DENTON, Texas – The long-anticipated matchup between No. 1 Aledo and No. 4 Denton Ryan has lived up to its billing so far, though not in the form of fireworks. Instead, the defenses have dominated through the first two quarters, with Ryan taking a narrow 7-2 lead into halftime at C.H. Collins Complex.
It has been a bruising, field-position game from the opening kickoff. Aledo (5-0, 3-0 in District 3-5A Division I) moved the chains early on its first drive behind running back Kaden Winkfield and receiver Kaydon Finley, but Ryan’s veteran defensive front quickly made its presence known. Senior defensive linemen Kha’ron Freeman-Wade and Earl West, both three-year starters, blew up multiple plays in the backfield to stall the Bearcats.
Ryan (4-0, 2-0) pinned itself deep after a punt and nearly suffered disaster. Quarterback Quin Henigan, the senior left-hander, was chased in the end zone on third down and flagged for intentional grounding, giving Aledo a safety and a 2-0 lead late in the first quarter. It marked the second straight year a safety has been scored in the regular-season meeting between these rivals.
The Raiders’ defense held firm, though, and that allowed their offense to find its first breakthrough midway through the second quarter. Facing third-and-long, Henigan stood tall in the pocket and delivered a strike up the seam to senior running back Tre’vaughn Reynolds, who split the secondary and raced 52 yards for a touchdown. The extra point from kicker Haylen Keese made it 7-2, swinging momentum to Ryan with 6:09 left in the half.
Aledo nearly answered just before halftime when senior quarterback Lincoln Tubbs entered for a series. Tubbs broke free on a designed draw, sprinting 34 yards to the Ryan 5-yard line. But once again West and linebacker TJ Johnson anchored the Raiders’ defense. A botched snap and a holding penalty pushed the Bearcats back, and kicker Peyton Schaefer’s 37-yard field goal attempt was blocked by John Catlin to keep it a five-point game.
Ryan’s final drive of the half nearly turned costly for Aledo. A personal foul against linebacker Cole Cox moved the ball to midfield with under a minute to play, but the Raiders ran out of timeouts and settled for the slim 7-2 margin at the break.
Through two quarters, Aledo has run 30 plays for 116 yards, an average of 3.9 yards per snap. Ryan has been slightly more efficient, with 93 yards on 17 plays, but more than half of that came on Reynolds’ long touchdown reception.
Individual standouts have been easy to spot. For Aledo, Winkfield’s versatility out of the backfield has kept drives alive, while Finley has shown his playmaking ability on short routes. Tubbs, rotating with junior quarterback Nash McElree, gave the Bearcats a spark with his legs late in the second quarter. For Ryan, West has been a constant disruptor, notching multiple tackles for loss, and Freeman-Wade has repeatedly collapsed the pocket.
Halftime adjustments will be critical, with both coaching staffs facing the same challenge: how to generate consistent offense without turning the ball over.
With a district title and state playoff seeding implications on the line, the second half promises more of the same intensity. These two powers have split the last six meetings evenly, and Friday’s clash is shaping up to be decided by whichever team capitalizes first on a mistake.
Kickoff for the second half is set after the break, with Ryan clinging to its 7-2 lead and both defenses firmly in control. All statistics cited are unofficial and based on in-game estimates. Official stats will be released following review by team staff.