DAWG BITES

- Wylie scored in each quarter
- The Bulldogs shut out an opponent for the first time in three years
- Julius Laine sets pace for a 1,000-yard regular season with 128 yards and a touchdown

It wasn’t flashy but in workmanlike fashion, the Wylie Bulldogs dispatched Brownwood in their season opener.

Junior Dylan Regala scored the first two touchdowns of the season, four-year player Julius Laine got a TD and rushed for 128 yards, the Bulldogs did not have a turnover and the defense pitched a shutout as Wylie took down the Lions 25-0 on Friday night at Hugh Sandifer Stadium.

The Bulldogs had surrendered one touchdown in five of their past 25 games but the shutout was the first since a 30-0 win over Lubbock Monterey in 2022.

Wylie plays Monterey at 7 p.m. Thursday in Lubbock. The Plainsmen dropped their opener to Choctaw (Okla.) High School, 44-23.

DEFENSE DIGS IN

The Bulldogs scored in each quarter and denied Brownwood the red zone. The Lions got to the Wylie 22 late in the fourth quarter and tried a long field goal to avoid the shutout. The snap, however, was bobbled and the Bulldogs’ shutout was preserved.

“I thought we flew around pretty good and tackled decent for the first game,” Wylie coach Clay Martin said. “We had some busts but we were able to overcome those with some hustle. I am proud of those guys and how hard they played.

“We played a lot of guys on D and they flew around to the football. The defensive effort was more about effort. We were not perfect defensively but hustle and effort make up for a lot of mistakes.”

Wylie held Brownwood to 77 total yards, thanks in part to big plays for losses and Lions mistakes that led to lost yardage. Brownwood’s biggest plays were runs of 17 and 15 yards by senior Levi Pearson.

The Lions’ longest drive of the night before the aborted field goal attempt was its opening drive. The Lions got to the Wylie 30 but Brody Martin made a sideline interception at the 24.

Earlier in the quarter, Martin had returned the season-opening kickoff to the Wylie 43 to jumpstart the Bulldogs’ touchdown drive.

JUNIORS STEP UP

Wylie does not return many starters from its 9-2 team last year, so coaches looked to juniors from a good JV team to fill holes.

Those juniors had a big night. That group included Regala, new quarterback Jadin Karleskint and linebacker Cooper Hill. In combination with forever player Laine and defensive rock Deandre Rodriguez, both seniors, the Bulldogs meshed on opening night.

Rodriguez had a big first-half sack and a big stop for no gain.

Hill had a third-quarter sack that forced a punt and a stop for no gain, joined Blake Fraling, another junior, on another loss and added a stop for no gain.

“It was great,” Hill said of his varsity debut. “The first quarter, I had to figure out what was going on but after that we were on it. I think we have it down but we need to work on it a little bit. There’s always something to work on.

“Tonight was better than I thought it would be. It was my first game on varsity so I didn’t know how it was going to look but it ended up really good.”

Landry Pate, another junior, had a sack during which the Brownwood quarterback was flagged for grounding.

Regala, a go-to receiver, got the call twice from the Lions 3 yard line. His only other carry went for six yards.
Regala said the short-yardage package was ready to go for him.

“The opportunity came and we took advantage of it and got the ball in the end zone,” he said.

Did he think he’d get the first two TDs?

“I did not,” he said, laughing. He credited Laine for getting the team to the goal line. “He did the work.”

Speaking for the juniors, Regala said Wylie on Friday was “easing into it with a lot of juniors and getting the nerves out this first couples of games.

“We’ll be back next week.”

HOW BULLDOGS SCORED

Wylie scored on its opening drive, a coach’s dream drive. The Bulldogs ran the ball eight times on the 57-yard drive, had no penalties and took the lead for good with 8:18 left in the quarter.

The Bulldogs punted twice before driving 66 yards to a 22-yard Noah Rehberg field goal with 24 seconds in the half. The big play on the drive almost was a bust..Karleskint’s pass down the middle was deflected but receiver Blaze Ruffin kept track of the ball and snared it. A potential pickoff turned into a 32-yard gain to the Lions 40.

