After sophomore Julien Ndebi’s unexpected death May 17 at 16 years old, wrestling head coach Jacob Ferguson and underclassmen wrestlers spoke with Creek Compass reporters to honor the life of their teammate.

The family, including his mother and chemistry teacher Robbi Ndebi, invited the community for a celebration of life Sunday, May 24 at 1 p.m. at Cashner Funeral Home, 801 Teas Road in Conroe. According to a GoFundMe supporting the family, Julien is survived by his mother and siblings, Josue, Dominic, Trent and Natalia, and his father, Julien.

Stephano Din, junior

When he joined wrestling last year, that’s the first time I really got to talk to him. He was very outgoing, and he really tried to get to know everyone, no matter how they were. He was a social butterfly. Even though my personality is different from his — like, I’m more quiet — he tried to talk to me a bunch. Even if I didn’t reciprocate, he still reached out to me. He was just overall a good person. Even though I wasn’t very similar to him, I still understood what he meant. I wish I realized sooner, though.

Last year after the season ended, we were just messing around in the wrestling room, and he got put in a really embarrassing position. He was overall really enjoyable and funny. He always found a way to make us laugh. I miss his presence. He was like the clown; he always found a way to make us laugh. He danced, and he was good at dancing, too. He sang, and he was good at that. Very talkative. I’m missing his presence in the locker room, the mat room, at tournaments. It’s just going to be gone. It’s really sad.

He had a long life waiting ahead of him, but it got cut short. He was going through some problems, but he was still there for everyone else. He always saw the inside of us. He always saw what we meant and what we did. He was observant, but we didn’t do the same for him. He was someone that really cared, but he didn’t open up to us. He didn’t talk about it, which really hurts me — knowing that he was there for us, but he wasn’t comfortable enough to talk to anyone to get some help.

Hugo Suarez, sophomore

Julien was always a very excited person, a person that lit up the room, a person that if anybody had energy — if anybody was the one screaming or dancing or doing backflips or something like that — Julien was always the person to do it. If there was anybody that you walked into the locker room or the restroom and expected to see a great mood, it was Julien.

We were at our first tournament together last year, our freshman year — at the Knight’s Invitational JV. I had gone against one guy. I lost in the first minute. Me and Julien were in the same bracket, and Julien was set to wrestle the same guy. While Julien was waiting to wrestle that same guy, that guy came up to our table and Julien and him just started talking, started chatting, became friends. Even after finding out they were going to wrestle each other, they were still talking, still being friends, joking about how they were going to beat each other. Julien went out there and did a lot better than I did. I think it’s just a really good memory because it speaks to what Julien was; it’s a good testimony to his character.

What I’m missing right now is his presence. You walk into the locker room, into the showers, and it’s just so quiet. It feels like there’s a big piece missing. It’s like I’m walking in the hallway, and I just expect him to yell my name and turn around and see him and scream because I got scared. I think it’s just the energy that he always brought.

What I’d say to others is: Be like Julien — go into everything with courage, without fear, and always have that positive energy around you. He was a lot braver than I was. He’d go against a state champ, go against some really good kid and not give a damn. Like, I’m going to wrestle him, I’m going to at least get a takedown. At districts, going up against a state champ in the finals, he said, “Bro, I at least want a takedown — that’s all I’m going for.” In memory of him, I want to say: Be like Julien. If you’re going up against a state champ, just go do it.

Princess Lopez, sophomore

I remember when we were playing dodgeball and he randomly did a backflip while everyone was trying to get him. He did it a lot in class and in wrestling. During dodgeball, he would always try to make alliances. He would always be the first one to break it, and he would always get me out. Whenever I got back in, he would be like, “Bro, why are you getting me out?” And I’d say, “You got me out first.” I will miss his jolliness the most. He was always happy. He always had something positive to say. He just brought up the mood every day. He was a kind person and that he was just really motivational. He was really motivational, positive and jolly.

Jesse Harjo, junior

Julien was a person who was always happy around us. Even if he wasn’t included in a conversation, he always tried getting in. He didn’t care what other people thought of him; he was always just himself, always believed in what he thought was right.

The memory that hits me every time is walking down the athletics hallway. I’d be walking with a girl I was talking to, and every single time, out of nowhere — no matter how embarrassing it was for me — I would hear, “Oh, I see you, I see you.” I’d turn around, and he was there with his girlfriend, which was a shock to me even more. That’s just the type of person he was. He didn’t care. He was going to be who he is around anybody.

