The Abilene Eagles are back in the Class 5A Division I area playoffs Friday night after last Thursday’s 84-0 destruction of El Paso Parkland at Shotwell Stadium.
The Eagles and No. 1-ranked Aledo Bearcats will meet Friday at 7 p.m. at Vernon Newsom Stadium in Mansfield. Fans attending the game must purchase a parking pass and a game ticket. Newsom Stadium has implemented a clear bag policy for all fans.
Fans who won’t be in Mansfield can watch the game with Chuck Statler (play-by-play) and Cody Coil (analyst) calling the game. Fans who want to only listen to the game can find the audio here.
The winner of the Abilene High-Aledo game will advance to the Class 5A Division I regional semifinals against the winner of Friday night’s game between Saginaw (11-0) and Amarillo Tascosa (6-5). The games in the other half of the Region I-5A bracket are Amarillo High (6-4) against Richland (9-2) at 4 p.m. Saturday and Lubbock Monterey (7-4) taking on Denton Ryan (10-1) at 3 p.m. Saturday at ACU’s Wildcat Stadium.
Here's a look at tonight’s Abilene High-Aledo matchup:
ABILENE HIGH vs. ALEDO
What: Class 5A Division I area playoff game
When: Friday, Nov. 22
Time: 7 p.m.
Where: Newsom Stadium (Mansfield)
Records: Abilene High (8-3, #2 seed from District 2-5A), Aledo (10-1, #1 seed from District 3-5A)
Rankings: Abilene High, unranked; Aledo, #1 in Class 5A
Last week: Abilene High def. El Paso Parkland, 84-0; Aledo def. Fort Worth Chisholm Trail, 63-7
Tickets: Purchase here
Parking pass: Purchase here
Clear Bag Policy: Mansfield ISD has implemented a clear bag policy at Newsom Stadium.
Series history: Aledo leads 1-0
Last meeting: Aledo 56, Abilene High 21 (Dec. 1, 2023; Memorial Stadium, Stephenville / Class 5A Division I state quarterfinals)
Live video: AISD Live
Live audio stream: AISD Live
Abilene High Eagles: The Eagles had no trouble in their bi-district victory last Thursday, dominating El Paso Parkland in the 84-0 win. The Eagles tied their own UIL record for most points in a Class 5A bi-district game (the record was 84, set by Abilene High in an 84-14 win over El Paso Hanks in 2023). … AHS tied its own all-classification UIL record for most points in the first half of any game (the record is 70, set by Abilene High in an 84-14 win over El Paso Hanks in 2023). … AHS sophomore quarterback Tristan Beal enters tonight’s game with 1,378 passing yards and 18 touchdowns this season. … Senior wide receiver Ryland Bradford has caught 52 passes for 1,064 yards and 18 touchdowns, carried the ball 46 times for 444 yards and eight touchdowns, thrown one touchdown, and has one kickoff return for a touchdown to give him 28 touchdowns responsible for in 2024. … He is first in career touchdown receptions (33) and third in career catches (127), and he is fourth in single-season yards (1,064). … Junior running back Ethan Joyner leads the Eagles on the ground with 164 carries for 967 yards and 11 touchdowns. … The Eagles are averaging 458.9 yards and 50.8 points per game, while the defense allows 381.8 yards and 31.2 points per game. …Last week’s win was Abilene High’s 75th all-time playoff victory; only 31 schools in Texas have more playoff wins. … The victory was the 740th all-time win in Abilene High program history (since 1906), tied with Tyler John Tyler for 13th-most in Texas high school football history. ..
