FOOTBALL

‘We are the (district) champions, my friends’! Gray, Bearcats say good-bye to Bearcat Stadium this year in familiar fashionBy Dominic GenettiThe Community News

It may have been senior night at Bearcat Stadium last week, but it was the junior star running back that stole the show in Aledo’s ninth victory of the season.

Fans didn’t hesitate to wrap themselves in coats and blankets as chilly wind gusts became trapped inside Aledo’s largest facility in what was the next-to-last game of the regular season and fi nal at home for 2010. The Bearcats defeated the Birdville Hawks 40-17 and captured the district champi-onship, which in turned stamped their ticket to the playoffs.

“Nice job of staying out there and playing hard for four quarters,” Aledo Head Coach Tim Buchanan said to his team in the postgame huddle. “Good job playing hard.”

For the fi rst time this season, the Bearcats scored all of their touch-downs rushing and it all came at the speed and quick feet of Johnathan Gray. The junior running back rushed for 314 yards in 21 attempts averaging 15 yards and scored all six of the team’s touchdowns.

“I owe that to my line...,” Gray told reporters after game. “I couldn’t do it without them, they’re a great group of guys.”

On the passingside for the Bearcats, senior quarterback Clay Wooten saw some time on the grid-iron for his fi nal home appearance as a high school student. The 6’2, 200-pounder passed for 37 yards with two completions, averaging 18.5 yards in three attempts with

JAMES ALBRITTON/SALTFORKIMAGES.COM

ABOVE: The Bearcat defense swarms a Birdville runner. The stin-gy Aledo defense has allowed only 64 points in six district games. | RIGHT: Senior offensive line-man Michael Wilson prepares to block for Johnathan Gray. Coach Tim Buchanan said Wilson was the Bearcat who had grown the most as a player this season.

one interception.First-string quarterback Matt

Bishop passed for 97 passing yards with seven completions and a 13.9 average in 11 attempts, also with one interception. The junior fi eld gen-eral also rushed for 43 yards with a 5.4 average in eight attempts.

“(Wooten) read it right, threw it to the right person, but Clay just didn’t put enough air on it,” Buchanan said.

Turn to BIRDVILLE, page 9A

8A November 5, 2010 Sports THE COMMUNITY NEWS

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BREWERfrom page seven

“They’re big and athletic, especially their front four, and their linebackers are good sized too,” Buchanan said.

Brewer defeated Azle last week 30-22. The Bearcats are 9-0 on the season and 6-0 in district play.

Aledo has scored more than 100 points in the last two weeks, which should make them the big favorite to win in White Settlement Friday night, but Buchanan doesn’t even want to think about that. He says plans never included the anticipation of high scor-ing games. Everything just boils down to fundamentals and carrying out plays correctly.

“You never think you’re going to score 50 or so points in a football game, but it all depends on whether we come off with good fundamentals,” Buchanan said. “We trade video, we come up with a game plan, it’s the same thing every week as far as your fundamentals, thatdoesn’t change.”

“To be effective, we’re going to have to do a good job of throwing the foot-ball also,” he said; “if we play like we’re supposed to play and do what we’re supposed to do.”

When Friday’s game against the Bears is complete, the Bearcats will pre-pare for the postseason that saw them win the state championship last season. And while going back to back with state championships might be questions for Buchanan later on in the playoffs, his main task is to keep players focused on the game at hand in the sport thatbegins in the dog days of summer and lasts through the chilly nights of fall.

“Of course, after 10 weeks of football and a couple of weeks, three weeks of two-a-days, you have to be careful not to burn them out,” Buchanan said. “You want them to be excited about football in November and December.

“That’s probably one of the toughestthings in coaching is to not burn your kids out. It’s a grind for coaches and kids. It’s tough on them.”