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ARLINGTON — In the four years before Chris Ross arrived at Red Oak, the school won just four football games.
As Red Oak quarterback Joshua Ervin said, “Football wasn’t cool here.”
It would’ve been hard to imagine Red Oak playing a Class 5A Division II regional semifinal, let alone inside AT&T Stadium.
And while a win against the defending state champions would’ve made things all that much sweeter, one thing is clear: Football at Red Oak is cool once again.
“Those guys changed that,” coach Chris Ross said of his team. “They’re buying in and trusting these new coaches. We’re not going to hang on our heads on being 21-3 [the last two years.]”
As Red Oak shook hands with Aledo following a 34-14 loss Friday night at AT&T Stadium, they held their heads high. They not only won two playoff games for the first time since 2012, but they captured a district title in the process — knocking off perennial powerhouse South Oak Cliff to do so.
All Ross could do as he addressed his team postgame was smile.
“Obviously, we made a lot of mistakes. We gave them 14 points in the first half,” he said. “After all of that goes wrong, we couldn’t have played any worse — it’s 21-0 and the guys come right back out, keeping fighting and finding ways to stay in the football game.”
Red Oak managed to keep Aledo off the scoreboard for 15 minutes, forcing a turnover on downs to keep the game knotted at zero headed into the second quarter.
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But Aledo finally asserted itself — Oklahoma pledge Jase McClellan took the night’s opening touchdown 62 yards to the house with a powerful run. The very next series, Aledo scooped up a mishandled punt attempt and scored to double their advantage.
It was an early hole, compounded by another McClellan touchdown just before intermission, that Red Oak was never able to climb out of.
“I [told Chris], 'Nobody has ever thought about Red Oak being a football school,'” Aledo coach Tim Buchanan said. “Our kids did not take them lightly. I promise you that. Our kids knew they were one of the best 5A football teams in the state. They are — they're that good.”
Once this regional semifinal matchup was set, there was a thought Red Oak could push Aledo. And after halftime, Red Oak showed why that wasn’t wrong.
Red Oak outscored Aledo 14-13 during the final 24 minutes, with Ervin doing more of what he’d done all year. Red Oak’s quarterback finished the night 22 of 30 for 227 yards, and Ervin ended his junior season with 38 touchdowns to only four interceptions.
“Looking back on where we were, from where we came, it’s the same group of guys but I’m so proud of them,” Ervin said. “We were able to do something special. We’ve achieved things this school had never achieved. It’s bigger than us.”
As Red Oak’s alma mater ended, Ross made his way through the mass of bodies, stopping to acknowledge each of his seniors.
It’s the end of a ride for this Red Oak team, but just a stop for a program that doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon.
“Sometimes, you have to get there once to be able to get over the hump the second time,” Ross said.
Twitter: @mpgladstone13
Highlights
HIGHLIGHTS: @rohawksfootball wasn’t “cool” before Chris Ross showed up two years ago.
Even in a 34-14 regional semifinal loss, Red Oak—with a 21-3 mark under Ross—showed why it’s not going away anytime soon: pic.twitter.com/rVs4tvmNXJ
— Mitchell Gladstone (@mpgladstone13) November 30, 2019
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November 30, 2019 at 12:01PM
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Loss to Aledo ends its postseason, but one thing remains true: football is cool again at Red Oak - The Dallas Morning News
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