Wylie High School

Article by Greg Jaklewicz

District 2-5A football heats up after Week 1

The District Picture

Three teams in District 2-5A are out front in this horse race of a football season, with a fourth just behind after one week of play.

That’s normal. But who’s out front is a bit of a surprise.

• Wylie was expected to win against Legacy in Wichita Falls.

• Cooper Cougars, however, were not the favorite even at home against Wichita Falls Memorial. The Mavericks were 4-0 and ranked No. 10 among Division II teams in the state by Texas Football magazine.

The 1-2 Coogs made a statement with a 42-27 win, pulling away from a 21-all tie to open district play with a big win at Shotwell Stadium.

Both teams are tied with Plainview, a surprising 37-22 winner at home over Lubbock-Cooper. The Pirates had been picked to win the district this year.

Right behind last week’s winners is Palo Duro. The 3-1 Dons, who showed a strong defense in non-district play, were open.

Rivalry Renewed

The Coogs make the long trip—3.8 miles—southwest to Hugh Sandifer Stadium on Friday to test Wylie, 3-2 overall.

The “Southtown Showdown” series is short-lived. While Cooper and Abilene High this year played for the 65th time, Wylie and Cooper have been matched only six times, each winning three games. The series began in 2018 when Wylie moved up to Class 5A, Division II. The teams did not play in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

• Trend: Wylie has won three straight.

• History: After losing handily 48-0 the first year, Wylie last year took its biggest win, 29-7. That’s a 70-point swing.

Coach Clay Martin is expecting perhaps the most even-matched game yet.

“The parity in this district and the depth in teams has greatly increased this year. Each and every week is going to be a dogfight all the way through. You’ve got to be prepared to play and at the top of your game.”

Down but Then Up vs. Legacy

Wylie struggled in its 45-24 win over Legacy.

• Up 23-17 entering the fourth quarter.

• Scored 22 points to take a 28-point lead.

• Starters came out late, Legacy added a touchdown.

Martin reflected:

“Everything changes when you get to district play… it’s about finding a way to win … and we were able to do that.”

Key notes from the game:

• Three first-half turnovers, dropped passes, and penalties slowed Wylie.

• Offensive line took charge late.

• Julius Laine: best game of the season, 171 yards, 3 TDs (season total: 9).

• Cooper Jones: strong backup role with 60 yards on nine carries.

• Defense solid up front; QB Jadin Karleskint continued to improve despite one interception.

• Big plays: 53-yard pass to Blaze Ruffin and 50-yard run by Laine.

Scouting Cooper

Texas Football picked Cooper to miss the playoffs—monumental, since the Coogs have 18 straight appearances. Wylie, by contrast, has a 3-year streak.

Cooper so far:

• Already 3 wins, nearly 4 (lost 40-35 to San Angelo Central).

• Beat Plainview, Legacy, and Palo Duro last year to sneak into postseason.

• Offense can dominate both run and pass.

Key Players:

• QB Jaden Carrillo (senior):

  • 681 passing yards, 10 TDs.

  • 339 rushing yards.

  • Dual threat—Central stopped his run, Memorial stopped his pass, but not both.

• RB Peyton Ewing (senior): 509 yards in 5 games, two straight 100+ yard outings.

• Tayden Bender & Markquel Sims: underclassmen rushing threats.

• OL Kayden Bryan (315) & Jayden Flores (275): three-year starters.

• Defensive standouts: Dycin Davis (13 sacks in 2024), Canon Adams (70 tackles).

Martin said:

“They present a lot of problems on both sides of the ball… It’s got to be the execution of our plan, and I think we have a pretty good plan.”

The Series History

• 2018 – Cooper 48, Wylie 0

• 2019 – Cooper 30, Wylie 0

• 2020 – DNP

• 2021 – Cooper 30, Wylie 24

• 2022 – Wylie 20, Cooper 10

• 2023 – Wylie 17, Cooper 7

• 2024 – Wylie 29, Cooper 7

All-time: Series tied 3-3.

District 2-5A Standings

Week 5 Results / Start of District Play

• Wylie 45, Wichita Falls Legacy 24

• Abilene Cooper 42, Wichita Falls Memorial 27

• Plainview 37, Lubbock Cooper 22

• Palo Duro open

Week 6 Games

• Abilene Cooper at Wylie

• Wichita Falls Legacy at Lubbock-Cooper

• Palo Duro at Wichita Falls Memorial

• Plainview open