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JUSTIN — Friday was Denton Ryan’s chance.
After losing to Aledo by one point in October, Ryan wanted to prove it could beat the 12-time UIL champion in the regional final for the second straight year and avenge its only loss this season.
But the night couldn’t have gone more differently for the three-time state champion, which lost to Aledo 43-17 at Northwest ISD Stadium in the Class 5A Division I Region I final.
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Ryan couldn’t stop Aledo’s offense and struggled to generate its own. Aledo quarterback Lincoln Tubbs rushed for 105 yards and four touchdowns and recorded 100 passing yards and another score. Running back Kaden Winkfield had 137 rushing yards and one touchdown.
Regional final showdown: Photos from Aledo and Denton Ryan’s playoff game
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In his senior season, Ryan quarterback Quin Henigan passed for 2,800 yards and 30 touchdowns. He also contributed 250 rushing yards and five scores. The senior is the youngest of head coach Dave Henigan’s three sons, who all played at Ryan. For six of the last eight years, the team’s signal caller has been one of his sons.
Ryan (12-2) defeated Aledo 31-21 in 2024 last year’s regional final. But within the first two minutes Friday, Aledo (14-0) showed how the night would go.
Winkfield opened Aledo’s first drive with a 30-yard run to the team’s 43. Two plays later, Tubbs scampered for another 44 yards, following with a 9-yard run to score his first touchdown.
After recovering a fumbled punt, Ryan inched within four points on a 36-yard field goal by kicker Haylen Keese.
But Tubbs picked up right where he left off. With 4:39 left in the first quarter, Winkfield opened the drive with a 44-yard sprint, and Tubbs finished it with a 30-yard run to extend it to a 14-3 advantage.
Aledo opened the second quarter by marching down the field in 14 plays. Tubbs recorded his third touchdown on a 10-yard gain to make it a 20-3 ballgame. Just over three minutes later, Winkfield plunged in from 1 yard out.
After Ryan fumbled the ball on 4th-and-13 on the next drive, Tubbs scored again on 2nd-and-goal with five seconds left in the half.
Aledo led 33-3 as the teams headed to the locker room. Ryan had 49 total yards and negative 23 rushing yards in the first half.
Mistakes continued to plague Ryan in the second half. After getting to Aledo’s 34, Ryan fumbled, and Aledo linebacker Cole Cox recovered it, leading to kicker Peyton Shaffer’s 30-yard field goal.
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Ryan found some rhythm on the next drive. Henigan completed a 41-yard pass to wideout Brylon Moody, advancing to the Aledo 37. Then, four plays later, he threw a 30-yard pass to wide receiver Connelly Cunningham for the touchdown.
To open the final quarter, Aledo scored one last touchdown on Tubbs’ 40-yard pass to wide receiver Kaydon Finley to increase the lead to 43-10.
An 8-yard pass from Henigan to Cunningham accounted for Ryan’s final score.
Aledo will play Frisco Lone Star in the state semifinals next week.
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