I miss his singing and his character. In wrestling, he didn’t care who he was going up against — he always believed he could put some BTA down, it didn’t matter if they were a two-time state champion. He always went out there and believed he would get a takedown. His singing — he actually could sing. It was one of my favorite parts of the day in the locker room.

Julien is somebody you couldn’t hate.

Yaritzi Maldonado, junior

Julien was someone that’s really energetic. I wasn’t that close to him, but every time I would be in fifth period, he would always be dancing, singing along to lyrics, and he would always be doing his backflips. I talked about him to one of my coworkers — he worked at the Sonic next to McDonald’s where I work. She was telling me how on her break she would go to Sonic to visit her aunt’s office because her aunt owns the Sonic. One time she was there, he was doing backflips in the kitchen.

He was just really energetic, always being funny. Playing dodgeball with him, he would always be jumping when the ball came towards him. He would somehow not get out. He would always be jumping everywhere, and no one could get him. That’s how I know him.

Steizy Diaz-Jimenez, freshman

He was always such a nice kid. He was so funny. He would make anybody laugh and be in a better mood, even if he wasn’t even trying. He would always do backflips in the mat room between workouts and waiting for Coach to tell us what to do next.Every time Coach would put Katy Perry on, he would start lip syncing and dancing when Coach wouldn’t be looking. It was so funny.

At regionals, I was on my last match, and I lost because the ref didn’t count my pin and she won by points, and I started crying my eyes out. He was there trying to not make me cry. He was always there supporting and making everything fun. Every time we played dodgeball, and I got him out, he would always tell me, “I’m going to get you back.” Every time he did get me back, he would start dancing. We were here at school, and I think he won and then started flexing everything he had; it was so funny. Every time he would win, he would start jumping up and down, and it was so cute with his mouth guard on.

Kree Owen, freshman

He was a great kid, honestly. In the locker room, he would yell out “What are those?” with the squeakiest voice ever, just to keep it fun. He was always funny, always kept things positive, and he was always nice to us. He was a great wrestler for sure. He was like my brother, cross-face cradles.

When we got to regionals or the state duals, we went to the pool. It was really freezing, so none of us wanted to go in. He just picked us up and started throwing us in; it was so unexpected. We all started tag-teaming on him. It was a lot of fun. Honestly, I’ll miss his backflips. He always did backflips — even in classrooms. Coach would get calls about him doing backflips in class. It was a lot of fun. 

I just hope his family’s doing good, honestly. He was just a great kid.

Fernando Salazar Tapia, sophomore

Julien was just honestly a very chill person, very nice individual. You cannot be without him — he just basically lights up the room, makes everyone laugh, and just makes the room loud. He was very smart, very nice, just chill in general. Back in seventh grade, second semester, we were playing soccer — he used to play soccer with us. I took off my shirt and he looked at me and said, “You have a strange physique,” because, whenever I used to run, my body used to jiggle. It was funny.

I’m just probably going to miss him a lot. It was very shocking when he passed. I didn’t really expect it. I didn’t cry or anything. I was just shocked. I kind of felt guilty that I didn’t cry because I really knew him, but I don’t know why I didn’t. I was just in shock. I’m really gonna miss him. He was a really good wrestler, too. He had a lot of potential. I’m just going to miss him a lot.

Julienna Diaz Jimenez, junior

Julien was so bright. Every time he came to the locker room he would start screaming — especially on the days we would play dodgeball. He would be so ready to play. He was just so energetic. He was so tough too, so macho. He always thought he was it, he was that. I have so many memories with him. One of my favorites was whenever we played dodgeball, he would just start doing backflips out of nowhere, and then he’d do backflips while dodging the balls too. It was amazing how he could do that. Another one is that whenever he would lose a match, he would slam the mat, and we’d all be like, “It’s OK.” And when he won, he would start flexing.

This was literally just last Friday. We were all together as a team — well, it was me and the girls — and we were making an alliance to go against everyone. It was me and him and his partner throwing balls. Out of nowhere I see him doing a handstand, and I’m like, ‘What the hell?’ Someone threw a ball and it hit him right in his butt. I started laughing.  I’ll mostly miss backflips, mostly. I don’t know why, it just says more about him. He was so energetic. And his smile, too. When he would get in trouble for backflips, we would all start laughing because coach would be like, “Why are you doing backflips?”

Whenever Julien got in that fight with that guy defending his mom, that really showed what type of person he was. He really cared about his mom.

