THE COMMUNITY NEWS Celebrating the State Champions April 23, 2021
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You are reading The Community News’ 10th State Championship Magazine, a commemorative publication celebrating the Aledo Bearcats’ 2020 state championship season, the 10th in school history and a Texas 11-man football state record. This publication contains a week-by-week account of all 16 games, including the state championship game, and additional features related to this remarkable achievement.
This is also our first publication of this kind without our beloved sports editor Tony Eierdam, who passed away from COVID-19 in September. His spirit is with these pages, and we hope he would be proud of our efforts.
All photography, unless otherwise specified, is by Cynthia Llewellyn, who did a masterful job under COVID restrictions. She had to take photos of the state championship from the stands, but you probably wouldn’t know it by looking at the photographs.
Randy Keck, Editor
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Bearcats capture 10th 11-man state title
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Runaway
By Nolan Ruth The Community News
10 state titles. No other team in the state of Texas has reached that milestone.
The Aledo Bearcats completed their quest for history Friday afternoon, Jan. 11, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington as they defeated the Crosby Cougars (12-4) in the 5A Division II State Championship by a score of 56-21.
“It didn’t start tonight,” Tim Buchanan spoke about where the program has come. “It started back in 1993. When you look at the people who were the foundation of what we’ve done, they didn’t get any rings or medals. That’s what I think about. That’s what makes it so special.”
This year’s (technically 2020) title makes Aledo’s grand total a record
It took a bit for the Bearcat defense to get its footing, as Crosby took the
opening possession 75 yards on 11 plays to take an early 7-0 lead. It took only three plays for the Bearcats to respond as Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi threw to Jo Jo Earle on third down, and Earle raced 75 yards to the end zone to tie the game. The Aledo defense got a stop on the next drive but a penalty gave the ball back to the Cougars. They wasted no time cashing in on their second chance and took a 14-7 lead.
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off, he should take it around the left side. I think that was probably the play that changed the game right there.” The first quarter ended with the game tied at 14. It was in the second quarter that the Bearcats broke it open. Aledo opened the second quarter with points almost immediately. Roberts walked right up the middle to score from five yards out to put the Bearcats up for good. Turn to page 6
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Demarco Roberts scored six touchdowns and was named Offensive Player of the Game.
Once again, the Bearcats responded. This time it was Demarco Roberts taking it 32 yards to begin his epic game.
Crosby was not prepared for the speed of Murador and he was able to pick up the first down and get out of bounds.
After the Bearcats came up with another stop, they did not allow another point until the fourth quarter. The ensuing possession saw arguably the play of the game.
“They had blocked several punts,” Buchanan said about the play. “We knew they were going to come after us...Murador is the fastest kid at Aledo High School. Literally, as a freshman last year he could outrun anyone.
Aledo faced a fourth down and was in punting formation. Facing a heavy rush, Clay Murador made the decision to pull the ball in and run.
“We decided that if he saw the rush coming and could not get the punt
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Cap Mooney (35) came up with a big interception in the second quarter. He was named Defensive Player of the Game.
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Cap Mooney, who was named defensive player of the game, came up with a big interception to get the ball back. Five plays later, Roberts scored from 25 yards out.
They did that to perfection as the only points to come in the third quarter came on a one yard run by Roberts in which he flipped over the line and into the end zone.
Crosby made a drive late in the half but missed a field goal, giving the Aledo offense enough time to drive down the field and score one more time before halftime on a 20 yard Roberts run.
Leading 42-14 in the fourth quarter, Fowler-Nicolosi helped extend the lead with a 20 yard touchdown pass to Brian Fleming.
The Bearcats led the Cougars 35-14 at the half. When the Bearcats came out in the second half, they had one goal. Keep the pedal down and run out the clock.
Crosby scored their final touchdown in the fourth quarter, but Roberts was not done. On the third play of the ensuing drive, Roberts broke free and ran 54 yards to the
house to score his sixth touchdown, capping off his Offensive MVP performance. The starters were pulled in the next two drives, and the clock ran down to bring the final score to 56-21. “He’s a little frustrated with me right now because he didn’t break Johnathan Gray’s Record,” Buchanan joked about the performance of his running back. “None of that happens without our offensive line though. They do a great job of finding ways to get him to the second level.” The Bearcats finished the season with a 13-1 record and their tenth state title, all coming in the last 22 years.
Congratulations Bearcats!
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They keep using that word… by Randy Keck The Community News
“Unprecedented.” It’s a word many of us came to despise in 2020. During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the word came to be associated with many negative “firsts.” But in 2021, the Aledo Bearcats football team turned the word on its head by winning an unprecedented ten state championships. Ten, as in total number of fingers and thumbs. As a friend texted me after the win against Crosby, “Looks like a ring for Tim’s other thumb.”
The community and the Aledo ISD are rightfully proud.
state championships to count on your fingers!
With all of the obstacles and roadblocks that came up in 2020, the Bearcats rose above them and persevered, bringing home yet another UIL state trophy, and perhaps opened the door for more unprecedented achievements to come before 2021 completes its course.
The Community News adds its congratulations to the kudos of the community.
It was unprecedented to play the state game in January, and for every team that won a state championship that month comes the unprecedented opportunity to bring home two state championships in a calendar year. And with that would come too many
Along with the Bearcats’ 10th state championship, this is The Community News’ 10th special publication to celebrate those achievements. This section is published by: The Community News 1015 Champions Dr. Aledo, TX 76008 817-441-7661 www.community-news.com
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Taking the ball and running with it Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi becomes Bearcat quarterback on-the-fly By Nolan Ruth
The Community News
At the end of the 2019 football season, the biggest question for the Aledo football team was “Who will be the next quarterback?” The Bearcats had spent the past decade ultimately knowing who the next year’s quarterback would be; most of the time it was someone named Bishop. However, with no more Bishop brothers and no set backup, the 2020 signal caller was up for debate. More than 1,300 miles away at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi had just finished a 6-6 sophomore season in which he threw for 1,215 yards and seven touchdowns for the Falcons.
