ALEDO, Texas – When championships are clinched at Aledo High School, statues emerge in front of the football stadium to cement legacies and serve as a subtle reminder of the program’s sheer dominance. The Bearcats now own 10 state championships. In his four years, running back DeMarco Roberts was a part of three and the MVP in two.

Goals are the forefront of a team’s foundation. Typically, the ultimate goal is to win a championship. For Roberts, a three-peat was number one on his priority list. Scoring a record-setting amount of touchdowns, however, was a close second. 

Roberts reached the end zone five times before the start of the fourth quarter. He finished with six on the day, which was two shy of tying Jonathan Gray’s record for most touchdowns in a championship game.

“Ever since the first playoff game I was trying to break that man’s record,” said Roberts. “I came up two touchdowns short. But hey, I think I had a pretty good stat record.”

Aledo High School football star DeMarco Roberts appears in this image from January 2021. (Robbie Fuelling/Spectrum News 1)

That might be the understatement of 2021. Roberts’ six touchdowns helped the Bearcats reach a milestone no other Texas high school football program has reached. 

“When we come back down the road, we’re going to see that we made history and left a legacy,” he said.

Roberts’ legacy is written in black ink. His three state titles and two MVPs will forever be rooted into the black and orange threads of Aledo. But the fact the sun has set on his high school career hasn’t quite registered.

“You know how everybody always says your senior year everything is going to hit you? It hasn’t hit me yet,” said Roberts. “I don’t know when it’s going to hit me.”

It probably won’t until he suits up as a Lamar Cardinal next season.

“I’m really ready to go to Lamar. To be honest, in my opinion, Lamar is a better suit for me out of all the offers I had,” he said.

It’s a perfect fit because the Cardinal coaching staff will let him play on both sides of the ball. Whether it be running back or defensive back, he’s an athlete and an asset. It’s something he hopes to be at every level of the sport to support his family.

“I truly told everyone in my family that once I get big and once I make it to the NFL, I’m going to get the money that’s needed so everybody will be living good."

That’s been the dream since he was 3 years old.

“Since I started. Yeah, truly. That’s been my goal since I started playing football,” said Roberts. “I will be one of the greats."