Justin Jarrett a year ago said he was building his girls golf team, one would not only qualify for the regional tournament in the spring but score as a state qualifier.

Wylie finished ninth in Lubbock, carding a two-round total 776.

Grapevine advanced to state as the Region I-5A champ with a 613, with Amarillo High next at 630 and Colleyville Heritage third at 632.

The math shows Wylie has more than 100 shots to make up to get in contention.

Work already has begun this fall to keep the program moving in the right direction. The fall months are for improvement toward the season that counts in the spring.

Wylie has played one tournament each for its varsity and junior varsity. Jarrett has 16 girls who will be vying for 10 spots on the varsity. It’s wide open right now, he said.

The JV squads took first and third in a five-team tournament in Sweetwater. Freshman Hadley Huffman was second overall.

The varsity was fifth at the Dinosaur Classic in Glen Rose. Byron Nelson won with a 592, with Waco Midway at 653 and Argyle at 685 on the Squaw Valley course.

“We had two decent scores that we can always improve on,” Jarrett said of his team’s totals of 359 and 355 for a 714

That’s a 62-shot improvement from the last meet of the spring season.

Another plus for Wylie was finishing ahead of district rivals Abilene High and an all-new Cooper squad. That gives Jarrett a look at the competition to see what his team needs to do to take a district championship in 2027.

“Abilene High has a couple of returnees, so they look like our biggest competition,” he said. “Right now, we’re considered to be the favorite. My goal right now is to qualify two teams for regionals.”

Junior Kayla Lovegreen led Wylie, scoring a 79 on her final round. That was eight strokes better than her first-round total.

“She shot a personal best … we had several personal bests,” Jarrett said.

Senior Landry Cheyne had an opening 83. Those are the kinds of scores the Wylie coach is needing to see to bring Wylie into contention at the regional tourney.

The lower scores are the result of putting in work during the summer.

“When we got on the range (this year), it was the first time that I wasn’t like, ‘Oh no, I’ll have to start them over,’” he said. “They were all hitting it decent and it seemed most had played at least some during the summer and got prepared and were ready to go.”

The immediate goal for the Bulldogs, Jarrett said, is shooting in the 330s as a team. That, of course, would greatly lower the 2026 regional score and move Wylie into the lead pack.

“And right now, we’re trying to figure out those players,” he said.

Lovegreen and senior Landry Cheyne currently are his top players and in a position to be leaders.

“You’ve got to be vocal and encouraging and helpful,” he said. “And that’s what they’re doing.”

After that, he said, it’s open to the girls who improve their play and show consistency.

“I take six players to all the varsity tournaments,” Jarrett said. Five compete for the top four scores that determine the team total. The sixth player competes as an individual.

“I have some freshmen who are stepping up,” he said. Competing at the varsity level will hone their games, he said.

A challenge for Jarrett is keeping the band, if you will, together. As the younger players improve, it’s vital to keep them engaged and playing as upperclassmen.

“They have a really good atmosphere. The chemistry is really good. They all get along with each other, which is nice,” he said. “There is not a lot of drama, which is really good for a coach, for sure.

“I think they are pushing each other to get better. And some of my freshmen are golfers. They want to golf, so they’ll stick around. For the most part, we are still building but the work is starting to show. We are starting to get better.”

While the JV was scheduled to tee it up again Wednesday at Maxwell Golf Course in the Wylie JV tourney, the varsity doesn’t play again until Oct. 30 in the Abilene ISD Halloween Golf Classic on the Live Oak and Maxwell courses locally.

“That’s why we’re doing this qualifying, to see who’s going to be on the varsity team,” Jarrett said. “I consider every tournament we play prep, working on course management and getting ready for district. I try not to put pressure on them because they already put enough pressure on themselves.

“It’s all about preparation.”