Aledo Bearcats: The Bearcats won their state-record 12th state championship last year, beating College Station 52-14. … Aledo is ranked No. 1 in the state and opened its playoff run last week with a 63-7 win over Fort Worth Chisholm Trail. That win was the Bearcats’ 126th all-time football playoff victory, fifth in Texas history behind Refugio. (144), Mart (139), Katy (131), and Southlake Carroll (128). … Aledo won its 17th straight district championship this year, and each season has been an undefeated district season. … Aledo won the last five games of a 5-2 district campaign in 2007 and since has reeled off another 120 straight district wins to run its district winning streak to 125 games. … Junior quarterback Gavin Beard has thrown for 1,890 yards and 27 touchdowns against just three interceptions. … Aledo’s top running back, Raycine Guillory, is a four-star recruit who has run for 1,144 yards and 22 touchdowns on 146 carries. He initially committed to Texas but decommitted in June, re-opening his recruitment. Other schools pursuing Guillory are Michigan, Miami, Ohio State, Arizona, TCU, SMU, and Arkansas. … The team’s top wide receiver is junior four-star recruit Kaydon Finley, who has 60 catches for 1,044 yards and 16 touchdowns. He has 32 NCAA Division I offers, including 27 from Power-4 schools (teams in the SEC, Big 12, Big 10, and ACC). … The Bearcats are averaging 449.6 yards and 55.4 points per game, and the defense is giving up just 262.8 yards and 141.7 points per game.
This Week’s District 2-5A Division I schedule
Area
Lubbock Monterey (7-4) vs. Denton Ryan (10-1), Saturday, 3 p.m., Wildcat Stadium, Abilene
Abilene High (8-3) vs. Aledo (10-1), Friday, 7 p.m., Newsom Stadium, Mansfield
Amarillo High (6-4) vs. Richland (9-2), Saturday, 6 p.m., Memorial Stadium, Wichita Falls
Amarillo Tascosa (6-5) vs. Saginaw (11-0), Friday, 6 p.m., Memorial Stadium, Wichita Falls
This Week’s Games at Shotwell Stadium
(The home team is listed first; fans will sit on the west side of the stadium)
(Note: Shotwell Stadium has a clear bag policy in effect for all games)
Class 5A Division II
Lubbock Cooper (8-3) vs. Prosper Walnut Grove (10-1), Friday, 7 p.m. (purchase tickets here)
Class 4A Division I
Stephenville 35, Hereford 7 (played Thursday night)
Class 6A Division II
Crowley (7-4) vs. Midland High (8-3), Saturday, 6 p.m. (purchase tickets here)
BASKETBALL: All Four AISD Teams in Action During Break
The Abilene High and Cooper boys’ and girls’ basketball teams will see plenty of action during the Thanksgiving break, starting with each team playing Friday night. Here’s a breakdown of where each team stands early in the season and where they will be playing in the coming 10 days:
• Cooper boys (2-2) – Head coach Michael Bacon’s team recorded its second win of the season Tuesday night with a solid 69-56 win over Lubbock Coronado at Cougar Gym. The Cougars will be on the road for their next two games: Friday night at San Angelo Lake View and Tuesday, Dec. 3, at Lubbock Estacado. The Cougars will be off during the Thanksgiving week.
• Abilene High boys (2-2) – Head coach Justin Reese’s team has lost back-to-back games but played well against both Aledo (71-63 loss) and San Angelo Central (68-61 loss). Reese won his 100th game as the Eagles’ head coach in Abilene High’s 44-35 win over Midland High on Tuesday, Nov. 12. The Eagles will play Levelland at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Eagle Gym before playing in the Frisco Lone Star Shootout, Nov. 25-26. The Eagles will be at Cleburne on Monday, Dec. 2.
• Abilene High girls (6-5) – First-year head coach Alfonzo Franklin has his team playing well, as the Lady Eagles are 6-5 after a 44-40 win Tuesday night at Odessa Permian. The Lady Eagles will be in action Friday night at Midland High before hosting San Angelo Central on Monday, Nov. 25, playing at Jim Ned on Tuesday, Nov. 26, and returning to action on Tuesday, Dec. 3, against Odessa High at Eagle Gym.
• Cooper (0-8) – Head coach Brandon Hudson’s team has had a rough start but will play four times during the break, seeking its first win. The Lady Cougars will play Friday night at Jim Ned before hosting Granbury at Cougar Gym on Monday. The Lady Coogs will play at Christoval on Tuesday, Nov. 26, before returning home on Tuesday, Dec. 3, to play Clyde.