Abilene High School head football coach Mike Fullen has grown accustomed to his team serving as the underdog throughout their Class 5A Division I playoff run. During a TV interview earlier in the Eagles’ chase for a state championship, Fullen said he had a team full of Davids looking for rocks.
It should come as no surprise that the Eagles (11-2) will not be the favorite among prognosticators and observers when they take on No. 1-ranked and defending Class 5A Division I state champion Aledo (13-0) in the Region I championship game on Friday at 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Stephenville.
The game features two programs that have won 18 state football championships between them. Aledo has won a state-record 11 titles, and Abilene High has won seven. No other game in Texas high school football history – regular season or playoffs – has featured two teams with as many combined state championships.
Two games last week – Stephenville (six titles) vs. Celina (eight titles) and Highland Park (six titles) vs. Southlake Carroll (eight titles) – featured teams with 14 combined state championships, but Friday night’s game in Stephenville will feature the most combined state titles in one game since the UIL began keeping records in 1906.
The role of the underdog has been attached to the Eagles quite often during Fullen’s two-decade tenure at AHS, whether as the defensive coordinator or the head coach. But the Eagles have worn the title well, especially in 2009 when they beat the nation’s No. 1-ranked team (Cedar Hill) in the third round and then state powerhouse and defending state champion Katy in the state championship game.
After an 84-14 win over El Paso Hanks in the bi-district round, the Eagles have found themselves in the underdog role against both Denton Ryan in the area round and Justin Northwest in the regional semifinals. But the Eagles won those two games by the scores of 31-21 and 27-16 to put themselves into the fourth round for the first time since 2011.
Just like in the last two weeks, neither Fullen nor his team are worried about once again being in the underdog role against an Aledo program that has won 11 state football championships since 1978, 10 of those coming since 2009. Abilene High’s last state championship came in 2009, but the Eagles have made 21 playoff appearances since 1999, won a state title, reached the semifinals in 2007, made it to the fourth round in 1999, 2011, and 2023, and reached the third round in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2020, and 2022.
Despite that track record of success – along with 216 wins and 11 district titles since 1999 – the Eagles will hit the turf Friday night in a familiar position: underdogs. And that’s just fine with them.
“We don’t worry about what others think; we have been picked against the last two rounds,” Fullen said. “We just want to play our best football game and see if they can beat us.”
Abilene High brings its heavyweight history to the matchup as the Eagles have won seven state championships (fourth-most in state history) and have playoff victories over some of the state’s other powers like Southlake Carroll, Katy, Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Denton Ryan, and others.
Because of several outside factors, Fullen believes what this team has accomplished – the program’s first district title since 2016 and first trip to the fourth round of the playoffs since 2011 – is as meaningful as what other teams in Abilene High’s historic past have accomplished.
“All of those great wins we had against those other big-time programs were different times, teams, and eras, but ranks up there with them,” said Fullen, now in his fifth season as the Eagles’ head coach with a record of 34-25. “I think with the changes in our district, the way society is now, and the era we play in, what this team is accomplishing would rank as one of the best.”
The winner of Friday’s game will advance to the semifinals where it will play the winner of Friday’s Region II championship game between Forney (12-1) and Lancaster (8-5), which is being played in Rockwall. The other two regional championship games are also being played Friday night and feature A&M Consolidated (10-3) against Smithson Valley (12-1) in Cedar Park in the Region III championship, and Corpus Christi Miller (13-0) and Brownsville Veterans Memorial (11-2) in Brownsville in the Region IV championship.
Even with those games and other highly anticipated matchups on the playoff docket this weekend – including a Class 6A Division I matchup between Lake Travis and Austin Westlake, Class 6A Division II games between Southlake Carroll and Trophy Club Byron Nelson and DeSoto and Cedar Hill, and a Class 5A Division II game between South Oak Cliff and Lucas Lovejoy – Aledo and Abilene High will be one of the headline games in the state.
Fullen won’t allow his team to be swept up in the outside talk about this game or its ramifications. The goal is to have competitive stamina for 48 minutes and let the chips fall where they fall.
“We are going to stick to our plan and ignore the noise,” Fullen said. “Obviously at this point, everyone wants to talk about this game. We just focus on what we can control and that’s our energy, effort, and execution. We are excited to be playing in this round. If you are part of the ‘Elite Eight,’ there’s no question that you have a very good team.”
Abilene High vs. Aledo
When: Friday, Dec. 1
Time: 7 p.m.