When all of California shut down due to the Coronavirus pandemic, parents Rich and Tracy Nicolosi decided it was time to make a move. “We had planned to move to Texas for a while,” Tracy said on the decision to move. “Our plan was in 2022 after Brayden graduated. I have family in Arlington and a sister who lives in Decatur. So with COVID and living in California while everything was shut down it just accelerated the plan. We felt that now was the time and God was leading us here.” The move came with nerves and excitement. California had canceled its fall sports while Texas decided to move forward. “I didn’t know what to expect,” Brayden said about playing football in Texas. “All you hear about Texas football is how the communities all revolve around it. Aledo especially, everything is just based on football. I enjoy it and I’m looking forward to next season.” It seemed like everything was going to work out with the move. All four kids would be able to attend school, Tracy would be closer to family, and Brayden would get a football season. The
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only thing that remained was where they would be moving. With family in Arlington and Decatur, and extended family in Jacksboro and Lubbock, the family wanted to find the median. “We really wanted to find a place that was a great, strong community,” Rich said about what drew the family to Aledo. “We wanted our kids to be able to experience a great community, school spirit, community spirit, we wanted them to be able to get the whole experience. We knew it would be much different in a small town.” When asked whether Brayden playing football affected where they would move, Rich credited their faith for how it worked out. “We’re from San Diego, I didn’t know who the Bearcats were,” he said. “Sometimes God just leads you down this path, and it’s like you’re a receiver. You have one job, catch the ball. God just says be faithful. He led us here.” The question from there was if Brayden would play. In California, Brayden was a starter in his sophomore season playing Division I football (the equivalent to playing 6A in Texas). When Brayden joined the Aledo program in October, he was told he would start on JV. “He just said okay.” Rich recalled how humble Brayden was when he had gone from a starter in California to junior varsity in Texas. “It wasn’t like ‘I’m this dude from California and I’ve played at this level.’ It was just ‘Sure, whatever I can do coach.’ He was just so grateful to be able to
play.” “Getting acclimated to the program happened right away because they welcomed me in like family,” Brayden said about his introduction into the Bearcat program. “It wasn’t a hard transition at all, but learning the offense was the tough part because I had never run anything like it.”
Quick Start In almost no time at all, Brayden was called upon to take over against Mansfield Timberview due to sophomore Brant Hayden sitting out due to COVID-19 protocols. In arguably the biggest district game since the 2007 loss to Everman, Brayden had to be introduced to the starting offense in the huddle at the beginning of the game. He went on to complete eight passes on 14 attempts for 161 yards and two touchdowns. It appeared the Bearcats may have found their quarterback. “There were a lot of nerves for Rich and myself,” Tracy said about her son becoming the starting quarterback. “Just like Brayden going into the season, I didn’t know what the teams were like or how big they were. My only thought was ‘please don’t crush my baby.’ There was a lot of emotion going in.” “There was no specific moment,” Brayden said about becoming the full time starter. “I was just going to be faithful and wherever I was needed that’s where I was going to be. The coaches needed me to step up so I did and the rest is history.”
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Brayden led the Bearcats through the rest of the regular season and into the postseason. On Christmas Eve, Aledo went to the Dallas Cowboys’ practice facility at The Star to take on Frisco High. In that game, Brayden had to overcome a minor knee injury to help guide the Bearcats past the Raccoons. “I was always a Dallas Cowboys fan growing up,” Brayden admitted. “I had never been to AT&T Stadium or the Ford Center so when I heard we were playing there, I got excited. The stage was so cool and we knew they were good so we knew how efficient we had to be.” What most people didn’t know was that Brayden came from a Wing-T offense in California, which gave him a better perspective on how important it was to keep the Frisco offense chasing. “I came from a Wing-T so I know exactly how it is,” Brayden added. “They wanted to chew clock up, they wanted to not let us have the ball. So when we got the ball we needed to go score. After I went out because of my knee, the coach said that we had to score on the next drive and I just told him I’m good, and that he had to let me go.” It was the next week against Lovejoy that Brayden really got his first test. He had never played in cold weather, and had never trailed as Aledo’s quarterback. It was during that game that the family got its first true exposure to the Bearcat football mystique. “No one in the stands, I guess you could say ‘Bearcat Nation’, no
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one looked worried,” Rich talked about his experience that night. “Everybody was still cheering as loud as they would have been had we been ahead by 20 or 30. I really fed off that, because there was all of this emotion and thoughts going through your head. However there’s this little piece that we’ve learned from this community that we just don’t give up, and we didn’t.” Brayden continued to make a difference against Lovejoy and the following week against Wichita Falls Rider. Finally, the entire season came to a head in Arlington against Crosby for the state championship. In a matter of months, Brayden went from possibly not playing football to leading
the Bearcats into AT&T Stadium for the biggest game of his life.
time to take it in, and once we got the ball rolling they just couldn’t stop us.”
Final destination
All the emotions Brayden felt that day, his parents also felt.
“It just all led to that point,” Brayden recalls the emotion of that day. “I had come from California where we didn’t even know if we would have a season, I played a JV game before becoming the starter, going through that intense playoff run and making it to state. I was just awe struck. It just flew by so fast for me and it hit me then ‘I am playing for a state championship game in Texas.’ “It was a dream come true because I’m a Dallas Cowboys fan. At that point, I just locked in. I didn’t have
“I just couldn’t believe it,” Rich said, starting to get choked up. “Just thinking about the whole year and what he went through, moving across country, new school, new people, new coaches, new everything, from big time California to playing JV, winning the job, and I was going through all of it in my mind while watching him warm up. We were a disaster. We were just being really faithful and we stopped and prayed with our girls that he went through it healthy, while also
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STATE TITLES! Mayor Kit Marshall, City Council, and Staff
April 23, 2021
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From 2-8 to ten state championships Former players tell how they did it
Kyle Lowe, 2000-03; Jerry Munoz, 2002-05.
