During its two-year playoff hiatus spanning the 2018 and 2019 seasons, the Wylie football team’s struggles could largely be boiled down to one simple issue. When push came to shove, the Bulldogs couldn’t move the pile at the line of scrimmage.

This problem, evident on both sides of the ball, was a throttling force for WHS, particularly on offense where a lack of a running game made moving the chains with consistency a near impossibility.

But after averaging 92. 1 rushing yards and 14.2 points per game over those two campaigns, which saw the Bulldogs post a 2-18 overall record, Wylie took a significant step forward in 2020. And that progress, which culminated in a 4-4 mark and playoff berth in Clay Martin’s first year as head coach, could just be the start.

No longer undersized or overmatched, the Wylie offensive line managed to assert its will a little last fall, paving the way for 152 rushing yards per game. And with that production came success and confidence — two things the Bulldogs are expecting to start the 2021 season with.