Aledo knew it would be tough. They knew the stands would be packed. No one could have predicted what happened at Crowley Multi-Purpose Stadium Friday night. North Crowley trounced Aledo 26-0 to open the 2026 Texas high school football season. We don’t have official numbers, but from the looks of it, the stands were filled to the brim with fans, family and friends watching this heavyweight bout between two football titans.

Read our North Crowley Season Preview

Aledo has been king of the hill, notching 12 state football titles since 1998 with its most recent trophy hoist in 2023, a year before North Crowley’s historic undefeated season. With Aledo moving to 6A, the questions loomed but losing key players on offense and defense made the leap somewhat problematic for the team in the midst of rebuilding and retooling. After stalled drives from both teams, North Crowley got on the board with a huge strike from senior quarterback Jacob Torres to Damarion Mays to put the Panthers on the board. A pick-six by Braylen Cunningham and red zone score by G’Yrell Smith put the Panthers up big 20-0! Minutes before halftime, Torres hit Kade Smith for a 65 yard strike to raise the score 26-0 and put the stamp on the game.

The game wasn’t over at halftime but the Panthers damaged Aledo’s fight enough to begin substitutions on both sides of the ball. Aledo had no answer for North Crowley’s physicality on all three levels. Up front, Antonio Smith wreaked havoc on designed runs and quarterback scrambles that interrupted any type of momentum the Bearcats could get going. In the defensive backfield, North Crowley’s “No-Fly Zone” was in full effect. With an early pick, the Panthers set the tone, cautioning against challenging with deep passes. This regularly left the middle of the field wide open but North Crowley’s speed shut down any chance of YAC.

It was a dominant opener and great showing at home. The Panthers are rebounding from their season ending loss to Allen and look to redeem themselves this season. While making a dominant statement with speed and physicality, the Panthers racked up several penalty yards, many for personal fouls. These penalties kept drives alive and gave away yards, undoing North Crowley’s defensive dominance. If the Panthers plan to make their presence in the postseason, they must curtail these penalties. Missed and blocked PAT’s tell a story of budding special teams woes for the Panthers. As the season progresses, extra points, field goals and punt positioning matter. The Panthers didn’t show much of a need for improvement but penalty discipline and special teams are the two weakest spots for this team. If they can get a hold of these game aspects, they will be as complete a team as we’ve seen recently.

In a rare display of sportsmanship, both teams stood for each other’s school songs at the end of the game. Proof of what remains long after the final whistle. Next up, the Southlake Carroll Dragons fly into CISD Stadium, ready to breach the “No-Fly Zone” and keep their season winning streak alive. The SMG Report hopes to report from the game and bring you the story from the stadium!

Following the game, SMG Sports, spoke with coach Demarcus Harris and coach Robby Jones about the game. We thank both coaches for being so gracious and speaking with us.