By Nolan Ruth
Everyone in Aledo has heard or knows the basics of Tim Buchanan’s story as the head coach of the Bearcats. It is etched into the mind of every football player who has played for him, and their parents. Coach Buchanan has told the story countless times, but what is not heard or publicized are the stories of those who first played under him and built the foundation of what Aledo football has grown to be.
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Writer’s note: When I was asked to write up a season recap for the 2020 Aledo Bearcat football season, I knew I wanted to write a story not just recapping the season, but how all ten state championships came to be. There have been many stories done about coach Tim Buchanan and the story of how he turned the program into what it is today. However, I wanted to do a story from former players’ perspectives. What transpired ended up being a long road of tracking down former players, hearing all kinds of stories, and truly seeing for the first time what all went into ten state championships. The stories shared in this article gave me chills and brought back my own memories of being a player, and show how Coach Buc changed everything about Aledo. This story focuses on the first 15 years of Coach Buc’s tenure at Aledo, and what set up the big run of titles from 2009-present. I spoke to five former players: • Billy Mathis, 1992-95; • Matt Morris, 1994-97; • Blake Christenson, 1997-2000;
In his postgame press conference after defeating Crosby 56-21 for a record tenth state championship, Buchanan immediately gave credit to everyone back from 1993 to the present. “The biggest thing is that it didn’t start tonight,” Buchanan said about winning a record number of championships. “It started back in 1993. You look at the people who were the foundation of what we’ve done, they didn’t get any rings or medals or anything like that. Drew Proctor, coach Don Hasley, coach Greg Ennis. As we started improving and getting better, even Jim Yankie and Steve Wood. We would not have done what we have without Wood.” I quickly did what I could to track down former players to talk about
the impact Buchanan made on the program, on and off the field.
At the beginning Billy Mathis, now the head coach at Brock, was in the program when Buchanan first arrived and remembers how chaotic it had been before he arrived. “We were excited. Going back, Aledo had not been very good. When Chuck Curtis was there they were pretty good but they had not had much success. Back when I was in sixth grade, one of the old coaches, Rex Turner, who had coached Buchanan, was our PE teacher. So we were lucky to have him. He got us ready for it. Normally when we did something there he’d be there to call us a jake leg or a dog patch, whatever that meant. But we had him in there really preparing us for when Coach Buc arrived. “We hadn’t had a consistent high school football coach since I was in the seventh grade. We never had a really good offseason, we spent more time messing around than we did training in the offseason. That was one of the biggest deals when he came in was putting in a real offseason. That’s really what we missed out on as young players.” Turn to page 14
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Much to Mathis’ chagrin, his senior class was the last one in Aledo history to not go to the playoffs in 1995. He recalled that year and how good the program had gotten in that short amount of time. “We beat Boyd that year and we hadn’t beaten Boyd before.They had a big quarterback and ran the triple-option. I remember Coach Don Hasley caught on film, when he went up to the line and the last place he looked was the side they were going to, so Coach Buc got us ready and when they went one way, we were going that way. “Fast forward, Springtown was really good and we played a good game but we didn’t play a full solid game against them and lost. Then in the last game of the season, we’re playing Decatur with a sophomore quarterback, Dustin Proctor. Dustin was good, he was really good. We come out for pregame, we go back in and when we come back out, the wind is blowing, it’s crazy and a couple minutes into the game, Dustin got kicked out of the game. Decatur was solid and they beat us, Boyd ended up beating Springtown 3-0 somehow and we missed out.” That season was devastating to the players and Buchanan. “As bad as it hurt us,” Mathis added. “It hurt because we knew how hard Coach Buc, Coach [Mike] Chiaverini, and all the coaches worked so hard to get us where we were. All that time in the offseason, track workouts and summer workouts, that was the toughest thing. We felt we let the coaches down. We worked hard, but
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Matt Morris shown in the Oct. 24, 1996 issue of The Community News.
the teams after us benefited more because they had been in that program all the way up, we were doing it from just our sophomore season. But what he did, flipping the script for us and getting to buy in so fast goes back to who he was.”
Toward winning Offensive lineman Matt Morris was a sophomore that year and remembered what happened directly afterwards. “We had missed the playoffs in ‘95 by coin toss. There was a tie for the final spot and we lost by coin toss. But it was not something we sulked about, we got over it and went back to work. A lot of what happened
next was the talent we had coming up, the offseason we were going through, and the fact that Buc was so invested in those upcoming classes. That’s why it grew so much.” Morris was on the team in 1996 that lost to Friona in the regional final, and in 1997 when Aledo lost to Commerce in the semifinals. The next year, a sophomore quarterback played an integral role in the Bearcats first state championship. Blake Christenson, now the offensive coordinator under Mathis at Brock, moved in from Boyd as a freshman and immediately was exposed to a brand new experience. “Instantly I could tell it was different. Turn to page 16
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Coach Tim Buchanan has been in Aledo for all ten state championships, either as Athletic Director or coach.
Moving up to 4A The Bearcats claimed their first state title in ‘98 but were unable to repeat that success in 1999. 2000 and 2001 saw the earliest playoff exits under Buchanan only going two rounds deep each year. In 2002, the UIL realigned the football districts and Aledo was moved up to class 4A. Linebacker Kyle Lowe remembered those years, and the impact Buc left on his life.
