Article by Greg Jaklewicz
Playoff Picture Comes Into Focus
WOODROW – Friday’s District 2-5A matchup just south of Lubbock will not decide the District 2-5A champion. However, it will go a long way toward ensuring a playoff berth for the winner.
Before the season began, many thought that Wylie and Lubbock-Cooper would be playing for first place on Halloween night.
Instead, defending champion Wylie stands third with a 2-2 record after two straight losses.
Lubbock-Cooper is hanging precariously in fourth place at 2-3. However, a 49-42 win last week against Memorial in Wichita Falls went a long way toward securing the Pirates’ 13th straight playoff berth.
Wylie is vying for the playoffs for the fourth straight year.
The three teams behind Lubbock-Cooper in the standings are 1-3.
The Stakes
The district title may be out of reach for both teams — both have lost to leader Palo Duro — but Wylie has a shot to finish second. The Bulldogs own a 29-22 victory over No. 2 Abilene Cooper (4-1). Should Cooper lose again — they still have to play Palo Duro in Amarillo in the regular season finale — and Wylie wins out, both teams would be 4-2. The Bulldogs would have the head-to-head tiebreaker.
All that is food for thought, but Wylie can only focus on Lubbock-Cooper.
As coach Clay Martin has said all season, the goal each week is to get one more district opponent behind the Bulldogs in the standings.
Wylie could split its final two games and have a shot at the playoffs with a 3-3 record. But beating Lubbock-Cooper this week keeps Wylie in control of its destiny.
“If we lose to Lubbock-Cooper, barring Plainview beating Memorial, we’re out,” Martin said.
Plainview, at 1-3 and owner of a win over Lubbock-Cooper, could finish 3-3 with that win and by beating Wylie the following week.
Any three-way tie involving Wylie also would involve Lubbock-Cooper and Memorial, and Wylie losses to both teams would knock out the Bulldogs.
Thus, any playoff talk begins with the result of the Wylie vs. Lubbock-Cooper game.
It’s a must-win for the Bulldogs.
“To control our own destiny, we have to win this week,” Martin said. “We’re leaving it in other people’s hands if we get beat.”
While Lubbock-Cooper was earning a win that saved their playoff hopes last week, Wylie was open. The week before, Memorial came to Sandifer and administered a 45-14 beatdown.
Wylie has lost two winnable games and was only outmatched against Class 4A Division I power Stephenville (8-0, ranked No. 2). However, Memorial took a 21-0 lead early in the third quarter and outplayed Wylie to the end.
The good news is that the Bulldogs, battling injuries, have had two weeks to heal and regroup. Memorial won after two losses and a week off.
GETTING BACK TO BASICS
Wylie needed its open week. There was the grind of eight straight games and the need to get injured players healthy.
“It’s hard to play eight weeks in a row, so it (was) well timed,” Martin said. “I think we had a really good two weeks of preparation. Getting better and improving. I think that’s the key.”
The Bulldogs operated with a shuffled offensive line since senior center Barrett Huffington was injured. That put players into different roles, and varsity inexperience made that an even greater challenge.
The Bulldogs needed to run against Memorial but could only muster 62 yards. That put pressure on what has been an effective passing game.
“We still have guys who are banged up but everyone does this point in the year,” Martin said. “But we’ll have everybody back. We feel really good about it.”
On defense, senior lineman Deandre Rodriguez has been hobbled and sidelined at times.
“He’s going to play,” Martin said. “We’ll see.”
On a defense full of juniors, his senior leadership on the field is important.
Attention was given to a defense that has given up 1,374 yards in its past three games, including 509 to Memorial, and 109 points (36 a game).
“Early in the year, I think our biggest attribute on the defensive side of the football was that we played really fast,” Martin said. “I think the point of emphasis was to get back to that speed.”
Even in preparing for the Pirates, playing fast was at the top of the to-do list at practice.
Martin agreed that the Bulldogs have been defending rather than attacking. Wylie trailed Cooper, Palo Duro and Memorial early and could only recover against the Cougars.
That showed up in the loss to Memorial.
