In a thrilling overtime showdown, the Aledo Bearcats edged past the Richland Royals 49-42 on Friday night, extending their impressive district winning streak to 125 games. Aledo, which hadn’t faced such a close district contest in recent memory, was pushed to the brink by Richland’s high-powered offense and relentless defense.
Richland held a 28-21 halftime lead after surging ahead by 14 points, thanks in part to Deon Jones, who made standout plays, including a 58-yard breakaway reception. Jones tallied 164 receiving yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Hunter Moreno contributed three additional scores. On defense, Sean Wright and Carlos Davis forced two fumbles, with Wright recording nine or more tackles for the third straight game. Meanwhile, linebacker Roddrick Roberts anchored the defense with 18 total tackles.
Aledo’s offensive powerhouse, Raycine Guillory Jr., was in top form, rushing for 263 yards and six touchdowns on 32 carries, including the eight-yard game-winning run in overtime. Guillory’s performance was bolstered by a strong offensive line led by center Chase Anderson and guards Payton Anderson and Ryan Campbell. Quarterback Gavin Beard threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns, keeping Aledo in the game even as they trailed by two scores twice during the night. Aledo finally took the lead late in the fourth quarter before Richland struck back with a last-minute, fourth-and-16 touchdown pass to Jones to force overtime.
In the extra period, Aledo’s defense held strong, stopping Richland from scoring on both third and fourth downs from the five-yard line. Guillory sealed the win with a hard-fought touchdown drive on Aledo’s possession, keeping the Bearcats’ 11-game home winning streak alive and improving their season record to 7-1. Richland, now 7-2, heads into a bye before taking on Azle on November 8. Aledo will look to extend their streak against Azle on November 1.
