It seems odd that a game against the No. 1 team in the state is less important than one against a 1-3 opponent, but that’s the story this week.

The Wylie Bulldogs open District 2-5A play with a Thursday night game in Lubbock against the Coronado Mustangs. The winner will sit atop the district standings for one day, as four teams begin league play on Friday.

This is the Bulldogs’ third trip to the northwest in the first four weeks of football.

Wylie enters the game at Lowrey Field with a 2-2 record, which includes a 49-3 thrashing of Lubbock Monterey there two weeks ago.

Coronado lost 36-35 to the Plainsmen in the season opener, with the Mustangs’ only win against Lubbock High - a 21-10 decision.

Last week, Wylie took on Class 4A powerhouse Stephenville. The Bulldogs were competitive the entire game but a missed chance here and a missed chance there separated the two teams in a 42-23 Yellow Jackets win. It was Stephenville’s 20th straight win, a streak that includes a 52-13 victory over Wylie at the Yellowjackets’ new stadium last fall.

The Bulldogs face a team that went 1-9 last year and lost 70-14 to Wylie at Sandifer Stadium. Coach Clay Martin, in his preparation for this week’s game, likely reminded his team not to take Coronado for granted.

Last year, Wylie traveled to Wichita Falls to face Legacy, a team that had won one game since the program began. The Leopards gave Wylie a game, and the outcome wasn’t clear until the Bulldogs pulled away in the fourth quarter.

The last thing Wylie wants to do is lose to a team that has gone 10-34 over the past four seasons, plus its first four games this year. Last year, Coronado’s only win was a forfeit - a 79-6 loss to Amarillo was reversed.

The Mustangs fell 28-22 in their 2025 opener to Legacy - the first win in Leopards program history.

“We talk all the time about how district play is a grind. It’s like going to work - you’ve got to be prepared each and every week,” Martin said.

“All these games are potential district championship games. I think these guys have done a good job of keeping things in perspective and working hard to be prepared for Thursday night.”

WYLIE IN A GOOD SPOT

Martin likes where his team stands entering district play.

“I feel like we’re right where we want to be,” the coach said. “I think we’re building a team.”

He has found silver linings that make two losses and several key injuries more bearable.

On the upside, he believes the Bulldogs learned from losing to Brownwood and Stephenville. A winnable game got away, while Wylie made the Yellow Jackets work for their win. It was a 21-16 game in the third quarter after the Bulldogs failed on a two-point conversion. A fake field goal try that was defended and a blocked punt helped the visitors nail down the win.

“When you’re involved in a game like that, each play and each possession has a bigger emphasis, your margin for error is greatly diminished,” Martin said. “I felt like we were right there in the game but we had a couple of possessions when things didn’t go our way and things got away from us late.”

Injuries have necessitated Wylie work down the depth chart. If/when the injured players return, their backups will be ready to step in when needed.

“The injuries have forced us to play more and more people on both sides of the ball. That’s a negative but it also has created some depth,” Martin said. “The guys who have stepped in and played have done a good job. We have to continue to build on that.”

Wylie is open the following week, which allows more time for healing. But Martin isn’t looking ahead.

“We’ve got to worry about playing Coronado on a short week,” he said. “We want to put ourselves on the good side of the separation that will happen each and every week.”

The Bulldogs last year won their first two district games, only to lose three straight, which cost Wylie its playoff chances.

The coming bye week will allow Wylie to heal and to focus only on Wylie, not an opponent, Martin said.

“I think it comes at a good time of the year,” he said. “But we have a lot of rivers to cross between now and the bye week with Coronado on Thursday night.”

Quarterback Jadin Karleskint has been red hot. He has hit 61 of 81 passes the past three games for 854 yards.

“Jadin did really well in the preseason and matured into a very good quarterback,” Martin said. “He has done a good job in each of our games.”

Not only has he developed his connection to Blaze Ruffin, who has 19 catches for 389 yards and seven TDs in the past three games, Karleskint is getting the ball to sophomore Jackston Williams. Williams has 13 catches for 274 yards and a touchdown since the opener.

After the Stephenville game, Ruffin said having two threats will keep teams from focusing on one player.

Maybe that’s three players to watch. Sophomore Jett Wilson had two grabs for 74 yards, including a weaving 57-yard touchdown against Stephenville that showed his speed in the open field.

Often overlooked is the kicking game. After missing a field goal on his first varsity try and later having a field goal blocked, sophomore Kannon Ruffin has made all 14 PATs and hit a 40-yard field goal against Stephenville. Additionally, his deep kickoffs have prevented opponents from getting good field position.