While Martin credits the Mavericks with a good game plan and effort, “they got us on our heels early in the game. All week long, that’s all we’ve talked about — playing fast and playing with confidence.”
The week off meant the team did not have to completely focus on preparing for the next opponent.
“We got to work on some things we needed to work on as a team,” Martin said. “Work on the Wylie Bulldogs.”
SCOUTING THE PIRATES
Wylie hasn’t had an easy go of it against the Pirates.
The Bulldogs won 22-6 last year at Hugh Sandifer Stadium and edged the Pirates 35-34 here. Before that, Lubbock-Cooper had won the first five matchups after Wylie moved up to Class 5A. Three of those games were tightly contested.
Wylie is facing a 2025 team that lost by 50 points to Abilene Cooper but outscored Memorial. Lubbock-Cooper also had a late lead against Palo Duro only to lose by three; Wylie tied the game late against the Dons but gave up a late touchdown.
One team is 5-4 and the other 4-4.
The Pirates also have had to work around injuries.
On paper, this appears to be the even matchup it was projected to be in August.
“They’ve got it rolling. They had some injuries early on to some key players. They are back healthy and present a lot of challenges,” Martin said.
On offense, senior quarterback Ryan Rodriguez has thrown for 10 touchdowns, with Cade Gant his top target.
Champagne Johnson Jr. is the top rusher, though other Pirates have contributed.
This all happens behind a good line that has size.
“They have been able to run the football,” Martin said. “We’ve got to be able to stop the run game.”
Again, that has been a challenge for the Bulldogs. Abilene Cooper rushed for 315 yards, Palo Duro 264, and Memorial 196. With that success, the Mavericks two weeks ago were able to let loose with 6-foot-7 quarterback Joe Castles. He threw for more than 300 yards and four scores against Wylie.
Good news for Wylie is that Cooper has given up 207 points in its five district games, or 41 a game.
Still, Martin says the Pirates have “an exceptional defensive line.”
“We have got to hold up up front,” he said.
Junior running back Cooper Jones may see more action. Regardless of when he has played, he has shown the ability to attack the line of scrimmage and then spin free of tackles.
Jones had 34 yards on six carries against Memorial. That would complement bullish runner Julius Laine, who likely is keyed on. He had just 10 yards rushing against the Mavs on seven carries.
“We have to be able to run the football and attack them in multiple ways,” Martin said. “I am sure we’ll get to see Cooper some this week.”
TAKING IT TO THE PIRATES
Wylie, Martin said, needs to play from in front.
“That hasn’t come to fruition the past three games,” he said. “We have had some execution breakdowns early, on both sides of the ball. Getting off to a good start, especially on the road, would be huge.”
Martin believes the team that executes fundamentals the best will win.
The Bulldogs won’t need a last-minute pep talk.
“Everyone understands where we’re at,” he said.
But his last words before the game may be to play with abandon.
“We have to play fast. We have to play with confidence. I think we’ve learned our lesson,” Martin said. “This week has been really good to get back to who we really are.”
THE SERIES
2024 – Wylie 22, Lubbock-Cooper 6
2023 – Wylie 35, Lubbock-Cooper 34
2022 – Lubbock-Cooper 33, Wylie 28
2021 – Lubbock-Cooper 38, Wylie 10
2020 – Lubbock-Cooper 21, Wylie 15
2019 – Lubbock-Cooper 49, Wylie 14
2018 – Lubbock-Cooper 31, Wylie 12
DISTRICT 2-5A STANDINGS
Team | District |
|---|---|
Amarillo Palo Duro | 4-0 |
Abilene Cooper | 4-1 |
Wylie | 2-2 |
Lubbock-Cooper | 2-3 |
WF Memorial | 1-3 |
Plainview | 1-3 |
WF Legacy | 1-3 |
WEEK 9 RESULTS
Thursday: Palo Duro 55, Plainview 25
Friday: Lubbock-Cooper 49, WF Memorial 42
Abilene Cooper 53, WF Legacy 24
Wylie open
WEEK 10 SCHEDULE
Wylie at Lubbock-Cooper
WF Memorial at Plainview
Palo Duro at WF Legacy
Abilene Cooper open