By james art 
Abilene Wylie earned the No. 1 seed in the district with a 22-6 win over Lubbock-Cooper on Friday night at Hugh Sandifer Stadium. Wylie’s defense anchored the win, holding off a high-scoring Lubbock-Cooper offense averaging over 40 points per game. Wylie’s defensive unit held the Pirates to just two field goals in the first half, stopping their attempts to break into the end zone despite some early offensive success by Cooper.
With Wylie leading by as little as 8-6, the game remained close late in the third quarter. Wylie’s offense took advantage of the defense’s tenacity, with quarterback Bear Meng connecting with Gage Heighten for a 25-yard touchdown to extend Wylie’s lead. Wylie then kept the momentum going with a 79-yard drive, culminating in another score that effectively put the game out of reach for the Pirates. Lubbock-Cooper struggled to establish a rhythm while Wylie’s defense limited big plays and forced the Pirates into difficult passing scenarios.
Cooper’s defense held strong in the second half, but eventually wore down from extended field time as Wiley continued to control possession and the game clock. Wylie’s win marked his fifth straight and secured his position as the district leader with a home playoff game on the horizon. Meanwhile, Lubbock-Cooper, now 7-3, will enter its bye before the start of the playoffs as the No. 3 seed, hosting a road game against El Paso.
