‘Long Live 13’: Desert Pines football to honor fallen teammate

Desert Pines football coach Jose Flores didn’t interact much with linebacker Se’Mauri Norris-Johnson last season.

Flores spent the year as an offensive assistant. But as the season went on, he said Norris-Johnson warmed up to him. The junior kept playfully asking to get snaps on offense.

“‘Coach, could I be a tight end for you next year? What about now?’” Flores said Norris-Johnson would ask at the end of practice. “He would always smile and go about his day. (I’d) catch him always smiling and never really (saw) the kid have a bad day.”

Norris-Johnson was supposed to have a breakout senior season this year. But he was killed in a shooting in North Las Vegas on Halloween night.

Desert Pines will play its first game since that day when it hosts Centennial at 6 p.m. Friday. The Jaguars have dedicated their season to Norris-Johnson’s memory.

“Se’Mauri was a great individual. He was a great person. A great football player,” junior wide receiver/defensive back Majik McMillion said. “Every time you (saw) him, he had a smile on his face and always cheered you up. Every time you were down, he cheered you up. I miss him every day.”

Desert Pines is wearing LL13 decals on its helmets this season, which stands for “Long Live 13,” Norris-Johnson’s number. The Jaguars also have a banner underneath the press box that overlooks their field that says, “Rest in Love #13.”

“He was a great person. He was a beautiful soul. He kept a smile on his face every day,” sophomore safety Eddie Loera said. “He always made people laugh. From seeing him every day to not seeing him anymore, it definitely hurts. We got to push through and everything we do is for him.”

‘Still hurts me’

Norris-Johnson was solid as a junior. He made 62 total tackles and had five sacks in five games. He was named to the All-5A Division I second team by the coaches.

Desert Pines’ season ended with a 35-12 loss to Coronado in the state quarterfinals Oct. 26. Norris-Johnson was killed a few days later. He and a group of teenagers in masks came upon a pair of teenagers while the two were trick or treating in a neighborhood near Shadow Oak and Spotted Pony drives, police said. One of the trick-or-treaters fired at the group, resulting in Norris-Johnson’s death.

A 16-year-old was arrested in January in connection with the killing.

Flores said in the days after Norris-Johnson’s death, “there was nothing pretty about it from my perspective seeing the guy’s energy, how much it affected the school, the program and the community. There’s a lot of love for that kid.”

Added senior defensive end Zeyshawn Martin: “Everyone was feeling really hurt. I was with him on that same day that he passed. It still hurts me to this day. Everybody was crying, nobody was really coming to school. It was hard for everybody.”

Loera and McMillion both said that while it was a tough time, preparing to honor Norris-Johnson this season brought the team together.

“It kept us going,” McMillion said. “Every time we come together, we always talk about him. We share the great moments we had with him. When we’re on the field or in the weight room, we always work for him. If he were here, he would be grinding hard and putting in the hard work.”

‘Find a way’

Desert Pines’ football program has endured a lot of change in the past year. Flores took over the team after longtime coach Tico Rodriguez stepped down in March.

The Jaguars also lost 16 players from last year’s roster. Many, including quarterback AJ Stowers and highly-recruited athletes Massiah Mingo and Treyshaun Jackson, transferred to out-of-state schools.

Flores said this year’s group still has “a lot of talent.” The Jaguars will get a good test against Centennial, which won the 4A state title last season and is now in 5A Division III.

Flores said he wants his team to play sound football Friday and not worry about the “extra stuff.” He said that’d be one of the best ways Desert Pines can honor Norris-Johnson.

“We got to find a way to play together because my success is your success,” Flores said. “That’s the mindset I want them to have: You’re just as good as your teammate, but how can you pick your teammate up?

“They say it sometimes: ‘Se’Mauri would do that. Se’Mauri won’t put you down, he’ll pick you up.’”

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.