James Albritton / The Community News: Emotions ran high as the Aledo Bearcat season came to an end Friday night against the Everman Bulldogs. The Bearcats ended their season with an 11-1 record.

By Tony Eierdam

The state-ranked No. 2 Everman Bulldogs scored 18 unanswered points in the second half to come away with a 24-7 win over the No. 3 Aledo Bearcats Friday night in a Class 4A Division II area championship game at Pennington Field.

The District 6-4A and bi-district champion Bearcats finish the season with an 11-1 record. Everman (12-0) will advance to the regional quarterfinals next week.

Everman used 2 big plays to reach the end zone including in the first quarter when Bulldog running back Chris Franklin scored on an 83-yard touchdown run. Franklin scored again at the beginning of the third period on a 50-yard pass from quarterback Marcus McAdoo.

"Everman's speed gave us problems," Aledo head coach Tim Buchanan said. "I mean, when (Aledo freshman running back) Jonathan Gray breaks a run and is 5 yards ahead of everyone and he gets caught from behind ... they're pretty darn fast."

After Franklin's second TD put the Bulldogs in front, 14-7, the Bearcats' ensuing drive stalled at midfield as Everman forced a punt.

The Bulldogs then marched 89 yards on 15 plays and made the contest a two-score game after a 32-yard field goal by Andrew Camacho extended the Everman lead to 17-7 with 10:23 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Buchanan said the Bearcats inability to come back after Everman's go-ahead score and the ensuing Bulldog field goal after AHS' stalled drive was too much to overcome.

"I think the biggest part of the game was when we got behind 14-7 and couldn't counter," Buchanan said. "We fought uphill after that."

Another big key to the game happened early in the contest.

AHS took the opening kickoff and drove 67 yards on 11 plays - thanks in part to 37 yards rushing by senior running back Joel Hasley - and had a first and 10 from the Everman 12.

On the next two plays, Hasley carried for 2 and 4 yards to set up a third and four from the EHS 6. Senior quarterback Tanner McDonald carried for 2 yards to put the Bearcats at the EHS 4 to set up a fourth and 2 situation.

But on fourth down, Everman stopped Hasley for minus-1 yard and took over on downs, and on the next play reached the end zone on Franklin's 83-yard reception.

Trailing 6-0 late in the second quarter, the Bearcats marched 78 yards on eight plays to paydirt.

McDonald kept the drive alive with two big plays. He converted a third and 11 with an 11-yard scramble for a first down, and on second and 8 from his own 24, kept for 8 yards and a first down.

The big play in the drive, however, came on a 44-yard run off right tackle by Gray that brought the ball down to the Everman 21.

On the next play, McDonald called his own number and sprinted 21 yards off left tackle and into the end zone with 3:47 left in the first half. Cody Hale booted the extra point to give the Bearcats a 7-6 lead that stood at the half.

Aledo had the ball four times in the second half, but Everman held the Bearcats on downs three times and forced an interception on another.

Everman scored late in the game after Aledo could not convert a fourth and 24 from its own two.

Everman running back Rueben Fletcher closed the scoring on a two-yard touchdown run with 2:30 left to play.

For the complete story of the game, and for more comments from Coach Buchanan and the Bearcats, please see the Nov. 28 issue of The Community News.