Sachse junior middle linebacker Willie Palomo poses for a picture with his mother, Judy. Photo courtesy Wille Palomo

By David Wolman

[email protected]

Sachse junior middle linebacker Wille Palomo didn’t feel like he was playing with the normal energy and aggression that he usually does.

He felt that he was getting pushed around by players on the opposing team and wasn’t making the tackles that he normally makes.

With Sachse trailing L.D. Bell 11-0 during the third quarter of a Sept. 11 home game, he knew that something needed to change.

While on the sideline, Palomo heard the voice of his late mother, Judy, in his head.

“I heard my mama’s voice, and she told me, ‘I never raised you to be a quitter. I raised you to be a fighter,’” he said.

Those words helped Palomo refocus.

With L.D. Bell facing third-and-5 with five minutes remaining in the game, Palomo recorded a sack for a loss of seven yards, forcing the Raiders to punt.

That play changed the outlook of the game.

Sachse scored 12 points over a span of four minutes to rally for a 15-11 victory against L.D. Bell.

“It was one of the greatest moments that I’ve had in a game since her death,” Palomo said of the sack.

Judy passed away in February after a long battle with scleroderma, a rare autoimmune disease that causes the body to produce too much collagen, leading to the hardening and tightening of the skin, blood vessels and internal organs.

She was first diagnosed with scleroderma in 2016 and became gradually more ill over the next decade before succumbing to heart failure earlier this year.

Palomo honors her during games by wearing black eye strips with the words “Long Live Mom” and his favorite Bible verse, Psalm 23:4, both written with a white marker.

“I miss her every day,” he said. “There is not a quantity on it, just infinite. Losing your best friend is not easy. I know that I am slowly trying to become the person that she wanted me to be. I want to make her proud. No one can describe how much I miss her.”

Read the full story, stay informed, and support your local community newspaper, subscribe to The Sachse News.