Cypress Falls’ Trajan Wesley wins one for his mother 10 years after her death.
Decade separates mom’s death and a fulfilled promise to make her proud
Go Tra.
Despite the roughly 14,500 fans inside the Alamodome, Trajan Wesley could hear his mom. Go Tra.
As every Cypress Falls possession became crucial and Wesley scored his team’s final eight points, he could hear her. Go Tra.
Cy Falls won the Class 6A boys basketball championship, beating San Antonio Wagner 63-57 on Saturday. And it wasn’t until the celebration that the emotion finally hit the 16-year-old Wesley. During a postgame interview, he was asked about his mother.
Monica Necole Wesley died March 11, 2007. Saturday marked 10 years to the day she lost her battle with cancer.
“It didn’t really quite hit me when we won the whole thing. Then, it hit me kind of hard,” said Trajan, who pulled his jersey up to his face. “I just balled up.
“Everything I did today was for my mom, knowing that she’s not here but she’s with me in spirit.”
Tragedy comes early
Monica and Donald Wesley, Trajan’s father, played basketball at Navasota, with Donald a member of the school’s 1990 Class 3A championship team and a former coach who won more than 200 games at his alma mater.
Even when Trajan was barely big enough to properly shoot a basketball, she was always on the sideline cheering at his basketball and football games.
On that day 10 years ago, Trajan was with his older brother Jhealan and family at their grandmother’s house.
“My dad came home, went in my grandma’s room and told us what happened,” Trajan said. “It hurt me to the heart. I didn’t understand because I was at such a young age, but as time continued, I realized that I was never going to see her again.”
Trajan made a promise to himself: He was going to do whatever he could to make his mother proud.
He spent his first two years of high school at Cypress Woods, earning all-district honorable mention as a freshman and a second-team nod as a sophomore. In the summer between, he garnered his first scholarship offer (Sam Houston State).
That didn’t mean every day was a good day for the 5-10 guard, who still has bad days where he thinks about losing his mother at such a young age.
“Those are very rough,” he said. “My dad is always there and other family members, but I can’t just go talk to her about it. That’s what hurts the most.”
He transferred to nearby Cypress Falls for his junior year, joining a new team but also connecting with teammates he knew from younger days in summer basketball.
The junior-laden Eagles won 24 straight games going into the title game, knocking off three recent state champions (Yates, Travis and Bush) and both Houston-area state 6A participants from a year ago (Sam Houston and Atascocita). They beat nationally ranked Dallas Skyline in the semifinals Friday.
When he woke up Saturday, his first thought was just as it has been for every March 11 the past 10 years.
“Everything I do on that day is all for her,” Trajan said.
His teammates knew of the moment and reminded themselves away from Trajan.
When it was over, they celebrated together.
Emotional ending
Trajan scored a gamehigh 20 points, with 14 coming on free throws. He made nine in the fourth quarter.
As one of the stars of the game, he conducted a round of interviews, keeping the emotion inside until the last question of the night — the one about his mother. Tears streamed down his face as Trajan walked across the court.
There he met his dad and the two hugged with tears in their eyes. Trajan knew his dad felt the same with Monica not being there.
When the celebration slowed, Trajan took a moment to himself. It was a moment with his mom.
“I just talked to her,” he said. “Told her how much I missed her and what I still have left to accomplish. I could just hear her voice, telling me how she was proud of me.”
Go Tra.