The Wylie Pirates had another successful season in winter sports during the 2025-26 school year. The Pirates excelled in boys basketball, girls basketball, powerlifting, and wrestling.
Boys Basketball
The Pirates came into the season having to replace five starters from the previous season’s team that won the District 9-6A championship and finished as an area-round finalist. Despite the heavy roster turnover, Wylie’s new starting five and reserves quickly gelled as a unit, with the Pirates’ selfless style of basketball paving the way for a fourth consecutive district title and another appearance in the area round of the UIL Class 6A Division I playoffs.
The Pirates finished 12-4 in district play. They were dominant in the games they won, winning by an average of 24.3 points, while losing four District 9-6A contests by a combined 26 points.
Girls Basketball
Adversity hit the Lady Pirates before the season tipped off. Less than one month before the start of the season, head coach Jessica Linson announced her sudden resignation and was hired as athletic director at Douglass High School in Oklahoma City. Two weeks later, Nate Heckelman, the lead varsity assistant at Garland, was hired as Linson’s replacement, but his first day on the job wasn’t until Nov. 4 – just three days prior to the start of the 2026-26 season.
Despite limited practice time with his new team, Heckelman was quick to get on the same page with the players and coaching staff. Wylie fired on all cylinders, especially in district play, where the Lady Pirates (24-7 overall) had a perfect 16-0 record to capture the 9-6A championship.
Powerlifting
One year after winning their first state title in the equipped division, the Pirates not only repeated as Texas High School Women’s Powerlifting Association Class 6A state champion but did so in dominating fashion. Wylie posted a team score of 45 points, almost double the point total of Los Fresnos, which had 24 points.
The Lady Pirates crowned two state champions in the equipped division. Isabella Ortega claimed top honors in the 132-pound class with a 1,005-pound total between the meet’s three events: bench press, deadlift and squat. Her bench press of 275 pounds was a state record for her weight class – a performance that earned her the best Lifter Award for the Light Platforms.
Wrestling
Wylie advanced three wrestlers to the regional tournament. Wyatt Richardson to third place at 285 pounds at the district tournament. He went 3-1 on the day. His only loss was a pin to Allen’s Faris Price in the semifinals.
Original reporting: Wylie News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