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“He wasn’t just a coach to us. To a lot of us he was a father figure. The good thing about him was that he really didn’t care about the football as much as making us better men. He figured if he could make you a better man, it’s easy to make you a
Dustin Proctor led the team in the 1997 season.
It was a different mentality. Boyd had lots of great players and a good team, but coming into a program where it’s just constantly on the rise. My freshman year, it was just a different feeling. But the longer I was there the more I realized how good the coaches were and what they were trying to accomplish. I remember being in pep rallies and Buc always laying out our three goals for the year. ‘One: make the playoffs, two: win district, three: make it one round further than the year we made it before.’ It just kept getting better and then we lost to Commerce. So the next year we lost a lot of great seniors. Dustin Proctor, Matt Morris, Shane Proctor and Ty Lowe, so to everybody it was a rebuilding year. Buc said ‘no, we’re not going to build we’re going to reload.”
Christienson then made a comparison from that first state championship team to the tenth state championship team. Two teams that lost a lot of star talent, and while they still had some, questions lingered. “The argument for us and the seniors in 1998 was that we were not going to be as good as the year before. And we didn’t believe that or worry about it. That mentality is what still drives everything. Even this year’s team had questions and a little doubt. Well, you couldn’t have told those kids that. They didn’t care, they were going to go win because that’s what they’re trained and built to do.”
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was. “We faced Dunbar in ‘02 and they had an offense that had 400 yards rushing per game and we held them to 80. It was a big difference from 3A to 4A. It was a hard road. And then in ‘03, we had to beat Hebron and Pampa in the last seconds to win both games.” At that time, Jerry Munoz was a linebacker who had moved to Aledo in 1998 and instantly fell in love with the program he was playing for. “I always grew up winning in the youth programs. We were a football family so when we moved, my mom was looking for good community and good football. My first year I came to a game and was hooked.” Munoz recalled his experiences with the “mystique” of Coach Buc.
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Bearcats Celebrate their first state championship in the Astrodome.
better football player after that, and it’ll stick with you longer. So his biggest thing was school, taking care of family, and then football. So that helped a lot.” Those first two years in 4A in 2002 and 2003 were Lowe’s last two years at Aledo before graduating. He mentioned how the thought process and preparation never changed. “Every offseason and every season, our goals were to make the playoffs, and win district. 2002 was just another year to him and he expected
the same thing that year as the year before.” The motto for the Bearcats that year was “4A, welcome to Aledo football,” again tying in with Buc’s motto of reloading, not rebuilding. The Bearcats went to the quarterfinals each of those years, falling to perennial power Denton Ryan both times. It was a clear indicator that Aledo would be a force to be reckoned with despite the move to a larger classification. Lowe recalled how much tougher the competition
“He knew stuff about us that our parents wouldn’t even know. He just has a way about him that makes him like your dad. He also knew how to motivate us. I remember we were at Texas Stadium one year and he brought an old player from the ‘98 team into the locker room to show us his ring and show us what we were playing for and what it meant.” He also recalled the tough opponents Buchanan would schedule and the mentality that went along with that. “We never looked at anyone and got intimidated because they were bigger than us. It was a ‘we’re going to demolish whoever’ and coach Buc put that in our heads. We were never scared of anybody but we were well prepared. We definitely
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didn’t take anyone for granted. We never thought we might lose, we always thought we were going to win and when we didn’t, it hurt.
Diving Deeper In 2004, the Bearcats made their deepest run at the 4A level to that point. The team made it to the semifinals against Dallas Lincoln. At this point, Billy Mathis had joined the Aledo coaching staff and remembers that year and the years following. “I was a young coach and ecstatic that we had made it that far in the playoffs. But watching those guys work, then the next year you get Cole Loftin, Calvin Jones, Brady
Congrats Bearcats! Congrats Congrats 5A State Congrats Bearcats! Bearcats! Champs Bearcats! 5A 5A State State Champs 5A State Champs Champs
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Aledo Bearcats State Champs 2020
Thomas, and Austin Stockon. You get the Kyle Hixs of the world, 2005, 06, 07 now we’re not just in the playoffs every year but we’re going four rounds deep or five rounds deep. It was so special, that’s when it started to take off.” In 2008 a young freshman running back by the name of Johnathan Gray took the field for the first time. Aledo fell short that year, but in 2009 the Bearcats claimed their second state title in school history. In 2010, they repeated as champions, and again in 2011. The rest is the history we have all come to know and reminisce. However it was those first 15 years that laid the frame and the foundation for where the program is today. In just his fourth year at the helm, Buchanan led the Bearcats to the playoffs. Two years later, the first state championship in school history. He led the team from 3A to 4A (what is now 5A) and took the whole state by storm. Now after his 28th year in command, he has overseen ten state titles either as head coach or athletic director (half of them while in both positions). Is that the end of the story? We can only hope he’ll stick around a little longer to take the program to new heights never seen in the state of Texas. For now, we’re left with one of the greatest coaching stories of all time. When asked what the former players would say to Buchanan if they saw him today, the responses were mixed with emotion and thankfulness.
