In Loving Memory of Deven Ponce
Forever Remembered, Forever in Our Hearts
LEVELLAND, Texas — The Levelland community is mourning the heartbreaking loss of Deven Ponce, a member of the Levelland High School Class of 2026, whose life touched the hearts of family, friends, teammates, classmates, teachers, and countless others who had the privilege of knowing him.
To many, Deven was known by the number he wore proudly on the football field: No. 50.
But to the people who truly knew him, he was so much more than a number on a jersey.
He was a son, a friend, a teammate, a classmate, and a young man whose presence brought meaning to the lives around him. His story was not defined by a uniform or a position on a football field. It was defined by the relationships he built, the memories he created, and the people who will carry his memory with them for years to come.
Deven had only just reached one of life’s important milestones—graduating from Levelland High School in 2026. Graduation is supposed to be a celebration of the beginning of a new chapter, a time when young people look toward the future with hope, dreams, and excitement.
For Deven’s loved ones, however, that celebration has now been accompanied by unimaginable grief.
The future that once seemed so full of possibilities has been replaced by memories of a young man who left this world far too soon.
More Than No. 50
On the football field, Deven wore No. 50, a number that his teammates and supporters will forever associate with him.
Football creates a special kind of bond. Teammates spend countless hours together practicing, competing, encouraging one another, enduring difficult moments, celebrating victories, and learning how to stand together when things do not go according to plan.
A jersey number can become part of a person’s identity within a team.
But when the lights go out and the game is over, what remains is the person.
For those who knew Deven, No. 50 represented much more than football. It represented memories. It represented friendship. It represented hard work, determination, and the countless moments shared with teammates and friends.
Long after the final whistle, those memories will remain.
The field may eventually become quiet. The uniforms may be put away. Seasons will come and go. New players will take the field.
But there will always be people who remember seeing Deven in that No. 50 jersey.
And there will always be a place for his memory within the Levelland community.
A Young Life With So Much Ahead
Graduating high school is supposed to be the beginning of something new.
It is a moment when families proudly watch their children cross a stage, knowing they have worked hard to reach that point. It is a moment filled with photographs, hugs, congratulations, laughter, and dreams about what comes next.
Deven reached that milestone as part of the Levelland High School Class of 2026.
He should have had years ahead of him to discover new passions, pursue new goals, build new friendships, and create countless more memories.
There were still chapters waiting to be written.
There were places he had not yet seen, experiences he had not yet had, and milestones he had not yet reached.
That is what makes losing someone so young particularly painful.
The grief is not only for the person who is gone. It is also for everything that will now never have the opportunity to happen.
The birthdays.
The celebrations.
The future accomplishments.
The family gatherings.
The friendships that would have continued to grow.
The dreams that were still taking shape.
Yet even though Deven’s future was cut tragically short, the memories of the life he did live will remain.
A Community in Mourning
When a young person passes away, the loss reaches far beyond one family.
It touches an entire community.
Friends feel it.
Classmates feel it.
Teachers feel it.
Coaches and teammates feel it.
Neighbors feel it.
People who watched Deven grow up feel it.
The halls of the school, the football field, and the places where friends gathered can suddenly feel different when someone who once brought life and energy to those spaces is no longer there.
There will be moments when someone expects to see Deven walk through a door.
There will be moments when a song, a photograph, a football memory, or a familiar place brings his name to mind.
There will be stories told again and again.
And those stories matter.
Because remembering someone is one of the ways we keep their presence alive.
The Memories That Remain
In the days ahead, grief may feel overwhelming for those closest to Deven.
But eventually, amid the sadness, there will also be moments of gratitude.
Gratitude for having known him.
Gratitude for the friendships.
Gratitude for the laughter.
Gratitude for the conversations.
Gratitude for the football memories.
Gratitude for the ordinary moments that may not have seemed extraordinary at the time but now mean everything.
Sometimes the smallest memories become the most precious.
A smile.
A joke.
A handshake.
A conversation after practice.
A moment shared with a friend.
A family gathering.
A photograph.
A memory from school.
These are the pieces of a person’s life that remain after they are gone.
And those pieces become treasures.
To His Family
To Deven’s family, no words can truly express the depth of sorrow that accompanies losing someone so young.
There is no perfect way to prepare for a loss like this.
There is no sentence that can make the pain disappear.
But there is comfort in knowing that Deven’s life mattered and that his presence made a difference.
He was loved.
He was known.
He was remembered.
And he will continue to be remembered.
May his family find strength in one another during the difficult days ahead. May they find comfort in the memories they shared with him. May they be surrounded by friends, teammates, classmates, and members of the community who are willing to stand beside them through the grief.
And when the sadness feels especially heavy, may they remember that Deven’s life was filled with moments of love that cannot be erased.
To His Teammates and Friends
For Deven’s teammates and friends, the loss will be felt in a unique way.
They shared a part of life together that cannot simply be replaced.
They practiced together.
They competed together.
They laughed together.
They encouraged one another.
They created memories that will remain with them long after their high school years are over.
In the future, when they look back on their high school football years, they will remember the people who stood beside them.
And Deven will be part of those memories.
No. 50 will always mean something different to the people who knew him.
It will represent someone who was there.
Someone who was part of the team.
Someone whose life became part of their story.
Gone From Sight, Never From Memory
There are some people whose absence can be felt even when no words are spoken.
Deven’s passing leaves an empty space that cannot simply be filled.
But his memory can continue to live.
It can live in the stories his friends tell.
It can live in the memories of his classmates.
It can live in the photographs kept by his family.
It can live on the football field where he once wore No. 50.
It can live in the hearts of everyone who loved him.
That is the beautiful thing about memories: they allow the people we lose to remain part of our lives in a different way.
We cannot bring them back.
We cannot change what happened.
But we can remember.
We can speak their names.
We can share their stories.
We can honor the lives they lived.
And we can carry their memory forward.
A Final Tribute to Deven
Deven Ponce was more than a name.
He was more than a graduate.
He was more than No. 50.
He was a young man who became part of the story of his family, his school, his teammates, his friends, and his community.
His life may have been far too short, but the impact of a life is not measured only by the number of years someone is given.
It is measured by the love they leave behind.
It is measured by the memories they create.
It is measured by the people who miss them when they are gone.
And judging by the sorrow felt throughout the Levelland community, Deven left behind a great deal of love.
As his family, friends, teammates, classmates, and community mourn, may they also celebrate the life he lived.
May they remember the young man behind the jersey.
May they remember the smile behind the photographs.
May they remember the friend behind the memories.
May they remember No. 50 not with only tears, but with pride, gratitude, and love.
The football field will continue to have Friday nights.
The school halls will continue to fill with students.
Graduations will continue to take place.
Life will continue moving forward.
But for those who knew Deven, a part of his memory will always remain.
In Loving Memory
Deven Ponce
Levelland High School — Class of 2026
Forever remembered as No. 50, and remembered for so much more.
Your time with us was far too short.
Your future was filled with possibilities.
Your absence leaves a pain that words cannot fully describe.
But your memory will remain.
May your family find peace.
May your friends find strength.
May your teammates carry your memory with them.
May your classmates never forget the time you shared together.
And may the Levelland community continue to honor the young man behind the number.
Rest peacefully, Deven.
You were more than No. 50.
You were someone who mattered.
You were someone who was loved.
You were someone who will never be forgotten.
Gone too soon, but forever in our hearts.
