The Ryan Raiders will square off against the Aledo Bearcats at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are still undefeated (Ryan has four wins , while Aledo has five dating back to last season).
Ryan's defense heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Granbury 41-0. That 41 point margin sets a new team best for the Raiders this season.
Ryan's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Quin Henigan led the charge by throwing for 209 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while also punching in one TD on the ground. Another back making a difference was Tre'Vaughn Reynolds, who gained 164 total yards and a touchdown.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Ryan proved: they limited Granbury to a paltry -0.2 yards per carry. While five picked up at least four total tackles, Kha'Ron Freeman-Wade stood above the rest. He picked up a sack and made four total tackles (2.0 for loss). Ryan's ground attack was stronger, having averaged five.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Ryan, adding 14 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of John Catlin, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Aledo won against Birdville last Friday with 56 points and they decided to stick to that point total again on Friday. The Bearcats breezed past Fossil Ridge to the tune of 56-14. Considering the Bearcats have won three contests by more than 41 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Aledo's win came from a few key players Ryan will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Nash Mcelree, who threw for 137 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only 12 passes, and also punched in one score on the ground. What's more, he racked up 144.8 passer rating, the most he's had since back in November of 2024. Rudy Moya was another key player, rushing for 111 yards and one TD.
One reason for the win was Aledo's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for four sacks. Fossil Ridge's QB won't forget Max Forman anytime soon given he sacked him twice.
Ryan's win bumped their record up to 4-0. As for Aledo, their victory bumped their record up to 5-0.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Ryan has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 171.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Aledo struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 235.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Ryan was able to grind out a solid win over Aledo when the teams last played back in December of 2024, winning 31-21. Will the Raiders repeat their success, or do the Bearcats have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
