“It’s really shocking. I always expected myself to be somewhere else and things going differently. But everything happens for a reason. I’m glad I ended up here.””

Paetow senior linebacker/defensive end DJ Mourning

Derick “DJ” Mourning thought he’d be finishing his high school football career this season at Morton Ranch High. But on Nov. 5, 2018, the Monday prior to the final game of Paetow’s inaugural season of varsity football, Mourning and his parents were in Paetow coach B.J. Gotte’s office, discussing a transfer.

“There was family stuff going on,” Mourning said. “My mom thought it was a good decision for me to come here. She’d heard good things about this school from some of my past friends that came over here.”

Mourning preferred to finish his high school career where it started, at Morton Ranch. Gotte understood that. So, with the understanding that Mourning could not dress out or play that final game of the season later that week, Gotte offered Mourning a chance to practice with the scout team so Mourning could see how things were, how they could be.

“One of the things that stood out to me was how he worked that week,” Gotte said. “You could tell he had a lot on his plate personally, and he didn’t expect himself to be here. He knows he’s not going to play, yet he’s working extremely hard to make us better. That’s when I knew he had a unique trait about him and a passion for the game that goes beyond what a lot of kids his age has.”

Mourning stayed. It turned out to be a rewarding decision for both parties.

For Paetow, Mourning is the dominant leader of one of the top defenses in Class 5A-Division II this season, providing an identity for a storybook 8-2 season that has resulted in the program’s first playoff berth. For Mourning, the Panthers’ coaching and scheming have awarded a career-best season.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound outside linebacker/defensive end is averaging 6.5 tackles per game with seven sacks, one interception, three fumble recoveries, one fumble caused and eight tackles for a loss. Gotte said Mourning is refreshing, a “football nut who lives in the fieldhouse.”

“It’s really shocking,” Mourning said. “I always expected myself to be somewhere else and things going differently. But everything happens for a reason. I’m glad I ended up here.”

Physically, Mourning is a daunting individual, big and athletic. Mourning said he prides himself on pass-rushing; he leads the team with 15 quarterback hurries. Gotte said Mourning has an innate ability to play so low to the ground in spite of his size.

But it’s Mourning’s knowledge and passion of the game that are remarkable.

Gotte, who was the offensive coordinator at Katy High from 2012-2016 before taking over Paetow in January 2017, said Mourning is “one of the best defensive players I’ve been around as a coach.” He mentions Mourning in the same sentence as former Katy High linebacking great JoVanni Stewart, who went on to a playing career at West Virginia.

Gotte vividly remembers being in awe when watching Mourning as a scout team player last season.

“He came off the edge and used his hands on one of our offensive tackles, and it was a speed our guys didn’t even know existed,” Gotte said. “I’m watching our tight end, and he goes up against DJ and DJ comes off the edge, chops and goes right by him. I told our guy, ‘Yeah, that’s what a real defensive end looks like.’”

After the play was done, Mourning went over to the tight end to advise him where to put his hands next time to make it more difficult on the pass-rusher.

“That right there was, like, this dude is different,” Gotte said. “Not only does he have the ability, but he understands why and how and he was a good enough teammate to tell the offensive guy what he needs to do to get better.”

Mourning is playing in the same 3-4 defensive scheme as he played in at Morton Ranch. At Paetow, he said, he has more opportunities to rush the passer, as more blitz packages have been implemented to accommodate him.

But Mourning’s more substantial progress has come as a leader. The Panthers are a young team; this roster consists of seniors for the first time. Because of that, Mourning has embraced his role as a veteran elder statesman.

“Before, I would pout a bit, I’d carry myself differently,” Mourning said. “Coming here, and being around a younger team, I knew I couldn’t do that anymore, so I matured a lot from a leadership role. It’s been good. These young guys have really come a long way.”

Mourning said the Panthers’ seniors don’t have the luxury of having looked up to a previous senior class to know how and why things work, or why things are done the way they are.

“They haven’t seen the hurt of a high school career ending,” Mourning points out. “It’s hard, but it’s something that can’t be understood until you see it and go through it.”

So Mourning said he has a sense of responsibility to delay that feeling for as long as possible. Gotte said he can see it, as Mourning’s already-laser-like focus has tightened more so now that the postseason is here.

“We have to give everything we have now, especially a guy like me who’s a senior,” Mourning said. “It’s weird when you think that everything you’re doing at this point of the season could be your last. These days could be my last padded practices of high school … it’s just weird. So I’m trying to not take anything for granted.”