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BASTROP — The 2010 Bastrop Bears varsity football team will forever be remembered as one of the most successful squads in the history of the program.
Bastrop finished the season 10-4 overall with a 4-2 district mark, placing third against stiff competition but catching fire when it mattered most — in the postseason. The Bears advanced to the fourth round of the Class 4A state playoffs, earning three playoff victories and energizing a community that rallied behind the team every step of the way.
The Bears opened the 2010 season with a tough 22-20 loss to Round Rock McNeil. Bastrop jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the first quarter, but McNeil chipped away with a field goal before halftime and scored 12 unanswered points in the third quarter.
Bastrop fought back with a touchdown in the fourth, but McNeil responded with a late score to hold on. Starting quarterback Josiah Monroe set the tone for the season with 329 passing yards and three touchdowns in the loss.
Bastrop rebounded quickly, defeating Seguin 51-21 behind a breakout performance from Monroe, who threw for more than 300 yards and five touchdowns — each to a different receiver — and added 94 rushing yards and a touchdown.
The Bears then rattled off two more victories in dominant fashion, blowing out Austin Akins 63-7 and winning a 43-36 shootout over San Marcos. Running back Marcus Reed scored twice against Akins, while Monroe led the way against San Marcos with five total touchdowns.
The team’s early momentum was briefly halted by a 27-21 loss to Bryan Rudder. Tied 7-7 at halftime, Bastrop gave up two third-quarter touchdowns it couldn’t recover from.
Backup quarterback DeAndre Gaines got time on the field and threw for 100 yards and a touchdown, while running back Mark Jackson added a score on the ground.
From there, Bastrop hit its stride again. The Bears ripped off four straight district wins, averaging over 40 points per game. They defeated Manor 59-42, Pflugerville Hendrickson 35-21, Pflugerville Connally 42-27 and Elgin 42-0.
Monroe was at the center of it all, totaling 16 touchdowns during the four-game stretch as the offense clicked on all cylinders.
However, the Bears’ offense sputtered in their regular-season finale against Hutto, falling 36-7 in what became their largest loss of the season. Bastrop was held to fewer than 300 yards for the first time all year, and Monroe threw three interceptions.
He still accounted for the team’s only touchdown as Bastrop turned its attention to the playoffs.
In the bi-district round, Bastrop opened the postseason with a statement, defeating Corsicana 55-34. Monroe delivered a historic performance, throwing for 501 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 167 yards and two more scores.
Wide receiver Josh Taylor had a big game with 134 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
The Bears continued their playoff push with a thrilling 58-44 win over Sulphur Springs in the area round. Monroe was unstoppable, accounting for 585 passing yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 206 yards and three scores.
Running back Trae Bunton added two rushing touchdowns in the win.
Bastrop’s momentum carried into the regional quarterfinals, where the Bears took down Frisco Liberty 38-24. Monroe again led the charge, throwing for 321 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 113 yards and two more scores. Receiver Brady Nunn caught two touchdown passes in the victory.
But the Bears’ dream season came to an end in the state quarterfinals against Mesquite Poteet. Bastrop fell behind 14-0 at halftime and had to play catch-up in a wild second half. Both teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter, and the Bears closed the gap to 35-28 in the fourth.
Poteet responded with another score, and despite a late Bastrop touchdown, time ran out in a 42-35 loss that ended one of the deepest playoff runs in program history.
Monroe closed the season with jaw-dropping stats: 3,310 passing yards, 34 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, along with 1,376 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. Monroe went on to become a wide receiver at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Nunn led the team in receiving with 1,083 yards and 12 scores. Defensively, linebacker Milekee Miller paced the team with 132 total tackles, while Paul Whitmills recorded 122 tackles, including five for loss.
From its high-powered offense to its deep playoff run, the 2010 Bastrop Bears left a lasting legacy. Their mix of talent, toughness and explosive playmaking has become a benchmark for all future Bears teams to follow — and their run remains one of the proudest chapters in Bastrop football history.
