The Wylie girls basketball team finished a perfect 16-0 in District 9-6A play and was a bi-district finalist. Photo by Tina Lopez / C&S Media
By David Wolman
The Wylie Pirates had another successful season in winter sports during the 2025-25 school year.
The Wylie News will now highlight the success of each team.
Boys basketball
The Pirates came into the season having to replace five starters from the previous season’s team that won the District 9-6A championship and finished as an area-round finalist.
Despite the heavy roster turnover, Wylie’s new starting five and reserves quickly gelled as a unit, with the Pirates’ selfless style of basketball paving the way for a fourth consecutive district title and another appearance in the area round of the UIL Class 6A Division I playoffs.
The Pirates finished 12-4 in district play. They were dominant in the games they won, winning by an average of 24.3 points, while losing four District 9-6A contests by a combined 26 points.
For the second consecutive season, Wylie rolled past Rockwall-Heath in bi-district, winning by a final score of 63-36. However, the Pirates were unable to solve Duncanville in the area round, as Wylie struggled offensively in a 45-25 loss to the Panthers.
Following the conclusion of the season, Wylie earned a total of seven selections on the All-9-6A team, including three superlative winners. Senior guard Darian Romano garnered Co-Offensive MVP, senior guard Camden Love was named the district’s Co-Defensive Player of the Year, and head coach Stephen Pearce and the Pirates coaching staff were named the Coaching Staff of the Year.
Girls basketball
Adversity hit the Lady Pirates before the season tipped off.
Less than one month before the start of the season, head coach Jessica Linson announced her sudden resignation and was hired as athletic director at Douglass High School in Oklahoma City. Two weeks later, Nate Heckelman, the lead varsity assistant at Garland, was hired as Linson’s replacement, but his first day on the job wasn’t until Nov. 4 – just three days prior to the start of the 2026-26 season.
Despite limited practice team with his new team, Heckelman was quick to get on the same page with the players and coaching staff.
Wylie fired on all cylinders, especially in district play, where the Lady Pirates (24-7 overall) had a perfect 16-0 record to capture the 9-6A championship.
Although a furious rally came up short in a 42-38 loss to Rockwall in bi-district, Wylie had a strong start to the Heckelman era. And with the Lady Pirates graduating three seniors, expect Wylie to be a force in the 2026-27 season.
Freshman guard Sade Mathes was named the 9-6A Newcomer of the Year after she averaged 13.7 points.
Powerlifting
One year after winning their first state title in the equipped division, the Pirates not only repeated as Texas High School Women’s Powerlifting Association Class 6A state champion but did so in dominating fashion.
Wylie posted a team score of 45 points, almost double the point total of Los Fresnos, which had 24 points.
The Lady Pirates crowned two state champions in the equipped division.
Isabella Ortega claimed top honors in the 132-pound class with a 1,005-pound total between the meet’s three events: bench press, deadlift and squat. Her bench press of 275 pounds was a state record for her weight class – a performance that earned her the best Lifter Award for the Light Platforms.
Yanella Munoz won the 181-pound class state title after lifting 1,050 total pounds. She also won the Best Lifter Award for Best Bench Press in the Heavy Platforms.
Wylie finished with 10 equipped state medalists and one unequipped state medalist.
Wrestling
Wylie advanced three wrestlers to the regional tournament.
Wyatt Richardson to third place at 285 pounds at the district tournament. He went 3-1 on the day. His only loss was a pin to Allen’s Faris Price in the semifinals.
Kaylan Wara qualified for regionals after placing fourth at 175 pounds, while Tristan Yoder took fourth at 215 pounds.
Richardson capped off a successful season by earning sixth place at regionals. Wara went 1-2 with a 10-3 decision over College Park’s Nicholas Fisher.
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