As the team continues to win, the expectations for the Wylie Pirates girls soccer team will continue to increase.

The Pirates finished the 2021-22 season first overall in District 9-6A, reaching the playoffs with an undefeated record. After winning their first team playoff games, they were finally knocked out by Rockwall in the regional quarterfinals, but it still made for a landmark season for head coach Chris Bezner and his team. For now, however, the team is only focused on next season.

“I think the girls are aware that everyone is now looking at them in district, but they’re doing a good job of not thinking too far ahead,” Bezner said. “We’re not even thinking about district at this point, and we want to have tunnel vision focus on the game in front of us. The last thing we want to do is spend time comparing ourselves this season to last season or the year before that, so it’ll come down to staying disciplined and focused.”

Early in the year, there’s been positive signs for the Pirates in preseason. They scrimmaged McKinney Boyd, the preseason No. 2 ranked team in 6A and played to a 1-1 draw. With results like that early on, the team is showing it has what it takes to make a run at a third straight district title.

“We’re moving along well and progressing well,” Bezner said. “We’ve played well this preseason and the girls are working hard this offseason to get to where we need to be. We had 13 seniors last year and with only a handful of returning players, we’re seeing how this team gels together.”

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