Robert E. Lee DB Triston Wesley (2) breaks up a pass in the end zone against Mesquite Horn in a game played earlier this season. (Lang White / Correspondent/File)

In the weeks after the 2015 season ended – with Robert E. Lee missing out on a playoff spot because of a district tiebreaker – then-incoming senior Makyle Sanders set out on a mini-mission.

He wanted to play his senior season with former teammate and longtime friend Triston Wesley. The two had played together as sophomores, but Wesley decided not to play football as a junior.

“It took a couple months,” Sanders said. “I kept telling him to come on, come back because he might like it (more) with the new coaches.”

Wesley said he finally agreed to sit down and meet the new defensive coordinator, Tony Holmes, and new head coach Clayton George.

“He finally got me back in the program,” Wesley said.

Sanders’ persistence has been REL’s gain. After making a position switch from cornerback to strong safety, Wesley has thrived. The senior leads the Red Raiders in tackles with 73 to go with four pass breakups, a quarterback pressure and a forced fumble.

Wesley said the difference in cornerback and safety is responsibility for not just your receiver but also now the backfield.

“You can see everything, and more free (to react) as a safety to come down and make tackles,” he said.

“We need him on the field, which was evident (against Rockwall),” George said. “We’ve been very pleased and excited with Triston’s play all year.”

Against Rockwall last week, Wesley produced a career-high 18 tackles, 12 of which were solo.

Said REL defensive backs coach Aaron Babino, “Triston has a knack for the football. Last week he had no missed tackles. He is a very coachable kid with very good football sense.”

Sanders began the season on the cover of the ETFinalScore.com Pigskin Preview and the Red Raiders defensive back has followed that up with a strong season. Sanders, who has received Division I offers but has yet to commit to a school, enters the final two weeks with 58 tackles, 31 of those solo, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

“Makyle has played strong safety and free safety for us and he has also been able to orchestrate the secondary play calls that we do in the back end of our defense, so that has been really helpful for us,” Babino said.

Against Rockwall, Sanders also made his debut at receiver and had two catches for 9 yards while delivering 11 tackles and forcing a fumble at safety.

“I kind of like safety because you can go down and hit someone, but I also kind of like corner, too, because you can lock down their receiver,” Sanders said.

With two weeks remaining, REL is eliminated from playoff contention, but Sanders and Wesley said that just makes the next two games that much more important.

“We have been working hard this week for North Mesquite and if everyone does their job, we should be able to go up there and get a ‘W,'” Wesley said.

Both defensive backs have after-school jobs – Sanders works at Champs Sports, with Wesley about to start work at Rudy’s Country Store & Bar-B-Q – while balancing studies and athletics with both “doing their job” in the classroom and on the field.

Babino believes both could play football at the collegiate level.

“I haven’t heard (schools talking about) Triston yet, so he’s kind of like a hidden gem. He has good grades and any school that gets him, he’s going to be a steal,” Babino said. “Makyle is versatile; that kid, the sky is the limit for him.”

Raider Wrap: The Red Raiders face North Mesquite at 7:30 p.m. Friday from E.H. Hanby Stadium in Mesquite. Tickets for the game can be purchased early by students on Thursday for $3. General admission pre-sale tickets can also be purchased at the Tyler ISD Athletic office (807 W. Glenwood) and at Tyler Athletics (5520 Old Jacksonville Highway) through Friday during normal business hours. All tickets at the gate are $6. You can also purchase them online at https://tylerisd.brushfireapp.com/.

 

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