Gage Clark, sophomore

He was a really, really good friend. Every time I was around him, he made everybody laugh. He just lit up the room when nobody was really feeling that well and lightened the mood. He was a really good friend. I remember him doing backflips in class. Every time we would play dodgeball, he’d be screaming at me — “Gage, why the hell are you getting me out?” Screaming at me. It was a really fun time.

I’ll miss him being a genuine person and never being fake or anything. One time I was walking in the hallway and he came up behind me, “Damn, I see you, Gage. I see you.” The way he bonded with everybody, no matter if he knew them or not. — he always made sure they were OK. He was always kind, even to people who were brand new.

Kaylee Giron Vasquez, freshman 

I remember whenever he went to class, he would just do some random flip, or when he would joke around. He would joke around and make everybody laugh.

Joshua Rhodes, sophomore

He was a funny guy, caring. We both called our health teacher “Mr. Elephant;” it was pretty cool. One time at regionals, he was laying down in my lap, and our coach got really mad at that. What I’ll miss most is his personality.

Xander Heimbuck, sophomore

He was very smart and very kind. He was lighthearted; he brought light to every single room he went in and just a very happy person. You could never be in a room with him and be upset. That’s who Julien is.

There was one time we were playing dodgeball and he was jumping around doing backflips, making everybody laugh, telling jokes to everybody while they were out — even making jokes when he got out. Being on the team with him is the favorite memory I have of him.

What I’ll miss most is his presence. The way he would bring joy to the room. Just himself not being there is like a hole in the team. He was very much a part of the team, and without him, it’s like a lost opportunity.

Kye Owen, junior

He’s a great guy — awesome personality. He was always there when people were down. Great personality, good wrestler, playful guy, respectful. When we went to the Allen tournament, we hung out, played basketball, and always just goofed around. I always had a good time with him. I never felt down when I was with him.

One funny moment was when he was trying to climb walls and didn’t really succeed, and when he tried to touch the roof, everything kind of just fell down on him. I’ll miss his spirit.

Waldo Jimenez Barrera, junior

He’s a good guy. I don’t want to say it in a mean way, but he was kind of hard-headed — and in wrestling, that’s a good thing, because he was just never scared of any of his opponents. He was a pretty brave dude. Very chill, funny guy. Athletic as hell.

At one of our tournaments, he was wrestling someone who was kind of crazy. After the match — he had won — he just said, “Dude, that guy was mad weird,” and we were just laughing about it. At that same tournament, he was going to wrestle a pretty good kid. I was checking his bracket and told him the kid was really good. And he just said, “Man, I don’t care — I’m going to do this.” That was kind of cool. He just didn’t care.

It was funny when we’d be in the locker room and I’d be saying some dumb stuff, and he would just randomly go, “Oh, you won’t do nothing about it.” It was funny in the moment because it had nothing to do with what we were talking about. He would just randomly say it. I’ll miss wrestling with him. He had a lot of potential.

It’s just sad to know you won’t be able to see him be able to fill that potential.

Jacob Ferguson, head coach

Julien was just an awesome kid to coach. He was super athletic, super coachable — somebody I only had to tell something to one time. Every time we would say something or go over something in practice, the response was always “yes, sir.” He always communicated. He just naturally did a lot of stuff that we have to coach other kids on. He was one-of-a-kind. Super funny kid, always a big personality. Always making things lighter — if things were getting tough during the grind of the season, he knew a way to make it lighter, have fun and just jump around. He was a really good teammate to a lot of these guys and girls.

The biggest one — Julien was known for doing backflips everywhere. Last week a kid in class came up to me and said, “Coach, one of your wrestlers did a backflip in class.” I said, “Julien?” And she said, “Yeah.” So, I talked to Julien after practice and said, “Hey man, I’m getting reports of you doing backflips in class — let’s take it easy.” And he goes, “Well, which class was it?” I told him, “What do you mean which class?” He said, “Well, there’s a few that I did it in.” It was just so funny. He was always respectful. Kid-wise, that’s probably my favorite memory.

As a wrestler — when we went out to state duals, he hurt his shoulder, me and his mom talked and he had been out for about a week rehabbing it. We had a close match, and the only way we knew we could win was if he wrestled. I asked him, “Would you be able to wrestle?” He said, “Yeah, of course.” I told him, “I just want to make sure your mom wouldn’t get too mad at me,” and he said, “Don’t worry about it; she’ll never know.” He ended up winning the match in like 30 seconds, just going out there and wrestling hard. He was always a competitor.

I’ll miss, just his big personality. It didn’t seem like he ever had a bad day.

All interviews were edited and shortened for clarity.