Three veteran leaders graduated from the Wylie Pirates secondary this spring, leaving a void to fill in the secondary.

Wylie’s Sean Carter, Bryan Washington and Jason Nwokedi leave the team, with all three players having at least one interception and five pass deflections last season. Carter in particular was a multi-year starter and leader on the Wylie defense, leading the team last year with three interceptions at both cornerback and safety last season.

“Sean was a smart ball player,” head coach Jimmy Carter said. “He knew our defense inside and out and was able to get us out of bad situations, and that skill and comfortability are going to be tough to replace for us. We feel good about some of our young players, but that experience goes a long way.”

Carter said they have a few players they’re excited about heading into next season, but the position battles will heat up throughout the summer. Returning to the Wylie defense, Khory Stoves and Jaeden Doss each featured in some games for the Pirates, stepping in for injured players. They’ll likely be starters in next season at safety and corner, with the other two spots in the secondary still up for grabs.

“We have a few guys we feel good about stepping into those roles last year,” Carter said. “Jaeden and Khory did good jobs for us last year and look like they’ll take their positions, but we’ve kind of rotated some guys at multiple positions through the spring and 7-on-7 to see who could fit in back there.”

Stoves appeared in six games last season for the Pirates, finishing the season with three pass deflections. His development throughout the season was key to Wylie’s ability to get better by the end of the season, and he was a crucial player in their playoff win over Mesquite Horn.

“He got a lot better and a lot more comfortable throughout the year,” Carter said. “Losing Bryan Washington is also going to be a huge loss for us, so Khory steps into that top role right now as a junior and it’s a big spot for him. We’re hoping he can continue to get better and play with more confidence. Playing corner is tough, no matter what level you’re at because you’re on an island 90 percent of the time.”

Doss played a few games at safety last season, including getting an interception against Rowlett in a key district game. He’s got the athleticism to be one of the key players for the Wylie defense and has worked hard in spring to take over a role that was filled by Sean Carter last season.

“He’s kind of shown he’s the full package,” Carter said. “He sees the field well, communicates and gets his teammates in the position to be successful. He’s shown some great ball skills and is a good athlete on the field. He’s getting better each week and has a lot of potential.”

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