5A Team of the Week: Abilene Wylie Bulldogs
Abilene Wylie found itself in a shootout this past Friday as the Bulldogs battled Wichita Falls Memorial for the shot to stay undefeated in district play.
The teams literally matched scores the entire night. There were six different ties throughout the contest although Wylie didn’t take the lead until the fourth quarter when a 33-yard touchdown by Julius Lane gave the Bulldogs a 42-35 advantage.
In games like that, the belief is that the team that holds the ball last will win. In this instance, it proved to be true. After Memorial scored to tie it at 42, the Bulldogs moved the ball down the field, setting up a game-winning 27-yard field goal by Noah Rehburg as time expired. Rehburg was perfect all night, making all six of his extra points as well.
Courtesy of @940Gameday:
Wylie’s game winning field goal tonight at Wichita Falls Memorial. Bulldogs win 45-42 to stay perfect in District 2-5A D2! pic.twitter.com/5ny6NTfK4M
— Big Country Blitz (@codycoil) October 19, 2024
Wylie head coach Clay Martin said he was “proud of the way [his] guys handled adversity and continued to fight until the end.” He also had to be impressed with his offense.
Lane ended up with a mind-boggling 272 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 36 carries. However, it was far from a one-dimensional effort from the Dogs. Quarterback Bear Meng threw for 220 yards. Gage Heighten was one of his go-to target, catching five passes for 85 yards.
The Bulldogs now have a bye week this week, and they’ll need it to rest up for what will be their biggest game of the year so far. On November 1, they’ll host Lubbock Cooper in a game that will likely decide the district title.
Previous 5A Teams of the Week
Week One: Sherman
Week Two: La Joya Juarez-Lincoln
Week Three: Seguin
Week Four: Corpus Christi Carroll
Week Five: Leander
Week Six: Lovejoy
Week Seven: Mansfield Summit
