27
Azle 34, Saginaw 33
Brewer 68, South Hils 8
Ryan bye
Friday, Oct. 20
(All at 7 p.m.)
Ryan at Aledo
The Colony at Azle
South Hills at Northwest
Centennial at Brewer
Saginaw bye
y-Aledo 6-0 (8-0)
Ryan 4-1 (5-1)
Northwest 4-1 (6-1)
Centennial 3-2 (5-2)
Brewer 3-2 (3-4)
The Colony 3-3 (3-5)
Azle 1-4 (2-5)
South Hills 0-5 (0-7)
Saginaw 0-6 (0-8)
Y = clinched playoff berth
Denton Ryan Raiders (5-1, 4-1 in District 3-5A Division I) at Aledo Bearcats (8-0, 6-0).
When/where: 7 p.m. Friday, Tim Buchanan Stadium.
Returning starters: Ryan 2 offense/6 defense, Aledo 7 offense/5 defense.
Last week: Aledo won 42-0 at South Hills, Ryan had a bye.
Last season: Aledo, 14-2, 8-0 district, 5A Division I state champions. Ryan 6-4, lost in bidistrict. Aledo won 35-21 in Denton.
Aledo offensive players to watch: WR Trace Clarkson (30 catches, 649 yards, 6 TD), TE Tyson Timms (14 catches, 209 yards, 3 TD).
Ryan offensive players to watch: QB TJ Hobbs (830 yards, 12 TD, 4 interceptions, 2 TD rushing), RB Braeden Mussett (194 yards, 10.8 average, 2 TD rushing; 11 catches, 177 yards, 3 TD receiving).
Aledo defensive players to watch: DE Carson Dempsey (4.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks in three games), S Boogie Owens (27.5 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery).
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