Banged Up Aledo Powers Past Trinity 31-8 in Must Win
Must win. That’s how Aledo quarterback Tre Williams described this one to his teammates, and the Bearcats delivered when it mattered most.
Coming off back to back losses to open their first season in Class 6A, a shocking start for a program with 12 state titles to its name, Aledo needed to steady the ship against Euless Trinity. Mission accomplished, and then some.
This wasn’t easy either. Aledo entered the week battered, 23 players across grades 10 through 12 sidelined by injury, plus two assistant coaches nursing torn Achilles tendons. Head coach Robby Jones summed his team up in one word: beat up.
Beat up didn’t stop them from beating up Trinity early. Aledo raced out to a 24-0 first half lead even after Trinity’s Maurice Singleton picked off a pass to set his offense up in scoring territory. Williams connected with senior receiver Kane Lanier twice for touchdowns, 22 and 29 yards, while sophomore Wyatt Dorsey added a 10-yard wildcat score and kicker Hudson Parks nailed a 29-yard field goal. The Bearcat defense did its part too, limiting Trinity to just 65 first half yards.
The second half was more of the same story. Aledo tacked on another score, a 10-yard touchdown pass from Williams to tight end Colby Thompson, and cruised the rest of the way despite Trinity finally finding the end zone late.
Williams was efficient and dangerous, throwing for 220 yards and three touchdowns on 16 of 23 passing, though he did toss two interceptions. Lanier was clearly his guy, catching seven passes for 108 yards and both his scores. Trinity’s defense had a few moments too, Singleton grabbing his second pick of the night and Oklahoma State commit Chayce Davis adding one late, but it wasn’t nearly enough offense to overcome a 328 yard night from Aledo.
The win is bigger than it looks on paper. Aledo avoided its first three game losing streak in 21 years and its first 0-3 start since 1990, three years before the hiring of legendary coach Tim Buchanan. That’s how rare this slow start has been for the Bearcats.
Now the real test begins. Aledo opens District 3-6A play on the road at Granbury with a staggering 135-game district winning streak on the line, stepping into completely uncharted territory in the state’s largest classification. Jones says he’s been studying the tape and likes what Arlington ISD brings to the table, though he admits it’s anyone’s guess how his team stacks up in this new landscape.
Trinity, meanwhile, gets a bye before returning to action September 25 against Irving, still eyeing a run at the District 8-6A title as head coach Aaron Lineweaver preaches fundamentals first.