Wylie got to the 6 but Laine on third down was dropped for his only loss of the night by Brownwood’s Cavin Webster, forcing the field goal.

Trailing 11-0 and still in the game, the Lions got the ball to start the second half. Brownwood notched two first downs but had to punt. A Hill sack and quarterback pressure by Rodriguze a 14-yard punt turned the tables.

Wylie had to go only 43 yards and got most of that on the first play, when Karleskint went 20 yards to Regala.

Laine rushed six times as Wylie overcame two motion penalties. Regala again got the call for the TD to make it 18-0 after Rehburg’s kick.

The Bulldogs salted away the game with 6:09 to play.

Karleskint’s quick kick was downed at the Lions 1.

Brownwood quarterback Judson Coalson kept the ball on first down and seemed to have squeezed about a yard when Wylie linebacker Bo Kates emerged from the scrum with the football.

Just one game into the year and Wylie already has notched its shortest scoring drive of the season. Laine finally got his chance and on his 23rd carry of the game, bulled into the end zone.

Offensively, Wylie had 260 yards and just four plays of more than 10 yards.

Martin credited the Lions for keeping the Bulldogs largely on a leash.

“We just tried to take what they gave us,” Martin said. Wylie ran 48 plays, 23 of those runs by Laine.
Karleskint said he was comfortable on the field in his debut.

‘The first game, there’s obviously the nerves. But overall, I think we showed some good things and we will clean a lot of things up,” he said.

The quarterback said it’s good to know Laine is there churning out the yards and Regala always is where he should be.

Junior Cooper Jones spelled Laine, gaining 35 yards on seven carries. The Bulldogs lost yards just twice on 41 rushes.

Karleskint threw only seven passes, completing five.

Brownwood on offense relied on two players. Pearson rushed 19 times for 67 yards. Coalson also was 5-of-7 passing - four completions going to Carson Noe.

ABOUT THOSE PENALTIES...

Though Wylie played error-free football on offense and were plus-2 in turnovers, penalties likely were to be discussed as the team prepared for Monterey. Wylie had 11 for 85, ranging from motion penalties on offense to a pair of 15-yarders that breathed life into Brownwood’s offense.The latter got the Lions into position for the late field goal try.

The players were aware of the mistakes; motion penalties put both teams behind the chains in the game.
“Knowing where we need to be, where to line up … things like that,” Karleskint said. “We just got to clean things up.”

Martin echoed his quarterback.

“We’ve got to clean those things up and be more efficient offensively,” Martin said. “We have a lot of things to work on but to come out and get a victory to start the season is always a great thing.

“We’ll get there.”

YARDSTICK
WYLIE 25, BROWNWOOD 0

WYLIE BROWNWOOD
First downs 14 9
Rushing 41-200 37-32
A-C-I 5-7-0 5-7-1
Passing 60 45
Total offense 260 77
Punting 3-37.3 5-30.8
Fumbles/lost 0-0 3-1
Penalties 11-85 4-20

SCORING
First quarter
Wylie - Dylan Regala 3 run (Bo Kates run), 8:18
Second quarter
Wylie - Noah Rehburg 22 FG, 0:24
Third quarter
Wylie - Regala 3 run (Rehburg kick), 4:30
Fourth quarter
Wylie - Julius Laine 1 run (Rehburg kick), 6:09

WYLIE INDIVIDUAL STATS
Rushing - Julius Laine, 23-128-1; Cooper Jones, 7-35; Jadin Karleskint, 8-25; Dylan Regala, 3-12-2.
Passing - Karleskint, 5-7-0-60
Receiving - Regala, 2-24; Blaze Ruffin, 1-32, Michael Pena-Perez, 1-9, Laine 1-minus 1.

DISTRICT 2-5A RESULTS
Thursday
Amarillo Tascosa 10, Amarillo Palo Duo 0
Wichita Falls Memorial 35, Fort Worth Wyatt 22
Friday
Abilene Cooper 49, Azle 25
Lucas Lovejoy 35, Lubbock-Cooper 31
Canyon Randall 44, Plainview 23
Wichita Falls Legacy 28, Lubbock Coronado 22