Daylon Gordon piled up 2,096 all-purpose yards as a junior, committed to Texas State on June 9 as a four-star recruit and now returns to a Wylie Pirates football team hungry to snap a one-year playoff drought. He's one of 11 standout returners who give Wylie High School one of its deepest rosters heading into the 2026-27 school year, according to a Wylie News preview published Thursday, Aug. 6.
Gordon rushed for 1,063 yards on 169 carries, added 565 receiving yards, 315 return yards, 153 passing yards and scored 20 touchdowns last season. Ranked No. 323 in the 247Sports Composite, he held 19 Division I offers before picking the Bobcats, making him the highest-rated prospect to commit to a Group of 6 school in the 2027 cycle, according to The Athletic. Head coach Jimmy Carter's squad returns 34 letter-winners from a 4-6 team that missed the playoffs for the first time since 2021. Fall practice opened Tuesday, Aug. 4, with pads scheduled Saturday, Aug. 8.
Softball and volleyball lead spring and fall
Sophomore right-hander Avery Neville earned District 9-6A Pitcher of the Year honors after going 15-4 with a 2.91 ERA, 78 strikeouts and just 19 walks in 101 innings. She and junior Angel Wright powered Wylie softball to a 24-9-1 record and a district title.
Senior middle hitter Julia Hudgins, a Lamar University commit and last year's District 9-6A volleyball MVP, posted 504 kills, 337 digs, 54 blocks and 42 service aces. The Lady Pirates went 64-22 over the past two seasons with two district titles, including a perfect 16-0 district mark last year without dropping a set. Wylie volleyball opens its 2026 season Wednesday, Aug. 12.
Soccer and baseball
Kennedy Butler, a Mississippi State commit, jumped from 18 goals as a sophomore to 31 as a junior, earning District 9-6A Offensive Player of the Year. She scored two overtime goals in a 3-1 bi-district playoff win over Rockwall-Heath that propelled the Lady Pirates to the regional semifinals.
Brothers Luke and Logan Montgomery combined for 20 goals on the boys' side as Wylie finished 18-3-6. Luke scored 13, including six in three playoff games, and was named 9-6A Offensive Newcomer of the Year and a Texas Association of Soccer Coaches All-Region selection. Logan earned 9-6A Utility Player of the Year.
Junior third baseman Noah Smith hit .531 in district play with 26 hits, 12 RBIs and 22 runs scored, earning District 9-6A Baseball Newcomer of the Year. He'll help chase a seventh consecutive playoff berth in 2027.
Basketball, golf, tennis and track
Sophomore Sade Mathes led Wylie girls' basketball in scoring at 13.7 points per game with 202 rebounds and 79 assists, earning District 9-6A Newcomer of the Year. She is ranked the No. 5 prospect in Texas for the Class of 2029 by Sudden Exposure. Teammate Ronelyse Hartfield, a first-team all-district junior who averaged 11.6 points with 171 rebounds, helped Wylie run the table in district under first-year head coach Nate Heckelman. Hartfield doubles as a soccer forward and sometimes plays both sports on the same night.
Serina Armendariz repeated as District 9-6A girls' golf champion as a sophomore, shooting 150 and leading Wylie to a fourth straight district title. She missed the individual state cut by one stroke after helping the Lady Pirates reach their first-ever team state berth in 2025.
Snehitha Kommera helped Wylie tennis claim a seventh consecutive district championship. She and sister Anvitha Kommera won the 9-6A girls' doubles title, and Wylie swept first in every division at the district tournament for the first time in school history.
Senior sprinter Aaron Lewis clocked 47.96 seconds in the 400-meter dash at the area meet in Royse City, moving into fifth on Wylie's all-time list. He anchored a 4×400 relay that came within 0.05 seconds of the school record. Lewis will run under newly promoted head track coach Harold Lacey II, who stepped up from assistant in July.
Wylie football's season-opener date has not been announced. The volleyball team opens Wednesday, Aug. 12.
