Alvord running back Zane Fuentes racked up 203 rushing yards and five touchdowns, as Alvord (9-2) knocked out Hico 51-7 in the first round of the 2A Division I playoffs Friday at Brock’s Eagle Stadium. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER

For the first time in four seasons, a bi-district playoff trophy will be headed home to Alvord High School. 

A total of four Alvord seniors — running back Zane Fuentes, quarterback Dalton George and wide receivers Zane Smith and Jeremy Watson — combined for seven touchdowns to lead the Bulldogs (9-2) to a 51-14 2A Division I first-round win over Hico Friday at Brock’s Eagle Stadium. 

The win served as the first playoff victory during coach Matt Fanning’s tenure, and is the Bulldogs’ first postseason win since Alvord defeated now-District 6-2AI rival Wolfe City (34-30) for a bi-district title in 2021. 

“It’s a tremendous night and a big achievement for these young men,” Fanning said. “I always expect [a win] — that’s jsut the mindset we try to bring. I couldn’t have asked for a better group to start with. We’e got great kids, and not only are they good football players, but their great human beings. They’re so much fun to be around [and] they do everything we ask them to do. As a coach, I look as it like a father. I’m proud of them, I’m proud of this opportunity and I’m proud of the chance that they got to be a part of this.” 

Fuentes made his presence known early by giving the Bulldogs a 14-0 lead with a pair of touchdown runs measuring 8 and 1 yards. In the second quarter, George threw a 27-yard scoring pass to Smith, while Fuentes crossed the goal line two more times (55, 1) to put Alvord ahead by 34 at the break. 

In the opening minute of the second half, Fuentes rushed for his fifth score of the game on a 1-yard carry. He led the Bulldogs’ ground attack with 203 of the team’s 262 rushing yards on 17 attempts. 

“The touchdowns speak a certain amount, but the whole team played hard, and we never gave up,” Fuentes said. “This is a win that our group of seniors has been hungry for. When we were all freshmen, we said we were taking over and it was our time to shine.”

After an 18-yard touchdown run by Hico quarterback Tyler Jackson, George responded quickly by finding Watson wide-open cutting toward the goal line on a 19-yard pass. 

George completed 10 of his 13 passing attempts for 175 yards in the win. His top target was senior wide receiver Brayden Clark, who racked up 81 yards on three catches. 

“It’s a very special feeling,” George said. “We already put one gold ball in the case with the district championship but we’ve been waiting a long time for this. We’ve got a special group of guys and a specal team this year — we’re playing for each other, there’s no selfishness, and we’re just trying to win. The offense was sound and explosive when it needed to be. We just took care of us, did our jobs and came out on top.” 

Fanning said he’s pleased with how George performed under center in his first career playoff win.

“We don’t throw the ball a lot, so we don’t ask Dalton to do a lot unless someone takes the run game away from us,” Fanning said. “And if people load the box, we’re very confident in him and our receivers. Dalton’s got a college arm, and he can throw a college ball. He’s a phenomenal player, and he comes in clutch. If you look at the stats, you’ll know typically he throws for first downs and touchdowns. He might might 10 of 15 chances per game, but he’ll complete about 9 to 12 of those. That really helps us to play complimentary football.” 

With Alvord’s starters on the sidelines and the reserves on the field, Hico running back Gage Norris found his way through the Bulldogs’ defense for a 32-yard touchdown run midway through he fourth quarter. 

Alvord kicker Callum Taylor tacked on a 34-yard field goal late, adding to his 6-of-7 night on extra point attempts. 

The Bulldogs will face Carlisle in the second round, tentatively scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21 at Ennis’ Lion Memorial Stadium. 

Carlisle (6-5) defeated Valley Mills in its first-round matchup Thursday at Kaufman ISD Stadium, 24-8. The Indians placed third in District 8-2AI behind Frankston and Corsicana Mildred.

“We know very little about Carlisle,” Fanning said. “They’re an East Texas team [and] they’re multiple offensively and defensively. They do a lot, and seem to play hard and be coached pretty well. In the second round of the playoffs, you’re playing good football teams. We’re expecting a good game out of them.” 

Key takeaways

Fuentes adds another highlight performance

In his first playoff win of his career, Fuentes proved the lights were not to bright for him. The Army track commit has rushed for 1,737 yards and 31 touchdowns this season, and now leads Wise County rushers in both categories. 

He credited the turnaround within the Bulldog athletic program for his success. 

“We’ve all got a different mentality now,” Fuentes said. “It’s no longer that our best is just good enough. Every day, we’re getting better — there’s no room for complacency.”

Bulldogs clean up game, keep flags off field

After being penalized 13 times for 130 yards in the 6-2AI finale against Wolfe City last week, Alvord turned in a much tidier performance. The Bulldogs were flagged twice against Hico — a 5-yard false start and a negated call for illegal procedure. 

“I thought we executed well tonight,” Fanning said. “We did a good job of cleaning things up. That was the point all week — we’ve got to go be us and execute, and they did just that.” 

Defense shows up for Bulldogs’ postseason debut

Alvord’s defensive starters stood tall against the Tigers in their first postseason matchup. The Bulldogs forced three fumbles — recovering one — forced Hico to punt three times, and produced four turnovers  on downs. The Bulldogs’ defense also shut out Hico in the first half, as the Tigers reached the end zone twice in the second half with Alvord’s reserve players on the field. 

Two of the Bulldogs’ defensive leaders this season are senior cornerback Jaxon Brown and sophomore lineman Jaxan Simmons. Brown snagged four interceptions during the regular season, while Simmons totaled six sacks prior to Friday’s bi-district win. 

“We’ve got great leadership out of Jaxon this year,” Fanning said. “Jaxan is a two-way starter for us — he’ll grade out at the top end of our offensive chart, and he’s shown up big defensively for us, too. He’s a talented player that leads silently, and I can’t speak enough about his effort and character.” 

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