Photos by Stan Martin / Championship game coverage brought to you by Ja-Mar Roofing & Sheet Metal
In 2017, College Station stunned Aledo in the 5A Division II State Championship game for its first-ever state title.
Five years later, Bearcat quarterback Hauss Hejny made sure history wouldn’t repeat itself in Saturday’s 5A Division I State Title Game.
Hejny ran circles around the College Station defense, finishing with 139 yards and two scores on the ground to go along with his 175 yards and two touchdowns passing as Aledo bushwhacked College Station 52-14.
It was an impressive ending to a season which began with Hejny embroiled in a quarterback battle with senior Brant Hayden.
“Hauss’ athleticism helped him win the job,” Aledo head coach Tim Buchanan said. “Where Hauss has improved is his process of going through his reads and finding the right spot to throw the football. He did a really good job of that tonight.”
THE SPEED 💨 @HaussHejny FLYING and ROCKING #8️⃣ LIKE @Lj_era8@Aledo_Football 🔶: 42@TheCougarWay 🐆: 0@uiltexas | #TXHSFB | 📺: BSSW pic.twitter.com/LHgqj5eRzw
— BallySportsTXHS (@BallySportsTXHS) December 17, 2022
Hejny helped contribute to a record-setting performance by wide receiver Jalen Pope, who had eight catches for 228 yards and three scores. That broke the previous 5A state championship record of 220 yards that Jalen Preston set for Manvel back in 2017.
However, Pope wasn’t the only record-setter on the afternoon. He and his teammates added to an already loaded trophy cupboard with Aledo’s state-record eleventh state title. The Bearcats now have a two-title lead over Katy, which has the second most in Texas high school football history with nine.
And while many in Aledo have gotten used to winning year in and year out, Bearcat defensive lineman Ansel Din-Mbuh said it takes the commitment of each group of players to make Aledo the elite program it has been under Buchanan.
“Every year it’s a new team,” din-Mbuh said. “Everyone always says that we’re going to add onto the legacy, but I think people forget that we also won for ourselves. If you go back to last year when we lost to South Oak Cliff [in the regional semifinals], everyone assumed we would win again because we’ve won before, but it’s not a given at all. We had to work for this one. We had to buy in and that’s something we did, which is why we’re here.”
On the other sideline, College Station head coach Stoney Pryor said trying to take down a program like Aledo, which has now won ten state titles in 14 seasons, is a tall task for any team in the state.
“I think Aledo did a fantastic job; they’re a great ball club,” Pryor said. “Coach Buchanan and his staff do a really outstanding job and put themselves in great positions. But I think our kids need to hold their heads high. Obviously, that wasn’t the outcome we were gunning for today, but I’m proud of our kids and what they’ve accomplished this season.”
The Bearcats were in complete control from the very offset. On just their fifth offensive play, Hejny befuddled the Cougar defense on a quarterback keeper, racing untouched down the sideline for a 31-yard touchdown.
College Station’s first offensive possession didn’t go much better as Aledo defensive back Jake Gillespie hammered the ball free from College Station running back Aydan Martinez-Brown.
Aledo needed just four plays to strike again as Davhon Keys rumbled into the end zone from three yards out. Keys scored his second short-yardage rushing touchdown of the day on Aledo’s next possession following a 51-yard punt return from Gillespie and the rout was on with the Bearcats up 21 after just a quarter of play.
“Field position hurt us, we gave them some short fields right there at the beginning,” Pryor said. “They’re too dangerous to give them a short field, and of course they capitalized on those opportunities.”
After Gillespie’s time in the spotlight, Pope was the next Bearcat to take advantage of Aledo’s domination.
Hejny found him for touchdowns of seven and 51 yards in the second quarter as Aledo extended its advantage to 35 points at the break.
TURN ON THE BURNERS @Jalenpope11 🔥!!!@Aledo_Football 🔶: 35@TheCougarWay 🐆: 0@uiltexas | #TXHSFB | 📺: BSSW pic.twitter.com/gYBgN8EjpA
— BallySportsTXHS (@BallySportsTXHS) December 17, 2022
In the second half, Hejny showcased his dual threat ability again as he broke free for a 58-yard touchdown on Aledo’s first offensive possession before Bearcat kicker Clay Murador demonstrated why he will be playing soccer at Indiana a year from now with a 37-yard field goal that gave Aledo a 45-0 lead heading to the final 12 minutes.
The only drama for Aledo in the fourth quarter was Pope shattering the 5A receiving record on a 76-yard touchdown pass from Hayden on the first play of the final period.
New QB no Problem, @Jalenpope11 Has your back😮💨@Aledo_Football 🔶: 52@TheCougarWay 🐆: 0@uiltexas | #TXHSFB | 📺: BSSW pic.twitter.com/ac3y045Lx7
— BallySportsTXHS (@BallySportsTXHS) December 17, 2022
But despite the long afternoon, the Cougars ended with something to celebrate as Arrington Maiden found Paden Cashion for two late touchdowns.
With Saturday’s result, College Station ends its season with a 13-3 record. Unfortunately for the Cougars, Saturday also marked its second-straight defeat in the 5A Division I State Title Game.
Still, senior linebacker Jaxon Edwards said taking a program that has only played nine seasons of varsity football to the championship game in back-to-back years is quite the legacy to leave behind.
“I grew up as a Cougar; I was raised on the sidelines,” Edwards said. “To play in the state championship not once but twice is pretty special, and I wouldn’t trade anything else for it.”
Meanwhile, for Aledo, Buchanan becomes just the fifth coach in Texas high school football history to win eight state titles. He was quick to give praise to those who have surrounded him during his 25 seasons as the head coach at Aledo.
“It means I’ve had a bunch of really good assistant coaches and really good football players,” Buchanan said. “What a good coach does is he puts the right players in the right spot at the right time, and I think that’s what we’ve done at Aledo.”
Apparently, Saturday’s win also means that Buchanan will have a new nickname moving forward.
At least until the Bearcats inevitably return to AT&T Stadium again to add to their storied legacy.
“Coach Todd said last night that’s he’s going to be Two-Time Todd,” Buchanan said of South Oak head coach Clifton Todd winning back-to-back titles. “Well, I’m Eight-Time Timmy, baby.”
Offensive MVP: QB Hauss Hejny, Aledo
Hejny showcased his dual-threat ability, rushing for 143 yards and two scores, while finishing 11-15 through the air for 175 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensive MVP: DB Jake Gillespie, Aledo
Gillespie was a menace all day to the College Station offense as he had a forced fumble, an interception, and five total tackles.
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