When the regular football season began, who had Arlington Heights penciled in on their third round bracket? The yellowjackets have been bracket busters in the 2025 UIL 5A Football Playoffs. With their opening round win over Brewer, Heights positioned themselves as a team to watch in their regional bracket. Their journey has brought them up against perennial powerhouse Aledo in what is sure to be a memorable holiday weekend clash!
The yellowjackets got back on track with sophomore QB Carmelo Carter last week against Lubbock Monterey. Heights didn’t need Carter’s arm as much as they did his legs. Carter contributed a few scores and so did Carson James to triumph over a hungry Monterey team. The Bearcats are a walking highlight reel and look to bring their relentless ground and aerial attack to Crowley ISD Stadium on Friday. Much like Heights, the Bearcat ground attack is most formidable. Heights will have its hands full trying to tame the Bearcat rushing attack powered by Lincoln Tubbs, Kaydon Finley and Brady Powell who combined for 274 yards in a shutout win against Tascosa last week.
The Bearcats roll into their third round matchup undefeated, a game better than Heights. In 12 undefeated games, Aledo has outscored their opponents by a grand total of 625-78. Arlington Heights can score and often. Question is, how they’ll fare against such a stifling defense. The tale of the tape is a tossup. Heights has an advantage over Aledo in some categories, but deciding factors are on the field of play and we will see which team walks away with a ticket to the 5A Region 1 Championship.
If you can’t make the game, you can watch the game LIVE on NFHS.