Where: Memorial Stadium, Stephenville
Records: Abilene High 11-2; Aledo 13-0
Rankings: Abilene High was unranked in the last AP poll of the regular season; Aledo was ranked #1 in Class 5A
Series: First meeting between the teams
How to listen: live.abileneisd.org
How to watch: www.texanlive.com
Tickets: Pre-sale tickets until 5 p.m. on Dec. 1 ($8); All tickets at the gate are $10.
Link to purchase tickets: https://tarletontickets.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=1968
Passes: District 2 and 3 Athletics passes, THSCA passes, and Gold Cards will also be accepted for entry at the gate. Abilene ISD employee badges will not be accepted.
Other Notes About Entry: Tarleton State University has a CLEAR BAG POLICY in effect. Abilene High will be the visitor and sit on the east side of the stadium.
About the Eagles: Abilene High won District 2-5A Division I with a 6-0 record and enters Friday night’s game riding a nine-game winning streak, the program’s longest since the 2016 team won 11 straight contests. … The Eagles have beaten El Paso Hanks (84-141), Denton Ryan (31-21), and Justin Northwest (27-16) in the first three rounds of the playoffs. … Ryan and Northwest finished second and third, respectively, behind Aledo in District 3-5A Division I. … Abilene High is averaging 40.5 points per game and is allowing just 17.7 per game. … Senior quarterback Dylan Slack leads the offense having completed 185 of 259 passes for 2,259 yards and 26 touchdowns. … His favorite receiver is junior Ryland Bradford, who has caught 54 passes for 812 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s also returned two kickoffs for touchdowns this season (91 and 77 yards), and he has a 91-yard rushing touchdown. … Multi-purpose standout Brayden Henry has thrown for 277 yards and two scores, carried the ball 138 times for 886 yards (6.4 yards per carry) and 13 touchdowns, and caught 19 passes for 149 yards and three scores. … He has a touchdown run of 70 yards and a 50-yard touchdown reception to his credit in 2023. … Senior wideout Jackson Howle has caught 50 passes for 578 yards and four touchdowns. … Senior Chad Lara has emerged in the playoffs as he sees time at both linebacker and running back. Lara has 42 carries for 271 yards and two scores in three playoff games. … Senior linebacker Bryce Neves has 127 tackles on the season (84 solo) with five interceptions and four fumble recoveries. … Senior cornerback Tre Sharp had a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions last week to give him six of Abilene High’s 19 interceptions on the season. … Senior defensive back Beckham Paul 82 tackles) and senior linebacker Jadrian Carrillo (five of the team’s 22 sacks) also lead the defense.
State Championships: 1923, 1928 (Class A), 1931 (Class A), 1954 (Class 4A), 1955 (Class 4A), 1956 (Class 4A), 2009 (Class 5A DII)
About the Bearcats: Aledo won District 3-5A Division I with an 8-0 record. … The Bearcats have won a state-record 119 straight district games since 2007 and have won 16 straight district championships since 2008. Their last district loss was a 35-28 decision against Everman on Oct. 5, 2007. … Aledo has beaten Killen Shewmaker (27-6), Lubbock Cooper (48-31), and Red Oak (59-35) in its three playoff games. … Aledo is averaging 49.8 points per game and is allowing just 16.8 per game. … Senior quarterback Hauss Hejny – who has committed to TCU – has thrown for 2,279 yards and 23 touchdowns while completing 129 of 184 passes against just three interceptions. … He’s also second on the team in rushing with 734 yards and 11 touchdowns on 88 carries. … Sophomore running back Ray Guillory is the team’s leading rusher with 1,171 yards and 17 touchdowns on 141 carries. … Guillory carried the ball 14 times for 190 yards and four TDs in last week’s win. … Senior Trace Clarkson (44 catches for 775 yards and six touchdowns) and sophomore Kaydon Finley (32 catches for 477 yards and five touchdowns) are the leading receivers. … The defense is led by senior linebacker Davhon Keys, who has committed to LSU. Keys – a four-star recruit by Rivals.com – has 143 tackles on the season (94 solo) to go along with 20.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, and three interceptions. … Senior defensive Jaden Allen – also a four-star recruit by Rivals.com – is committed to Arkansas. … The Bearcats won the Class 5A Division I state title last season with a 52-8 win over College Station.
State championships: 1998 (Class 3A Division I), 2009 (Class 4A Division II), 2010 (Class 4A Division II), 2011 (Class 4A Division II), 2011 (Class 4A, Division II), 2013 (Class 4A Division II), 2014 (Class 5A Division I), 2016 (Class 5A Division II), 2018 (Class 5A Division II), 2019 (Class 5A Division II), 2020 (Class 5A Division II), 2022 (Class 5A Division I)