Saying Thank You “I think we tell him all the time,” Mathis spoke on behalf of himself and Blake Christenson. “Thanks for taking a chance on us as young coaches. Thanks for putting in all the hard work. I can remember them being on the grass field pulling the big sprinklers, being on the tractors, setting up goal posts and doing all that. You remember all that stuff more than you do the wins and losses. All the offseason stuff, getting on to us for being knuckleheads when we were jacking around, you remember that more. Thanks for bringing in a culture of not only winning, but brotherhood. When we get together with old friends, that’s what we talk about — our old high school football days.” “I know I’ve told him before,” Christenson chimed in. “I’m proud I got to play for him and the things he taught me as a player that helped me at the next level. I’m proud I got to work for him because I learned even more about how to handle myself in my career. You just can’t tell him thanks enough. He always talked about who we would grow up to be. Not so much if we won or lost, but what we were going to be as husbands and fathers. That’s something you can’t ever repay or even really understand fully until later on down the roads.” Mathis even chimed in on Buchanan’s wife Rebecca and her influence on other coaches’ wives. “Something that he didn’t do but his wife Rebecca did for us, she was a
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good mentor for our wives on what it meant to be a good coach’s wife. That’s a whole other dimension about being a part of a coaching staff. You work thousands of hours and I know my wife, we were newly married and Rebecca was good with her about how to be a good coach’s wife. So I think that our wives benefited from that, from her example. I promise he has one of the best coach’s wives in the state. It’s like they say, behind every great man is an even better woman. I know there’s a lot of truth in that for us.” Matt Morris had an emotional, heartfelt statement on what Coach Buc meant to him as well. “I’ve got more words for him than you could put on 25 pages,” Morris said while choking up. “I would tell him thanks for molding great men. I don’t even go to football for that. All of that was a huge part of it, but the day comes when you take your set of pads off for the last time. It’s emotional for sure, but it’s all that stuff that he drilled into our heads that makes you a great man, a great father, a great businessman. So I would just say thanks for caring about the people and the hearts of those kids even more than you care about the rings and all the titles. He builds great men and he demands that. If you’re going to be a, as he would say, ‘knucklehead’ he’s still going to love you, but he’s going to call it out and he’s going to walk you through that and how not to be knucklehead.” Kyle Lowe had a rather short but meaningful statement on what he would tell the coach.
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Aledo Bearcats State Champs 2020
April 23, 2021 15th Annual Good News Issue December 25-31, 2009 · www.community-news.com
“Just how much I miss him. I see him every once in a while, but I think the biggest thing is that I appreciate all the hard lessons and the easy lessons that he taught me. They stuck with me for almost 20 years now. I love the guy and I’ll do anything for him. So thanks for the lessons.”
legacy will live on far after he’s gone through
“He’s one of the most influential people I’ve had in my life. Taking care of the small things and taking care of the big things, that’s always been my motto and that will live on through my kids and hopefully their kids. Buc has not only become a household name, he has a legacy. He not only has a legacy but he always creates legacies through other people. So his
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Sweet Victory!
people’s kids and their grandkids. It’s a cool thing. I can’t ever say anything bad about
◗ Bearcats defeat Brenham, 35-21, to win school’s first Class 4A state championship
Coach Buc, and I’ve never come across some-
W
one who had something bad to say about him.
Good News
He’s such a good guy. I’m glad I got to have a mom who brought me to him at Aledo instead
Jerry Munoz had loving words as well, while mainly just marveling at the impact Buchanan has had on everybody he’s come into contact with.
· 75 cents
elcome
By Tony Eierdam The Community News
to the
15th annual edition of The Community News. Fourteen years
ago we made a decision that one issue of the paper each year ought to be devoted to
of Weatherford.”
nothing but good news. News about water issues, train wrecks and political
Munoz’s statement just about sums it all up.
corruption can
The legacy that Coach Buc has created will for-
celebrate the
ever live on through the halls and on the field at Aledo High School. From going 2-8 in 1993 with just 19 players, to winning the tenth state
take a week off while we end of one year and the beginning of a new one. We hope you enjoy this issue - and we hope you and all who are dear to you have a wonderful 2010!
championship with the Bearcats, Coach Buc is the spitting image of what it means to live in
JAMES ALBRITTON/THE COMMUNITY NEWS
Aledo seniors Nolen Cleveland (59) and Hunter Stockon (51) proudly hold up the Class 4A state championship plaque for Bearcats’ fans after a thrilling 35-21 victory over Brenham Saturday at D.K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin. It was the second state football championship in Aledo High School history, and the first since winning the Class 3A title in 1998.
ALEDO ISD
ALEDO
Care package ◗ Third graders add notes of love, concern to domestic violence victims’ emergency packets
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Evidence of purpose
◗ The Hemi Foundation is helping many families worldwide Born out of necessity for the Hall family of Aledo, the Hemispherectomy Foundation is providing support for children and families who live with incredible challenges. Jessie Hall made national news last year when she underwent hemispherectomy surgery at age 6, and people of Aledo rallied around her and her family. “There’s no question the people of Aledo are incredibly special,” said Kristi Hall, Jessie’s mom. “They were giving us support before the news broke,” added Cris Hall, Jessie’s dad. A hemispherectomy is an operation where half of the brain is removed or disconnected in order to relieve seizure disorders or for uni-hemispheric damage to the brain from a viral or bacterial infection, trauma or tumor. The operation can significantly improve the child’s quality of life. Cris and Kristi have learned a lot about hemispherectomies and, importantly, that there is a need for information to be available for families who are dealing with the very difficult situation.
By Lori Cope
The Community News
Turn to VICTORY, page 2
By Lori Cope
Not only did McCall third graders do a great service by creating emergency packets for victims of family violence, they also added evidence of their caring attitudes by including hand-written notes of encouragement. The Parker County Commissioners Court recognized the students’ efforts during their Dec. 14 meeting by distributing certificates of appreciation to each of them. Plus, the students, about 80, were treated to a tour of the historic courthouse. In the county attorney’s office, the students discovered Santa Claus had also come to honor their work and hear last-minute Christmas wishes. McCall Elementary teacher Crystal Suehs said she wanted the third graders to do a community service project, and Lisa Mehrhoff, coordinator of the Parker County Attorney’s Victims Assistance program, was the first to reply to Suehs’ inquiry.
