The Wylie Pirates took the field for their first scrimmage of the 2026 season Friday, Aug. 14, at Wylie Stadium, then opened the gates for Meet the Pirate Night, giving the community its first look at a roster returning 34 lettermen after last year's playoff miss.
The program's official account on X promoted the doubleheader on Sunday, Aug. 9, calling it "Scrimmage 1 at home followed by Meet the Pirate Night." A game-day post on Aug. 14 confirmed the event went ahead as planned.
No scores or individual stats from the scrimmage have been released. What is known: head coach Jimmy Carter's squad has two weeks to sharpen before the season opener at JJ Pearce on Friday, Aug. 28, at 7 p.m.
The scrimmage capped 11 days of fall practice that began Aug. 3. As we reported that week, the Pirates returned 34 lettermen, including six starters on each side of the ball, after finishing 4-6 overall and 4-4 in district play in 2025.
That record meant a playoff miss for the first time since 2021. A second consecutive absence would be the program's first back-to-back miss since 2000 and 2001, according to a TexasHSFootball.com season preview.
Carter, now in his seventh season with a 30-33 career mark, has plenty of talent back. Running back Daylon Gordon, a Texas State commit who racked up 2,096 all-purpose yards in 2025, headlines the offense alongside dual-threat quarterback JB Blake, who threw for 1,599 yards and rushed for 540 more last season.
Up front, senior Teslim Busari (6-4, 265 pounds) anchors the offensive line. Defensively, linebacker Kaylan Wara returns as the team's leading tackler after logging 64 stops in 2025, and junior safety Donnie Skinner added 61 tackles of his own.
Junior cornerback DeMarcus Mathes Jr., who holds 10 Division I offers, posted on X the day of the scrimmage expressing excitement about the upcoming season while also thanking Air Force Football for recruiting attention throughout the summer. Senior cornerback Chase Grandy is another name to watch in the secondary.
@demarcusmathes2: "Excited for football season! Thank you @AF_Football for showing me love all summer! #FlyFightWin"
Three of Wylie's four district losses in 2025 came by eight points or fewer, a margin that suggests the Pirates were closer to a playoff berth than the final record showed.
The season opener at JJ Pearce kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28. Wylie's home opener follows Thursday, Sept. 10, against Mesquite Horn at Wylie Stadium at 7 p.m., and the first district game is Friday, Sept. 18, against Sachse at Wylie Stadium.
