As a Mississippi community turns to football, Nolan Wells’ brothers, teammates make sure no one forgets him
Ocean Springs High School, where Nolan starred before moving on to Southwest Mississippi Community College, held no moment of silence or tribute to him. But his brothers and his college teammates carry on his legacy.
When the calendar turns to late August and early September in the South, one common uniter springs eternal: football.
In Ocean Springs, football and a magnetic personality endeared Nolan Wells to the community before he ventured on to play at Southwest Mississippi Community College. It was on those fields where people got to know him as a star athlete. But after a summer in which his death has become a touchpoint for the community, two football fields offered two different memorials for him.
Wells died during the July 4th weekend after he was reported missing following a boat party off Horn Island. His body was discovered two days later, and while an independent autopsy gave inconclusive results as to the cause of death, the details of an autopsy conducted by the state remain withheld from the public, awaiting a grand jury’s decision on whether charges should be brought forth.
Ocean Springs High School offered a lone prayer and played the national anthem ahead of their season opener. There was no mention of Wells on the field, no moment of silence, no tributes or decals.
The lone visible tribute came from his younger brother, Elmore Wonsley Jr. Elmore wrote “Nolan” on his eye black and his brother, Ethan Wonsley, also played in the game. Outside of maybe potential murmurs off the field, it was a football night in Ocean Springs, a community still coming to grips privately with the circumstances surrounding the teen’s death and how it added another chapter in Mississippi’s fraught history with race.
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The school, however, did dedicate the media guide for the 2026 season to Wells. In a photo shared by the wife of the school’s head football coach, Wells’ time at the school and what he meant to the program are mentioned.
“Nolan was funny, spirited and truly full of life. He loved football and everything that came with being part of a team: the practices, the Friday nights, the friendships and the brotherhood. He brought an unmistakable presence wherever he went and left an impression on his teammates, coaches and everyone who had the privilege of knowing him,” Crystal Brantlett wrote on Facebook.
The media guide will be available at the school’s next home game.
While Ocean Springs suffered one of its worst losses in 25 years in a 47-9 defeat to Meridian, Southwest Mississippi Community College also started their season on Thursday. And there, miles away from Ocean Springs, the football team couldn’t help but pay tribute to No. 16, whose helmet and jersey still rest inside their locker room untouched.
Thursday was supposed to be the start of his sophomore year on the field. Instead, it became a solemn reminder of what his teammates and coaches lost.
Every player wore an NW decal on their helmet in his honor. Some players, like his cousin, wore NW embroidered towels with #LLNW stitched in blue. The tributes caught the attention of Christine Wonsley, Nolan’s mother, who shared them on Facebook.
“Thank you Bryhsen (and team) for honoring your cousin, friend, and teammate,” Wonsley wrote. “Wishing you the best season! 🩵 #JusticeForNolanWells #IStandForNolan #NolanMatters”
The Wonsleys did not attend SMCC’s opening contest, although Christine thanked the college and others associated with it for how they honored her “sonshine.” Instead, they were in Ocean Springs in the stands, watching their two sons play the same game their brother did, albeit with far heavier hearts. It’s something the Wonsleys have continued to navigate for nearly two full months as they, and a community, await answers.
“Elmore and I put on a brave face and held our heads high for our boys and showed up for their season opener,” Christine Wonsley wrote on Facebook in the hours after Ocean Springs’ first game. “While sitting in the stands listening to announcements and music at the Ocean Springs Hugh Pepper Stadium, so many memories of Nolan came flooding back and all I could do was fight back the tears because it is a reminder of who WE HAVE LOST as a family. It’s a reminder that there this now a hole in our hearts that will never be filled.”
“It’s a reminder that his younger brothers will not have him on the sidelines hyping them up during the Friday night games. It’s a reminder of the future that is no longer possible,” she added. “It’s a reminder that we still have no answers. Please send up extra prayers for our children as the [sic] continue to try to navigate the loss of their brother.”