Gray runs for 241 as Aledo takes title

ARLINGTON — Aledo’s Johnathan Gray capped his high school career with another record performance, and quarterback Matthew Bishop accounted for five touchdowns in the Bearcats’ 49-28 Class 4A Division II state championship victory against Manvel on Saturday.

Gray rushed for 241 yards and scored one touchdown to break the national record for career touchdowns with 205, eclipsing the total set by Mike Hart of Nedrow Onondaga, N.Y.

The senior, who has committed to Texas, fell 12 points shy of the national all-time points record.

The record “means a lot,” Gray said. “It means our team has worked that much harder than any other team. You couldn’t do it without our offensive line and others. To break the record is a team effort.”

Bishop, the game’s offensive MVP, ran for two touchdowns and passed for three others, including two to Parker Bradham. Bishop, a senior, had 186 yards on 14-of-17 passing.

Todd Christian returned an interception 69 yards for another score to help Aledo to its fourth overall title.

Jaylen Hill, who had seven tackles, 1.5 sacks and two tackles-for-loss, was selected the game’s defensive MVP.

Quarterback Shane McCarley had 310 total yards, including 250 yards on 14-of-34 passing and two touchdowns for Manvel. He also had a rushing touchdown.

A crowd of 43,369 turned out Saturday, many to see Gray, considered by some to be the best runner in Texas high school history.

In addition to eclipsing the national touchdown record held by Hart, Gray also moved into second place for the most yards rushing in a single season in Texas, passing Rodney Thomas of Groveton (3,701).

Sugar Land’s Ken Hall holds the record with 4,045 in 1953. Hall also holds the most cherished of them all, the national record for career yards at 10,648 between 1950 and 1953.

Gray fell 343 yards short.

Manvel had an eye on Gray, too. The Mavericks stacked the line in an attempt to limit him, and they were effective.

Still, Gray had 134 yards at halftime, and long runs — 43 and 50 yards — set up first-and-goals in the first half.

His teammates capitalized. Bishop scored on an 8-yard run and threw for another, 10 yards to Bradham to extend Aledo’s lead to 28-7 at halftime.

■ Spring Dekaney 34, Cibolo Steele 14: In Arlington, Trey Williams had three touchdowns to lead Spring Dekaney to its first state football title, a victory over Cibolo Steele in the Class 5A Division II championship game.

Williams, a Texas A&M recruit, finished with 196 yards and scored on runs of 2, 5 and 24 yards for the Wildcats (14-2), who ended Cibolo Steele’s 28-game winning streak and dethroned last year’s champions.

■ Southlake Carroll 36, Fort Bend Hightower 29: In Arlington, Will Davis caused and recovered a fumble that set up quarterback Kenny Hill’s 7-yard go-ahead scoring run — one of his four touchdowns — in Southlake Carroll’s victory over Fort Bend Hightower in the Class 5A Division I state title game.

Hill, the game’s most valuable offensive player, scored two rushing touchdowns and two passing and accounted for 345 total yards from scrimmage for the Dragons (16-0), who won the school’s eighth state football championship.