With four district games remaining, the Wylie Pirates are firmly in the playoff hunt. 

Wylie (2-1, 2-4) won back-to-back games heading into the bye week. The wins set up a battle for third place against the Naaman Forest Rangers (2-1, 2-1). That’s the good news for Wylie. 

The bad news is the Pirates’ wins were against the last two teams in the District 9-6A standings, meaning that the competition will be tough to finish out the season. 

The Rangers are the reigning district champions and have shown toughness through three games. Here are the three keys to Wylie’s victory at Williams Stadium this Thursday, Oct. 14. 

1. Win the battles at the line of scrimmage 

Despite losing several Division I players from last season, Naaman Forest still has one of the best defensive lines in the district. Markis Deal is a 6-foot-6 defensive lineman with 16 tackles on the season. He requires a lot of attention, as does Chandler Davis and Isaiah Cunning. 

Head coach Jimmy Carter highlighted that defensive front as the top priority for the Pirates offense. Wylie likes to use Blake Fuller to set the tone on the ground, but yards may be tough to come by against a formidable Rangers defense. For Wylie to win, the offensive line must win battles up front.

For the full story, see the Oct. 13 issue or subscribe online.

By Kyle Grondin • [email protected]