The Wylie East girls cross country team poses for pictures after earning third place at the Region II-6A meet, giving the Lady Raiders their first-ever team berth in the state meet. Photo by David Wolman / C&S Media

By David Wolman

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The Wylie News is proud to introduce the first installment of a three-part series celebrating the best teams, athletes, moments and performances for Wylie East from this past school year. The categories and winners for the second annual C&S Media High School Sports Awards were chosen by sports editor David Wolman, with winners being published over three weeks.

Part 1 (July 16) includes the Biggest Story, Breakthrough Moment, Newcomer of the Year and Best Team

Part 2 (July 23) will highlight the Best Game, Best Finish, Biggest Upset and Multi-Sport Athlete of the Year. 

Part 3 (July 30) will wrap up the series with Coach of the Year, Most Improved Athlete, Best Male Athlete and Best Female Athlete.

These are the winners of the first installment of the series.

Biggest story: Football team records first 10-0 regular season

After going 3-7 in his first season at the helm, head coach Marcus Gold led the Raiders to at least nine wins in each of the next four seasons, including playoff wins in 2023 and 2024.

Wylie East’s quick ascension came full circle last fall when the Raiders recorded their first 10-0 regular season in program history. 

The Raiders boasted dynamic rushing and passing attacks that were led by Co-District 9-6A MVP Amarean Porter and Nash Chapman. Wylie East was just as assertive on defense, holding opponents to 14 points per game during the regular season.

Breakthrough moment: Girls’ cross country earns 1^st state meet berth

The Lady Raiders have risen to an elite level ever since Luke Scribner took over as head coach in 2023.

Wylie East reached its highest level under Scribner last fall.

Led by a second-place finish from incoming junior Evangeline Williams, the Lady Raiders took third place at the Region II-6A meet to earn their first-ever team berth in the state meet. Recent graduate Madison Akers (13^th), incoming juniors Isabelle Price (36^th) and Amiya Runsewe (55^th), recent graduate Alexis Schmidt (80^th), incoming junior Reagan Tolar (99^th) and recent graduate Layla Talbott (105^th) also placed at the regional meet.

At the Class 6A state meet in Round Rock, Wylie East placed 14^th with 326 points. 

Newcomer of the Year: Evangeline Williams, girls’ cross country/track and field

Williams capped off a breakout freshman season at Trabuco Hills (California) by earning fifth place in the state track and field meet in the one-mile run. The previous fall, she captured 36^th place at the California Interscholastic Federation Division I state meet for a Lady Mustangs squad that won the state title. She also placed seventh at the prestigious Nike Cross Nationals.

Upon her arrival at Wylie East, Williams quickly proved that she could handle the big stage of high school athletics.

At the Southlake Carroll Invitational, Williams caught the eye of high school coaches in Texas by placing third in a personal-best and school-record time of 17:36.

During the postseason, Williams won the District 9-6A title by 29 seconds, finishing in 18:11, placed second in the regional meet with a time of 17:48 and placed seventh at the state meet with a 17:49.

On the track, Williams won district titles in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 and was a regional qualifier in the 1,600 and 3,200.

Best Team: Girls’ cross country 

Although the Lady Raiders lost three runners to graduation – Akers, Schmidt and Talbott – Wylie East has a good chance of building off its historic 2025 season, especially with a talented junior class set to return.

Williams is expected to be one of the top runners in all of Class 6A after she earned a spot on the medal stand for placing seventh at the state meet. Price, Runsewe and Tolar are other key returners for the Lady Raiders.

Wylie East captured second place at the District 9-6A meet but a couple of weeks later finished just ahead of district champion Sachse at regionals to earn its first state berth.

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