Commentary
Volume 20, Number 52 Published Weekly
After grueling August two-a-days, one scrimmage, three September non-district affairs, seven league contests and six playoff games, including Saturday’s 35-21 Class 4A statechampionship game victory over Brenham, for the first time in school history the Aledo Bearcats can call themselves Class 4A state champions. It was the second time in head coach Tim Buchanan’s tenure at AHS that he has guided a state football champion. In 1998 – when Aledo was in Class 3A – the Bearcats won the school’s first-ever state football championship. And on a sunny Saturday afternoon in Austin, it truly was a team effort. The Bearcats’ defense had to hold off a late Brenham rush with a red-zone stand on fourth and one, and three plays later the offense struck as sophomore running back Johnathan Gray sealed the state championship with an electrifying 89-yard touchdown run that sent the west side of the D.K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium stands into a deafening frenzy as Aledo students and fans celebrated the 2009 Class 4A, Division II (small schools) state championship. “All of the work we did in those 16 weeks finally paid off,” senior linebacker Danny Heiss said. “It has been a long season, but right now it is an awesome feeling. We never thought about not winning. We knew if we came down here and played hard that we would win.” Buchanan couldn’t hold back a smile that he waited 16 games to put on his usually stoic face. “It is hard to explain my feelings right now,” Buchanan said. “All I know is the Bearcats won. It took too long to get us here, and hopefully we will get back here real soon. These kids played their rears off all year long. This championship is great for these kids.” Bearcats quarterbacks coach Blake Christenson was a sophomore on Buchanan’s 1998 state championship team, and he becomes the first person in Aledo history to play and coach on a Bearcats state championship football team. “I am just so happy for these kids,” Christenson said. “I am proud that they get to experience something like this. It is amazing for me as a coach, to be with these guys, and to watch them celebrate a state championship is unbelievable.”
Life&Community Christmas Wish
LORI COPE/THE COMMUNITY NEWS
Jessie Hall, 7, is doing well since her hemispherectomy operation. Jessie’s family formed The Hemi Foundation which is helping families in similar situations “not feel alone anymore.”
Sports State Champs!
Can we give another way another try? Step outside your comfort zone and choose to see enemies differently.
First graders would wish everyone a Merry Christmas, only if they had their two front teeth.
Gray scores four touchdowns in Bearcats’ victory over Brenham for Class 4A state championship.
COLUMN | PAGE 6
FEATURE | PAGE 14
STORY | PAGE 7
Copyright 2009, The Community News
Aledo, and those contributions off the field will
In 2009, State Championships returned.
continue to shine for generations to come.
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Congratulations Bearcats on another State Championship!
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Aledo Bearcats State Champs 2020
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14 Teams and a Virus Bearcats adjusted, adapted on the road to state By Nolan Ruth The Community News
In late July of 2020, the University Interscholastic League released its updated schedule for the upcoming football season. With the outbreak and pandemic of COVID-19, there were serious questions throughout the state on whether or not it would even be safe to play football in the fall. Under the leadership of the UIL, it was decided that classifications 1A-4A would play as scheduled, while the two largest classifications, 5A and 6A, would be delayed four weeks to potentially slow down the spread. The 5A Aledo Bearcats were unable to take the field to practice until what would normally be week one. Due to that delay, schedules were shifted and district rules were changed. It was clear from the start that it would be an odd year for the now ten-time state champions. The Bearcats already had questions before the season started, but now everything was thrown even more into a frenzy. With no clear answer to who the starting quarterback would be, who the running back would be, or how good the defense was, the team and coaches had to make it up on the fly. Now on top of the nine teams on the schedule and potential six playoff opponents, the Bearcats had to battle a virus.
Two weeks before the Bearcats were set to take on cross county rival Weatherford, Ethan McBrayer, who was slated to start at quarterback, tore his ACL in practice. This paved the way for Brant Hayden to step in and become the signal caller. Only a sophomore, it wasn’t quite clear how well Hayden would do under center. After performing well in the scrimmage against North Forney, and an excellent game against the rival Kangaroos, Hayden proved he could take the reins. With Demarco Roberts taking over at running back, and standout receiver Jo Jo Earle out wide, the Bearcats started the season 2-0 after winning a close one against Frisco Lone Star at home. That’s when everything started to get mixed up. An outbreak in Waco ISD postponed the Bearcats’ district opener with Waco University. Unable to find a game on short notice, head coach Tim Buchanan decided to use the week as the official bye week, and was able to schedule a game with perennial 6A power Cedar Hill. The Longhorns came into Bearcat Stadium and handed Aledo what turned out to be its only loss of the season, 27-17. The two weeks after that seemed to calm down. Both district games with Everman and Arlington Seguin went on as planned with the Bearcats prevailing in both. Then, without warning, everything started
getting messed up again. This time, it would prove to be more of a battle than the last. A breakout of the virus hit Aledo High School in early November, causing the district championship game with Mansfield Timberview to be delayed two more weeks. The very next week, Aledo’s JV teams were in the midst of their games with Joshua, when Buchanan received word that a breakout had occurred within Joshua High School and the Owls would not take the field for the varsity game the next day. After an unprecedented two weeks without playing a game, the Bearcats traveled to Mansfield to finally showdown with the Timberview Wolves. However, with Hayden still out due to contact tracing, junior move-in Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi made his debut without even being introduced to the players in the offense. Nicolosi ended the game with 161 yards and two touchdowns. His gunslinging throwing style and ability to escape the rush impressed the coaches, and he won the job as the starting quarterback. The win officially gave the Bearcats the district title with two games left to play. The next two weeks went by without too much difficulty as Aledo defeated Cleburne and Burleson to finish the regular season with a 7-1
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record.
Aledo Bearcats State Champs 2020
attack and the Bearcats cruised into the regional final.
