The last time Wylie met Rowlett was in 2005 at Homer B. Johnson Stadium.

The Eagles rocked a very good 4A Pirates squad 42-24 behind hard-hitting linebacker Jared Norton (currently starting for the Longhorns) and bruising tailback Andre Pierce.

The Eagles gained some distinction last fall when they knocked District 9-5A champion Allen out of the playoffs in the bi-district game; one of several upsets that occurred at Texas Stadium that day.

They kicked off the 2008 campaign with an overtime win over North Mesquite 34-33. They eclipsed Rockwall 24-16 the following week but lost to Carrollton Creekview 37-21 last Friday.

The loss came as a surprise to some, but Creekview (3-0 record) is an up-and-coming program, and the Eagles were playing short-handed having six players out with injury.

Pirates’ head coach Bill Howard said, “This is a formidable 5A team that just didn’t play very well last week. Rowlett can take it to the house any time, and their secondary is the fastest we will see as a whole. They could take our passing game away. They could put our defense in a bind. It comes down to what we can do on offense and execution.”

Last year’s young squad is now a roster full of veterans, and they have tremendous speed on both sides of the ball.

Injuries have plagued Rowlett since they lost their starting quarterback before the season even began.

Scott West has had some success since taking the reins.

He’s a good passer but has not proven to be an effective run.

Running back Dexter Imade (5-11, 180) is a huge playmaker. He is averaging 180 yards per game and rolled up 200 yards in the second half alone against the Yellowjackets.

Stephen Ross (5-11, 175) leads all receivers. He had 100 yards each in the first two games.

Another receiver, Marquise Goodwin (5-8, 155), is a proven speedster who earned five state track medals this past spring. He is explosive on punt and kickoff returns.

Standouts in the Eagles secondary are Marquale Pierson, Hilbert Jackson and Kyle Clemons.