The Wylie East Raiders are riding high after three straight victories to open the season.

Sitting atop the District 9-6A standings early in the season, Wylie East (1-0, 3-0) hopes to continue its strong start to the season when they travel to Homer B. Johnson Stadium Friday night to take on Sachse. The Mustangs (1-1, 1-3) picked up their first win of the regular season last week and will want to send their fans and students home happy with a homecoming victory.

Here are the three keys to Wylie East defeating Sachse on the road Friday.

1. Slow down the rushing attack

Sachse has run the ball exceptionally well in their first four games, something that will be a point of emphasis for the Wylie East defense. Pope Akanna leads the team with 525 rushing yards and six touchdowns in four games, while RC Reeves also has 232 rushing yards and four scores.

It’s a dynamic one-two punch for the Mustangs’ offense and a huge part of their offensive success this season.

The Wylie East front seven has shown to be stingy against the run to start the year. While Naaman Forest did end up with 137 yards on the ground, East stood tall and made them work for every bit of it. Anthony James, Robert Ngasoh and the entire Wylie East front seven will have their hands full in week five.

For the full story, see our Sept. 21 issue or subscribe online.