Kaydon Finley explained the connection between himself and good friend Gavin Beard in simple fashion.
"Him being a quarterback, me a receiver, it was an instant connection," Finley said.
It all began in peewee football, when they both played and Beard's father was offensive coordinator. It wasn't long before it was realized that Beard has a knack for putting the ball in the right place at the right time with his passes and that Finley has an uncanny ability to catch the ball if it is anywhere in the same zip code.
"In middle school, if they needed a TD, Gavin was throwing to Kaydon," Bearcats head coach Robby Jones said.
That is often still the case for the two juniors. When the season came to an end this past weekend with a 31-21 loss to rival Denton Ryan in the Class 5A Division I Region I fina, Beard finished the season with 35 touchdowns thrown. Finley caught 21 scores.
The friendship extends beyond the boundaries of the football field. They've gone to church camps together and have even taken trips with each other, such as a visit to Oklahoma for a small town fair.
"It's a little town called Hydro. Our buddy, Chase (Wilburn), his mom grew up there," Beard said.
They also go out to eat a lot. And, like many teenagers, they can often be found battling each other in a video game.
"Who's gonna win NCAA?" Jones pops in and asks with a laugh after overhearing.
"Me!" Finley said excitedly.
They also attended a passing academy together at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana in 2018, while still in junior high.
"The bond we have off the field transfers onto the field. I know I can trust Gavin at crunch time," Finley said.
Jones said such a connection is a great benefit to any program.
"When you grow up around somebody and know them so well, it helps the chemistry of the entire team," Jones said.
While they share a passion for football, each has other activities once football season is over.
Beard loves playing golf and has been a member of the Bearcats golf team.
Finley will join the Bearcats basketball team following football. He also runs track and fishes when his busy schedule allows time.
But football tops their respective lists. After all, each has a pedigree in the sport.
Finley's father is Jermichael Finley, who played for the University of Texas and was a tight end in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers from 2008-15.
Beard's father, Doug Beard, played quarterback at Texas Tech.
Finley and Beard haven't always been on the same team. In peewee they were on the same fifth-grade team that went undefeated. However, in sixth grade they were on different teams, with Finley's team winning the championship.
"That season was so much fun," Finley said of their fifth-grade season.
They also played together on the seventh grade team, but Beard transferred to another school in Fort Worth in the eighth grade. After a year away, he immediately returned to play on the same team with his friend again - and to win a state championship.
Or, with this being the Aledo Bearcats, multiple titles.
"Even though we were on different teams, we worked out together a lot," Finley said. "I told him he had to come back. I said, 'Yo, I don't know what I'm gonna do without you to throw me passes."
However, it would still be another season before they were both on the varsity together for a complete season. As freshmen, Finley played on the varsity, while Beard was on the junior varsity.
"It was tough not playing with him, but I really appreciate him being given the spotlight," Beard said.
Now, not only are they both starting and standing out, they are also team captains.
"It's really an honor to lead this team with Kaydon and for us both to be captains," Beard said.
Barring a rare occurrence, Finley and Beard will likely go on to play at different colleges - and they both definitely plan to play at the next level, they said.
"I think about it, leaving here and doing what we do on national TV," Finley said.
Along with fathers who played football in college, their mothers were sports standouts as well. Finley's mother was a high school basketball success and Beard's mother played volleyball at Tarleton State.
As for what they will study, both want to study something that involves a career in football.
"Maybe a coach," Beard said.
"I'd love to be a receivers coach," Finley said, being a bit more explicit. "But my dream job would be a football commentator."
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