Texas high school football championships: Aledo beats Crosby 56-21, wins record 10th state title

For the third consecutive season, Aledo is the Texas 5A Division II state champion after beating Crosby 56-21 at AT&T Stadium. After a back-and-forth first quarter, head coach Tim Buchanan's squad pulled away Friday afternoon thanks in part to a historic performance by senior running back DeMarco Roberts.

Tied at 14 after the first quarter, Aledo would score the next five touchdowns as Roberts finished with 30 carries for 255 yards and six touchdowns.

His six rushing touchdowns were good for second all-time in 5A championship history and his 255 yards were the fourth best title game effort. Former Aledo running back Johnathan Gray owns the record with eight rushing scores in 2010.

The Bearcats scored a touchdown on every drive except for the final one when they ran the clock out. Alabama signee JoJo Earle accounted for 226 total yards and a score. Jake Garcia of Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) was not the only quarterback from Southern California to move to a different state to play football in the fall and win a state title. Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi transferred from Torrey Pines (San Diego) to Aledo in early October and took over as the starting quarterback midway through the season.

Fowler-Nicolosi completed 15 of 19 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns.

Crosby reached the title game for the first time since 1960 and was attempting to win the school's first championship in any sport.

Deniquez Dunn accounted for 228 yards of total offense and two scores while Reggie Branch had nine carries for 117 yards and a touchdown.

A year ago, Aledo became the first program in Texas to win nine state titles. Friday, the Bearcats raised the bar once again by becoming the first to 10. The program has won nine state crowns in the last 12 years.

Five other schools have eight – Carthage, Celina, Katy, Mart and Southlake Carroll). Nationally-ranked Katy and Southlake Carroll have a shot to get to nine Saturday.