Aledo Leaves No Doubt, Overwhelms Denton Ryan to March Into the 5A Division I Semifinals
For years, Denton Ryan had been one of the rare programs able to push Aledo to the brink. They snapped the Bearcats’ playoff run last season and came within inches of ending their legendary district winning streak not once but twice. The matchup had evolved into must-see rivalry football.
On Friday night at Northwest ISD Stadium, there was no rivalry. Only an Aledo avalanche.
The Bearcats unloaded a wire-to-wire masterpiece, smashing Ryan 43 to 17 and reminding everyone why the program sits atop the UIL record books with twelve state titles. Undefeated Aledo, now 14 and 0, advances to face fellow unbeaten Frisco Lone Star in the state semifinals.
A First Half That Felt Like a Knockout
Aledo wasted no time showing intent. Two long runs — one for thirty yards, another for forty four — cracked the field open on the first drive and set up quarterback Lincoln Tubbs for a nine yard scoring sprint. That was just the warmup.
Tubbs tore through the Raiders in the opening half, scoring four rushing touchdowns while moving the chains with a blend of power and improvisation that Ryan never solved. Head coach Robby Jones pointed to cleaner execution and Tubbs’ legs as the catalysts for the early surge.
Running back Kaden Winkfield joined in on the onslaught, punching in a touchdown and chalking up one hundred thirty six yards on seventeen carries before exiting with an ankle injury. By halftime, Aledo had built a 33 to 3 lead, outgaining Ryan 341 to 41 — a staggering margin that defined the night.
Tubbs’ final line read like something out of a video game: a perfect seven of seven passing for one hundred forty seven yards, one through the air, and five total touchdowns with more than one hundred rushing yards.
Defense Puts Up a Wall
Aledo’s offense may have delivered the fireworks, but the defense provided the chokehold. Led by linebackers Cooper Cyphers and Chase Wilburn, the Bearcats smothered everything Ryan attempted. Pressure came from every angle, pockets collapsed instantly, and the Raiders spent most of the first half just trying to escape negative plays.
The physical tone of the game was captured perfectly early in the third quarter when Cole Cox ripped the ball away from a Ryan receiver for a fumble recovery — a bully-ball moment that symbolized the Bearcats’ edge.
Finley Joins the Show
Though Aledo slowed in the second half, Notre Dame commit Kaydon Finley reignited the scoring with a forty yard catch and run early in the fourth. Finley finished with four receptions for one hundred thirteen yards, showcasing why he’s one of the state’s premier playmakers.
Ryan finally pieced together late scoring drives behind Connelly Cunningham, who hauled in touchdowns of thirty and eleven yards, but the deficit was far too steep after Aledo’s early haymakers.
The Stakes Grow Even Larger
With the victory, Aledo sits two wins away from a historic thirteenth state title. A feat that, if achieved, would extend one of Texas high school football’s most incredible streaks: the Bearcats have not gone more than one season without a championship since 2008.
Up next is a showdown of unbeatens. Aledo and Lone Star, both 14 and 0, will collide with a spot in Arlington on the line and championship expectations crushing down on every snap.
If Aledo plays anything like it did Friday night, the road to the trophy might run straight through Bearcat Country.
