It’s no secret that the Wylie Bulldogs’ first five games didn’t go the way they had hoped they would.

Hugh Sandifer’s team closed nondistrict play at 0-5, getting shut out in its last three contests to extend a multi-season losing streak to 17 games.

But heading into Friday’s district opener against Wichita Falls Rider, the veteran coach’s message to his team was simple: What happened in the first five weeks matters far less than what happens in the next five.