The playoffs brought a new kind of tension for the team. The UIL had ruled months before that if any team is unable to play a playoff game due to COVID-19, it would count as a forfeit. Despite that obstacle, the Bearcats were able to defeat Dallas Hillcrest in the first round. The next week, Aledo played its opponent from the scrimmage at the beginning of the year, North Forney. The first half was a good push by North Forney, but Demarco Roberts made his name known and led the Bearcats to an easy win. A week later, the Bearcats traveled to Frisco on Christmas Eve to take on Frisco High. Despite coming out with a completely different gameplan, Frisco was unable to stop the Aledo rushing
On New Year’s day 2021, the Bearcats got their toughest test of the year. The Lovejoy Leopards got out to an early lead and held onto it through the third quarter. Aledo’s defense had trouble containing Oklahomacommit quarterback RW Rucker. However, the defense awoke in the fourth quarter, blocked a punt, and made a goal line stand late to complete the comeback.
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56-21. Through the last six weeks of the season, Aledo was able to avoid the virus and win all six games to claim the record tenth state title. In the strangest football season the state of Texas has ever seen, Aledo was able to overcome every obstacle it faced to hold onto its crown. In all, 14 different teams faced off with the Bearcats in the course of the season, and a virus hampered part of it, but the Bearcats ended up on top of all of it.
In the semifinals the next week, the Bearcats played Wichita Falls Rider in Denton for the right to go to AT&T Stadium to play for a state title. Again the defense had a monster game and led the Bearcats to the win. A week later, the Bearcats completed the dream by defeating Crosby
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Aledo Bearcats State Champs 2020
The Road to State
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How the Bearcats got to the 2020 State Championship game in 2021
CYNTHIA LLEWELLYN/THE COMMUNITY NEWS CYNTHIA LLEWELLYN/THE COMMUNITY NEWS
Cap Mooney (35) upends a Frisco ball career during the Bearcats’ win against Frisco Lone Star. Also shown are Kyle Thompson (43), Sam Forman (20), and Stanton Smith (47).
Bryan Allen (7), Jaden Allen (27), and Sam Forman (20) celebrate in the end zone during the Weatherford game.
Non-District
Bearcats 70, Weatherford 7 After a four week delay due to COVID-19, the Bearcats kicked off the season Sept. 26 against their cross-county rivalsWeatherford at Globe Life Park in Arlington in a rivalry game that had not been played since 2011. The Bearcats dominated from start to finish, scoring 35 points in each half, holding the Kangaroos to just 7 all game. Starting quarterback Brant Hayden threw for three touchdowns, Jo Jo Earle accounted for two scores on the ground and one on the receiv-
ing end of a pass from Hayden. The defense shut down the Kangaroo offense all game. Jaden Allen and Eli Valencia each came up with defensive touchdowns.
Bearcats 34, Frisco Lone Star 32 The first true test of the season came at Bearcat Stadium in the second week of the season on Oct. 2. Both teams entered the game ranked second in their respective divisions of 5A. A lot was found out about Aledo in this game. The Rangers pushed the Bearcats to just about every limit possible before the Bearcats were able to finish it off.
A back-and-forth first half that saw four lead changes ended with the Bearcats leading 20-16. Jo Jo Earle kept the Bearcat offense alive in the second half as Demarco Roberts had been sidelined for an injury as a precaution. Earle hauled in the game-winning pass from Brant Hayden with six minutes remaining to put the Bearcats over the top. CYNTHIA LLEWELLYN/THE COMMUNITY NEWS
Keenan Hess lines up against Cedar Hill.
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Aledo Bearcats State Champs 2020
April 23, 2021
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Folks have been reading our Aledo Bearcat coverage since * the BC era Before Championships
*
Going back to what might seem like the dawn of time, The Community News has been on the sidelines – week in and week out – win or lose – covering the Aledo Bearcats. With the Bearcats establishing a winning tradition, a lot of other media has jumped on the bandwagon. We’ve been there all along.
We’re proud of that, as we are proud of the Bearcats. And after football season, when the other guys all fade into the woodwork, we’re still here to cover volleyball, basketball, soccer, softball, baseball, tennis, golf, cross country, and swimming. So we join the rest of the community in saying:
Congratulations Bearcats!
TC THE COMMUNITY NEWS N We’re Here For You!
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28 April 23, 2021
Aledo Bearcats State Champs 2020
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District
Bearcats 37, Everman 0 Since the 2007 loss, the last district loss Aledo suffered, the Bearcats had always had the edge over the Bulldogs. This time was no different as the Aledo defense held Everman off the scoreboard for a full 48 minutes on Oct. 23. The district opener became the 92nd consecutive district win for Aledo, over the team that last defeated the Bearcats in a district meeting. The Bearcats amassed 500 total yards of offense behind Ryan William’s 193 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. The Aledo defense only allowed 125 yards of total offense and stopped the Bulldog offense on third down all 12 times.
Bearcats 47, Arlington Seguin 26 CYNTHIA LLEWELLYN/THE COMMUNITY NEWS
Junior Ryan Williams (5) marked his running-back debut with 201 yards against Everman. Shown blocking is Rocco O’Keefe (54).
Cedar Hill 27, Bearcats 17 For the second consecutive season, the Bearcats faced off with a 6A team that eventually made it to the state title. Unfortunately, they once again came up just short on Oct. 16. The game was originally not supposed to happen. Cedar Hill had its game against Allen cancelled the week before and the Bearcats had their district meeting with Waco University cancelled the week of.
Coach Buchanan contacted Cedar Hill coach Carlos Lynn and the two agreed to play at Bearcat Stadium. The Bearcats trailed 13-10 at halftime, and had a chance to take the lead late. However, turnovers and the performance of Cedar Hill quarterback Kaidon Salter gave the Longhorns the edge.
The Bearcats kept their district streak rolling with a home win against the Cougars on Oct. 30. For the second straight week, kicker Clay Murador scored the first points of the game on a field goal in the first quarter. Demarco Roberts and Brant Hayden did the rest offensively. Roberts rushed for 164 yards and three touchdowns, while Hayden threw for 185 yards and two scores. The Cougars made a late push in the fourth quarter, but after leading 30-12 at halftime, the Bearcats
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Aledo Bearcats State Champs 2020
April 23, 2021
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coasted in the second half to take consecutive district victory number 93.
