Aledo opens the season Friday night against North Crowley, a Week 1 road matchup that immediately puts the Bearcats back into a spotlight they know well. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28 at Crowley ISD Stadium, and the game arrives as both teams try to reset after playoff exits and roster changes.
That is why the search for North Crowley Football leads straight to Robby Jones and the first real test of the fall. Jones called it just another game on the schedule, but he also called North Crowley probably one of the most talented teams in Texas, which is a sharper way to frame a meeting between two programs that have lived near the top of Class 6A conversation. Aledo is coming off a loss to Frisco Lone Star in last season's state semifinals, while North Crowley fell to the Allen Eagles in the regional finals.
The matchup also breaks a long silence. Aledo and North Crowley have not played since Sept. 7, 2007, when the Bearcats won 28-7. That gap matters because this is not the same game it was then. Aledo is moving into Class 6A after district realignment, and the opener lands before the new schedule can settle into a rhythm. For the Bearcats, that means the season starts with a non-district road test instead of a slow build.
Jones knows the pressure points. He pointed to Jordan Hall covering North Crowley’s top receivers, said Cooper Hull needs a strong game in the back end and described the defensive line as the strength of the defense. On offense, he wants production from Jeremiah Johnson and Izzy Roberts in the run game, plus enough first downs to keep the clock moving and tilt the game in Aledo’s favor. That is a lot to ask in one night, especially with Aledo replacing all but five starters, but Jones also said the Bearcats have handled talented 6A programs before and believe they can compete with anybody in Texas.
North Crowley enters with its own change to manage. Ray Gates is gone after leaving for Neal Brown's coaching staff at the University of North Texas, and Jacob Torres is set to step in as the new starting quarterback. So the opener is not just about a return to the field; it is about which team adjusts faster when the lights come on. Aledo has 12 state championships behind it and wants another path back to AT&T Stadium in December, and Friday’s game will show whether this version of the Bearcats can make that climb begin with a win.
