The Raiders have had their shares of struggles at the start of district play, coming off of a heartbreaking loss to McKinney North. 

Wylie East travels to Tyler to face the Tyler High School Lions Friday, Oct. 15.

Here are three keys to a Raiders victory this week: 

• Establish your backfield

Against McKinney North, Wylie East succeeded in the first half at establishing the run and earning long drives. Most of this success came because of quarterback Terrell Washington Jr., who rushed for over 200 yards against the Bulldogs. However, they struggled outside of Washington, recording less than 50 net yards without him and only converting one pass. In the second half, McKinney North used this to their advantage, suffocating the Wylie East offense by limiting what he could do on the ground.

If the Raiders want to have offensive success against Tyler, they will need to run the ball consistently. This will rely on their other weapons, including Brandan Nurse, Tristan Lee and Charis Jackson, to have good games on the ground. Having rebuilt their confidence, it’s now important for Wylie East to execute.

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

By Jackson King• [email protected]