Bearcats 44, Mansfield Timberview 28 For the first time, the Bearcats had a scheduled game that would officially crown a district champion at the end on Nov. 20. The game was hyped up in the media as it appeared the Timberwolves could give the Bearcats a scare. However, the game would be remembered for a different reason: the debut of quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi. The junior signal caller had enrolled at Aledo in October and played JV, until Brant Hayden was forced to quarantine. Fowler-Nicolosi’s ability to get the ball out quickly and deliver the ball on target helped the Bearcats cruise in the second half and claim their thirteenth straight district title.
TOM MARVIN/SPECIAL TO THE COMMUNITY NEWS
Tight end Jason Llewellyn wrestles for additional yardage against Cleburne. Llewellyn had a career-first two touchdowns in the game.
Bearcats 52, Cleburne 20 On Black Friday afternoon, the
Bearcats traveled south to “The Rock” to take on the Yellow Jackets. After getting out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter, Cleburne made a push in the second to end the first half at 24-14. Cleburne’s aggressiveness ended up being its ultimate downfall, failing on fourth down multiple times in the second half. That left short fields for the Bearcats to take advantage of. The Bearcats rolled in the second half. The win gave the Bearcats consecutive district win number 95.
MERCEDES MAYER/SPECIAL TO THE COMMUNITY NEWS
Caden Anderson, Max Dube, and Bearcats black shirts stop a Mansfield Timberview runner.
30 April 23, 2021
Aledo Bearcats State Champs 2020
12 and 36 yards. Roberts ended with three touchdowns and 159 years. JoJo Earle had one touchdown on the ground and one receiving, and Jason Llewellyn had three catches, one for a touchdown.
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Demarco Roberts touchdown and a punt return score by Earle gave the Bearcats a 28-17 lead at halftime. The halftime lead proved to be enough as the Bearcats scored three more times in the second half to advance to play on Christmas Eve.
Post-Season
Bi-District Bearcats 77, Dallas Hillcrest 13 The playoff opener at Bearcat Stadium on Dec. 10 started slow for the Bearcats, who only scored fourteen while giving up six in the opening frame. Aledo blew it open from that point with the starters rolling in the first half. Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi threw for four touchdowns in the first half, while Jo Jo Earle ran for two, and DeMarco Roberts scored twice on only five carries. The only touchdown the Aledo defense gave up came in the fourth quarter when the starters had already been pulled. The win marked the 25th consecutive time the Bearcats have advanced past the first round of the playoffs.
Area Bearcats 49, North Forney 24
CYNTHIA LLEWELLYN/THE COMMUNITY NEWS
Jojo Earle celebrates following a touchdown against North Forney.
Bearcats 56, Burleson 24 In a familiar pattern, Aledo had a 20-plus point lead at halftime, this time hosting Burleson on Dec. 4. Demarco Roberts scored two touchdowns in the first quarter on runs of
The Bearcats went back to Globe Life Park in Arlington on Dec. 18 to take on the Falcons, who had come out of arguably the toughest district in 5A. The Falcons pushed the Aledo defense on the first drive, but two first-quarter touchdowns by Jo Jo Earle and an interception by BJ Allen got Aledo out front. A
Regional semifinal Bearcats 45, Frisco 27 For the first time, the Bearcats played on Christmas Eve night. Aledo traveled to The Star in Frisco to take on the hometown Raccoons. When Frisco took the field, the offense came out with a completely different game plan than expected. However, a big second quarter behind Demarco Roberts’ three touchdowns and a blocked punt, the Bearcats jumped to a 28-14 at the half. Behind Roberts’ 224 yards and 4 TDs, and Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi’s 12 completions for 198 yards, Aledo accelerated in the second half to advance to its eighth straight regional final, and is now 4-0 all time at The Star.
Regional final (state quarterfinal) Bearcats 52, Lucas Lovejoy 48 Going into the regional final on Jan 1, the Bearcats were a slim favorite over the Lovejoy Leopards at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Aledo had already appeared in two games at the former home of the Texas Rangers and won both. Lovejoy quickly proved that it would be a much tougher game than antic-
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Aledo Bearcats State Champs 2020
April 23, 2021
31
ipated. The Bearcats trailed 31-21 at halftime, and 38-28 at the end of the third quarter. A blocked punt was returned by Caden Anderson for a touchdown that swung the momentum. The defense then made two goal line stands, and the offense scored 21 more points to complete the comeback win. The win sent the Bearcats to their eighth straight semi-finals appearance. Demarco Roberts ran the ball 34 times for 261 yards and 3 TDs. Jo Jo Earle added one on the ground and one through the air.
State semi-final Bearcats 55, WF Rider 28 The semi-final game against the Rider Raiders on Jan 8 proved to be much the same as the playoff games before it. The offense had a monster game and the defense made the key plays to secure the win under the lights of Apogee Stadium at UNT. Aledo got out to a 21-7 lead at the half behind 3 TDs from DeMarco Roberts, 1 from Jo Jo Earle, and a blocked punt. The second half was big for the Bearcats as Roberts added to his big day with a touchdown. Jeremiah James added one, and Jason Llewellyn scored by returning an onside kick attempt. For the fifth straight time, the Bearcats advanced to the state championship game. All time, Aledo is now 6-0 against Wichita Falls Rider.
CYNTHIA LLEWELLYN/THE COMMUNITY NEWS
Jaedon Pellegrino (2) pulls in a pass during the Aledo-Lucas Lovejoy game on Jan. 1.
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Aledo Bearcats State Champs 2020
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