Wylie ISD -

Article by Greg Jaklewicz

Photos Courtesy of WylieSports.com

Battle for Survival at Hugh Sandifer Stadium

It’s a battle for survival Friday night at Hugh Sandifer Stadium.

The Wylie Bulldogs need a win to stay in the thick of the race for a District 2-5A championship and vie for a home bi-district game.

No one wants to drive to El Paso.

Wichita Falls Memorial needs a win to keep its playoff hopes alive.

Few expected that the two teams would be a combined 3-3 in district play entering the fourth week. But that’s the case, and it will be a battle with more now on the line.

District Picture

Wylie was atop the district standings before traveling to Amarillo on Friday. There, the surging Palo Duro Dons prevailed 42-35 in a wacky game decided in the final two minutes of play.

The loss dropped the Bulldogs to 2-1 and put PD (2-0) on top.

The Dons, however, have their work cut out this week, traveling to Lubbock-Cooper. The Pirates, the preseason favorite in the district, suddenly are 1-2 and also are in a must-win situation.

Memorial, meanwhile, was off last week. The Mavericks no doubt were stewing from a two-game losing streak after the team galloped to a 4-0 record to a No. 10 state ranking. But back-to-back losses, 42-27 at Abilene Cooper and 48-6 at home to PD, have Memorial scrambling.

The seven-team battle for four playoff spots was expected to be tight this year. However, nothing is settled after four weeks.

Coach’s Outlook

“It’s the middle of the season, the time in which it all comes down to being able to perform and earn an opportunity to play later on,” Wylie coach Clay Martin said. “This is the crunch time when we have to perform well to give ourselves a chance to play in the postseason. More so than ever, each game has more importance in this district.

“You have to prepare for the next opponent. You’re a fool if you don’t.”

Wylie won this game last year, nabbing a 45-42 win in the final seconds in Wichita Falls on a Noah Rehburg field goal.

The Mavs posted a 9-3 record, finishing second to Wylie in district play and losing only 28-21 to Argyle in the second round of the playoffs.

This is the second season for the Mavericks as Memorial, the new school emerging from the closing of Rider High and Wichita Falls High. Rider provided the foundation for Memorial.

It’s not exactly comparing apples to apples but Wylie lost five of six games to Rider; the lone win was by just a point (39-38) in 2022.

Could Not Dodge the Dons

Wylie could not get over the hump against Palo Duro.

The Bulldogs allowed the Dons to take a 14-0 lead and the visiting team could not recover, though it would get a chance.

“It’s always easier to play when you get ahead and apply pressure to the other team,” Martin said. “It seems like the other night we were scratching for our lives to find a way to fight back in.

“Obviously, it would be great to get off to a good start this week.”

Down 35-21, Wylie calmly drove for a fourth-quarter touchdown and after being stopped on its next possession on fourth down in PD territory, the Bulldogs got the break they needed.

Dons quarterback Julian Reese II was stripped of the football at the Wylie 20 as he was trying to stay inbounds to keep the clock running. Jordan Lockett snatched the ball away and raced to the PD 5 with under 3 minutes to play.

Wylie scored to tie the game with 2 minutes to go.

Reese, however, redeemed himself by taking the kickoff from his goal line to midfield, where a penalty on Wylie on the saving tackle by kicker Noah Rehburg put the ball at the Wylie 36.

It took three plays for the Dons to score the go-ahead touchdown. PD then held Wylie to preserve their fifth win of the season. Palo Duro won only five games the entire 2024 season.

“I was proud of how we fought back all night and found a way to get back in the game,” Martin said. “We didn’t execute on a play and a guy who’s a phenomenal athlete made a play on the kickoff return.”

Injuries and Adjustments

The loss cost Wylie in the standings, but also was costly in personnel.

Starting senior center Barrett Huffington left the game in the first half with an injury and did not return. Tackle Daniel Haynes, a freshman, also was injured. That forced Wylie, on the fly, to reload the line against a team that already was presenting problems.

“We had to go through quite a bit on Friday. Some of the people who got hurt play the same positions. I thought it went well. We were still able to do some things offensively,” Martin said.

“Some of that is still lingering and questionable. I think the majority of them will play. We’re just not sure yet.”

That was Tuesday.

“We’ll know more on Friday,” he said.

On defense, Deandre Rodriguez sat out the game with an injury.

The Bulldogs gave up more than 400 yards on defense for the second straight week.

Who will play where this week may be a gametime call. Martin and his staff would hope to survive this week and use the open date to rest and heal.

Scouting the Mavs

Wylie coaches are not taking Memorial lightly. Martin expects to see the team that won four straight rather than the one that was outscored 90-33 in the two losses.

“I think they’ve played two pretty good football teams," Martin said. “The Cooper game was extremely competitive but just got away from them. They made some mistakes and did not execute in that game.

“Palo Duro is kind of a different animal. They got on them.”

The offense is led by senior quarterback Joe Castles, a four-year starter who threw 31 touchdown passes as a junior. He was pegged as the district offensive MVP for this season by Texas Football.

The 6-foot-7 quarterback is committed to Abilene Christian University.

He has two good running backs to work with — Jamari Dean, who had more than 800 yards rushing and 11 TDs in 2024, and Eric Powell, a 1,000-yard back who accounted for 14 scores.

He is averaging 100 yards a game and has seven rushing touchdowns.

Dean, out of the backfield, is averaging 100 yards receiving.

“They can hurt you a lot of ways,” Martin said. “Lots of weapons on the offensive side of the ball.”

On defense, linebacker Hunter Talley and Jaiden Wetzel lead the way. End Micah James may not be Micah Parsons, but he’s a solid player who has five sacks this year.

Martin said Memorial traditionally plays good defense although the Mavs this year have given up 178 points in six games, or about 30 a game.

“They are trying to pick up the pieces after a couple of weeks of tough luck,” Martin said.

Ironically, Wylie also has given up 178 points, but in seven games.

Wylie’s Approach

Wylie will counter with steady quarterback Jadin Karleskint, who did not throw for a lot of yards under Palo Duro pressure but also did not make a mistake.

He put a throw just ahead of receiver Blaze Ruffin on a short crossing route and the junior took it the rest of the 65 yards for a touchdown. Karleskint also had his team’s longest rush of the night, a 17-yard keeper, and took an option play into the end zone for a second-half score.

Running back Julius Laine scored his 11th TD on the ground, though he was hobbled much of the game. He still managed 88 yards rushing.

Wylie will stick with its core plan but add “new stuff” where it can, Martin said. The injuries may have an impact on that.

If not, “there will be new wrinkles this week, like there are every week,” Martin said.

Martin said this week is about … this week.

“We have to think about the next play, and the next game. We treat every victory and every loss the same way,” he said. “We’re going back to work.”

District 2-5A Standings

Week 7 Results

• Amarillo Palo Duro 42, Wylie 35

• Abilene Cooper 66, Lubbock-Cooper 16

• WF Legacy 56, Plainview 42

• WF Memorial open

Week 8 Schedule

• WF Memorial at Wylie

• Amarillo Palo Duro at Lubbock-Cooper

• Abilene Cooper at Plainview

• WF Legacy open

Check out the game here:

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