Wylie East sophomore running back Jonathan Utubor lunges forward after he is tripped up by a Wylie defender. Utubor rushed for 166 yards and three touchdowns as the Raiders defeated the Pirates 36-28 at Wylie ISD Stadium on Friday. Photo by Elijah Kloepping / C&S Media

By David Wolman

[email protected]

The Wylie East football team held off a furious rally by Wylie to earn a 36-28 win over its cross-town rival on Friday and clinch its first 10-0 regular season in program history.

Wylie East held Wylie’s offense to just one first down and 14 total yards before the break, and 185 total yards for the game.

The Raiders appeared to be in cruise control, taking a 29-7 halftime lead after senior Amarean Porter caught a 31-yard touchdown pass with six seconds left in the half.

Porter caught five passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Senior quarterback Jaiden McLemore threw for 187 yards and two touchdowns and overcame three interceptions. Sophomore Jonathan Utubor racked up 166 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Wylie, which would have made the playoffs with a win, mounted a furious comeback in the second half. The Pirates got as close as 36-28 after a 70-yard touchdown catch by junior Chetachi Nwokedi, who also returned an interception for a score. Nwokedi’s catch came with 5:56 remaining, but that’s as close as Wylie would get.

Utubor sealed the win with an 18-yard run for a first down in the final two minutes.

Wylie was eliminated from playoff contention with the loss. Wylie East will host a bi-district playoff game.

Stay informed, support local journalism subscribe to your community newspaper The Wylie News today!