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Gamble pays off for Wylie in 31-21 bi-district win over Frisco Wakeland

By RANDY JENNINGS / Special Contributor

ARLINGTON -- A touch of play-calling bravado helped send Wylie to a 31-21 victory over Frisco Wakeland in a Class 5A Division I Region II bi-district playoff Saturday afternoon at AT&T Stadium.

The Pirates' lead was 10-7 with the ball at the Wakeland 1 when coach Bill Howard used his final timeout of the first half with 12 seconds left.

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The chancy call that came out of the strategy session, a run off right tackle, worked to perfection. Sophomore David Addo banged into the end zone to expand the halftime lead to 17-7.

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A pass play is the expected call since an incompletion stops the clock, assuring another play. Wylie could have missed a scoring chance on an unsuccessful running play

"Sometimes you have to roll the dice," Howard said afterward. "We had told Emilio [Ames] to spike it if we didn't get in. We went with that play because we were expecting a blitz."

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Wylie (7-4), No. 15 in SportsDay's Class 5A area ranking, advances to face Rockwall-Heath in an area playoff set for 9 p.m. Saturday at AT&T Stadium.

Wakeland (8-3), No. 7 in the area, scored two touchdowns in the final six minutes but could never get closer than 10 points.

Wylie built on its late second-quarter success with a 64-yard touchdown drive to open the third quarter. When Eli Smith capped it with a 2-yard run, Wylie's lead was 24-7.

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A fumble recovery by Darius Jack midway in the fourth quarter jump-started Wakeland's rally. But sandwiched between Jay Orji's 3-yard scoring run and Tre Adams' 46-yard touchdown pass from Mason Doerr was a leaping 29-yard touchdown catch by Wylie's Jordan Whaley (four catches, 108 yards).

Ames completed 16 of 24 passes for 227 yards and two scores. Doerr was 23 of 42 for 252 yards for Wakeland. Wakeland junior Orji led all rushers with 143 yards on 21 carries.

Wylie safety Taylor Perry recovered a pair of fumbles. Interceptions by Gasevan McGrue and Evan Bailey blunted Wakeland threats in the second half.

"We've made changes and had to do a lot of growing up,'' said Howard, explaining the uneven season. "This team had to find its chemistry. But our kids play with a lot of fight and determination. We typically get stronger as the year goes on.''