SIZING UP CORONADO

The Mustangs looked to be improved this year, despite their record.

The season began with the one-point loss to Monterey, a game in which Coronado led 28-9 at halftime. The Plainsmen changed quarterbacks, and that changed the game. Monterey scored in the final minute to eke out the victory.

Coronado followed with its solid win over Lubbock High, a team that beat the Mustangs by a touchdown in the last game of the 2025 season.

The roller coaster went down the next week, when Coronado lost 30-13 to Frenship Memorial, a new program that registered its first win.

Last week, Coronado led Plainview, the team its replaced in 2-5A, fell 41-35 at Plainview’s homecoming.

The game was tied at 21 at halftime before Plainview scored twice in the third quarter to take the lead. Coronado rallied to tie the game before Plainview scored again to secure the win.

“They’ve got some really good athletes on both sides of the ball,” Martin said. “I think they will be prepared and have a good game plan. Coronado has the potential of explosiveness.”

The Mustangs are averaging 26 points a game, scoring 35 twice but losing. It’s an offense that relies on the passing of senior David Bawcum. Bawcum is adept at distributing his throws and not taking a sack.

“That can cause some issues,” Martin said. “They throw the ball a lot … and have a good possession passing game. It will be a test for us against a team that will stretch you horizontally and vertically.”

Wylie certainly has had a workout with that already this season.

Frenship threw the ball more than 50 times, and Stephenville effectively passed to balance its strong running game.

Wylie’s pass defense at times has looked improved, but the numbers tell the story. The Bulldogs have given up 589 passing yards the past two games and allowed a 61 percent completion rate.

Liam Chapman did come up with an interception against Stephenville. Forcing turnovers is not what Wylie has done well to this point.

While Coronado’s offense has cooked more this year, the defense has not been able to do its part in letting two close games get away. Martin said the Mustangs have been banged up on defense, something his own team has experienced with linebackers Landry Pate and Carter Nelson sidelined.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Will it be PD again, or another new district champ?

Is Legacy for real?

Can anyone slow Memorial?

Is Abilene Cooper a sleeper with its new coach?

Is Lubbock-Cooper done for?

Those are the questions concerning District 2-5A as league play opens this week.

Overall, the district posted a 13-15 record in non-district play. No team went unbeaten.

“I think our district has a lot of parity, top to bottom. You are going to be challenged each week,” Martin said.

Palo Duro has won three straight after an opening loss to Amarillo High. The Dons’ defense is looking sharp again, giving up 15 points a game. Wylie’s defense was even sharper until giving up 21 late points to Frenship, then 42 to Stephenville.

Legacy was one point from perfection, losing 43-42 to Greenwood last week. The Leopards have won more games already this season than they did in their first two years.

Wichita Falls rival Memorial is 2-2 with a whopping 205 points scored (52 a game). The bad news is that it has surrendered 185 points (46.3).

The Cooper Coogs lost two close games, then upended Class 6A teams San Angelo Central and Odessa to go 2-2.

Lubbock-Cooper has been beset with injuries and is winless in four games, including a 49-7 loss to Stephenville.

“You can’t really compare any scores because you never really know what’s going on,” Martin said. “You just prepare against the opponent you have that week and to the best you can.”

Still, the Pirates have managed only 63 points total. That is not standard Lubbock-Cooper football.

However it is shaping up, Wylie is focused on Wylie and one opponent at a time.

“I think we’ve had a really good non-district schedule and have learned a lot and had a chance to evaluate,” Martin said. “I think we’re prepared for district.

“All these games are potential district championship games.’

2026 DISTRICT 2-5A STANDINGS
Team District Season
W L PF PA W L PF PA
Am. Palo Duro 0 0 0 0 3 1 118 59
WF Legacy 0 0 0 0 3 1 164 94
Wylie 0 0 0 0 2 2 107 70
Ab. Cooper 0 0 0 0 2 2 92 77
WF Memorial 0 0 0 0 2 2 205 185
Lub. Coronado 0 0 0 0 1 3 104 117
Lub-Cooper 0 0 0 0 0 4 63 172

LAST WEEK'S GAMES
Canyon 49, Lubbock-Cooper 24
Stephenville 42, Wylie 23
Abilene Cooper 34, Odessa High 14
Palo Duro 42, Dumas 21
Plainview 41, Coronado 35
Greenwood 43, WF Legacy 42
WF Memorial 52, FW Chisholm Trail 45

THIS WEEK'S GAMES
Wylie at Coronado (Thursday)
Palo Duro at Legacy
Memorial at Abilene Cooper
Lubbock-Cooper open