Under the lights of Bearcat Stadium in Aledo, the defending champion Aledo Bearcats (2-0) hosted the Broncos of Mansfield Legacy (2-0) in a rematch of the 2016 game which ended in a 59-41 victory for Aledo. This year, Bearcats came out on top in a lower-scoring defensive struggle 24-3.
The Bearcats took the opening kick to their own 20 yard line and got to work. They drove 80 yards down the field capped off by a Tre Owens touchdown run from the 1 yard line to make the score 7-0, Aledo. On the ensuing kickoff, Ife Adeyi took the ball all the down to the Bearcat 45 yard line. However they would go 3 and out and be forced to punt.
Legacy would keep fighting though as junior defensive back Jalen Catalon stripped the ball from Tre Owens at the 38 yard line. Legacy would end up settling for a 40 yard field goal from Ife Adeyi to make it 7-3. Both teams would punt on each of their next two drives. And the half would end with a score of 7-3.
The second half started off slow offensively for both teams as they both punted on their first possession. However after another Legacy punt, Aledo drove 43 yards capped off by a 15 yard run by Jake Bishop to make the score 14-3 Aledo. Another defensive stop gave Aledo the ball back. They would get inside the Legacy 10 yard line but would settle for a field goal from Cole Daniels from 22 yards to make it a 14 point game in the fourth quarter.
The teams then traded turnovers and as Legacy fumbled on the kickoff, followed by a Jake Bishop interception by Legacy junior safety Jadyn Ishmael, and then another interception by Wyatt Harris for the Bearcats. Aledo would take advantage as Bishop completed a 5 yard pass to sophomore receiver Money Parks to make it 24-3. The teams traded turnovers once again before the Bearcats finally ran out the clock.
Aledo improves to 3-0 and is off next week before starting district play against Saginaw Chisholm Trail (2-1) in two weeks at Bearcat Stadium. Legacy drops their first game of the season now making them 2-1. Legacy will face the Midlothian Panthers (1-2) next week at Anderson Stadium in Mansfield.
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The turning point for Aledo was when the team rallied behind the cheap hits and bad sportsmanship of the Broncos defense. This motivated Aledo to step it up a notch on offense and defense in the fourth quarter!