Football to challenge Aledo in area championship

Benjamin Nopper, Section Editor • November 21, 2018

Senior Jacob Terwilliger cruises to the end zone for a receiving touchdown on senior night. Terwilliger paces the Leopard receiving corps with 991 yards and 14 touchdowns.

After taking care of business in the bi-district championship, the football team (8-2) will challenge the Aledo Bearcats (11-0, consensus #1 in 5A District II) on Friday at 1 p.m. at Pennington Field in Bedford. The 5A District II area championship will be televised live on KTXA Channel 21.

While Aledo is ranked number four overall in the state, number 34 nationally and has won six state championships in the past nine years, senior quarterback Carson Collins (2,460 passing yards, 24 touchdowns) put Friday’s matchup into perspective.

“We all have to believe we will go out and beat them,” Collins said. “Yes, they are good, but so are we. They are 16, 17, and 18-year-old high school football players just like we are. Rankings and past history mean nothing. It’s all in our belief.”

Aledo’s offense is led by junior quarterback Jake Bishop (1,717 passing yards, 18 touchdowns) and junior running back Jase McClellan (1,175 rushing yards, 32 touchdowns), who is committed to Oklahoma.

Junior defensive lineman Tyler Beidleman said it is crucial that the Leopard defense neutralizes the Aledo run game.

“They have some good skill players that make them go, but if we shut down their scheme, we will be alright,” Beidleman said. “We just need to stop the run.”

The Leopards will head into the matchup after knocking off Kaufman by a score of 45-29 in a road playoff matchup. Senior running back Jahi Rainey provided the offensive punch with 244 rushing yards and four touchdowns to improve his season total to 1,372 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns. Collins complemented 225 passing yards and a passing touchdown with a rushing touchdown of his own.

On the other hand, Aledo scored on its first five possessions last week en route to a 48-13 victory over Seagoville. In the last three years, the Bearcats have only lost one game, which occurred in last year’s 20-19 loss to College Station in the state championship.

The winner of Friday’s matchup will advance to the regional championship and play the winner of South Oak Cliff versus Frisco.

About the Contributors

Benjamin Nopper, Section Editor

After joining staff and becoming an editor his sophomore year, Benjamin Nopper is enthusiastic to spend his senior year in the newsroom he considers to be his home away from home. Benjamin walked into room E103 two years ago feeling overwhelmed by the pressure of the unknown‒writing for an award-winning publication without much previous experience. Hundreds of articles and dozens of close relationships later, he now understands that writing enables an individual to have a meaningful impact in his community. A disciple of his former boss, Nick Smith, Nopper retains his position as sports editor for the third consecutive year while also contributing as an opinion writer. However, if it were up to him, he would run his own satire department. Outside of the newsroom, Nopper plays baseball and serves as an FCA leader. Nopper is also a member of Student Council, NHS and Spanish Club. He enjoys embarking adventures with his three dogs, spending afternoons on the golf course, and feeding his unhealthy coffee obsession. Nopper also loves to watch Impractical Jokers, the show that admittedly inspires some of his lighthearted interactions with his friends. Upon graduating, Nopper intends to study business and eventually attend law school.

Kelsey Carroll, Section Editor

Senior Kelsey Carroll has never owned a dog or a cat, but she’s the proud caretaker of two mini cacti living their life on her windowsill, and she thinks that’s just enough. She never forgets to water them weekly, as she’s a fond planner user who prides herself on writing down just about any task, even “write staff bio,” which she just proudly accomplished. When she’s not strumming twangy ukulele chords in her bedroom on the weekends or attempting to play a cello countermelody in class during the week, Kelsey can be found dancing to whatever plays in her earbuds (which are constantly on her) while editing photos until her laptop battery dies each night. Her days start before the sun’s up at swim team, and end with her furiously deciding which of her 16 pairs of Harry Potter socks to wear the next day. Whether she’s shooting sideline photos and dodging officials on the football field, or manning a jumbotron camera for the fans to see, Kelsey loves to be involved in any visual coverage she can get her hands on. Although she’s soft spoken, Kelsey hopes to share stories through her photos and writing as she tackles her roles as photographer, community editor, and social media editor during her fourth and final year on staff.

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Football to challenge Aledo in area championship

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