The Aledo Bearcats carried a 136-game district win streak into their game with Arlington Martin on Friday, Sept. 25. The streak dated back to Oct. 14, 2007.
That win streak came to an end in a 35-21 loss.
Aledo had the lead for most of the game, until the fourth quarter when Martin faked a punt from its own 23 yard line and took it 77 yards for a touchdown. The score cut Aledo’s lead to 21-20.
The Martin defense forced a three-and-out, and on Martin’s next drive quarterback Chase Devoll connected with wide receiver Malik Mason for a 13-yard touchdown to give the Warriors their first lead of the night. The ensuing two-point conversion was good, making the score 28-21 with 6:11 left in the game.
From there the teams traded punts. Aledo had the ball deep in its own territory with 2:11 to go, but the Bearcats turned the ball over on downs following an incomplete pass. Aledo’s defense forced a third-and-10 on Martin’s next drive, but Kaden Phillips rushed 33 yards for a touchdown to increase the Warriors’ lead to 35-21 with 1:51 left.
Aledo’s last chance ended on downs.
The first quarter started well for the Bearcats. On their first drive, tight end Caden Palmquest hauled in a seven-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Tre Williams at the 9:29 mark. However, on the ensuing drive, the Warriors struck back with a 55-yard rushing touchdown by running back Javian Jones-Priest to tie it up at 7.
Aledo began the second quarter with a 59-yard rushing touchdown by running back Wyatt Dorsey. The Warriors kicked a 45-yard field goal at the 8:32 mark to cut the deficit to four. Toward the end of the first half, Aledo extended the lead to 21-10 with a four-yard play action touchdown from Williams to tight end Colby Thompson.
The Warriors began the second half hot, with an 82-yard kickoff return to get them deep into Aledo territory. The drive would stall, but kicker Gabe Guevera made his second attempt of the night from 32 yards out to make it a one-score game.
Later in the third, the Bearcats took a drive into the Warriors’ red zone but lost a fumble at the 4 yard line.
Aledo head coach Robby Jones would later mark that fumble as the turning point of the game.
“We had the ball on the 1 yard line, first and goal, and we turned a guy loose and it caused the fumble in the backfield,” Jones said. “That was the turning point of the game. We were about to go up 28 to 13 at the time, and that was the turning point, not getting those points.”
Aledo is on bye this week, but Jones still wants to use that week for the team to get better.
“It’s not necessarily an off week. Everyone calls it that, but it’s a ‘go get better’ week for us. We’ve gotta go to work. We’re going to get a lot of ones versus ones and see how we’re going to get ourselves better.”
A 2-3 start isn’t what Aledo envisioned going into this season, but tight end Caden Palmquest emphasized how the Bearcats can bounce back.
“If you trust the guy next to you and do your job, nothing’s going to stop us,” Palmquest said. “I messed up a few plays, and I’ve got to own up to that. We’re going to for sure emphasize in practice doing your job and being disciplined. This game, we had it, but we started pointing fingers, and that’s what we can’t do.”
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