One year later/Rest in peace, Mark Williams

February 3, 2022
High School Football, Potpourri
My high school football teammate Mark Williams, No. 28, lower left corner, died one year ago. It was a tragic, violent death, the details I’d rather not share. The other players include No. 15, next to Mark, junior DB Clayton Kodama, No. 23, junior running back Charlie Granger; upper row, from left, No. 88, junior wide receiver Greg Della Penna; No. 55, junior center Tom Brawner; and No. 62, senior guard Dave Simon. Mark was a fearless cornerback, with good speed, who always helped on special teams.

(Editor’s note: I wrote this before launching my web site in September. Mark was a high school football teammate who had plenty of life’s struggles, and his death one year ago was very sad. Rest in peace, Weems.)

REST IN PEACE, MARK WILLIAMS

I got a call from mi compadre Dart Alsmeyer today, and he had learned our Churchill football teammate Mark Williams had died during a tragic accident in a snowstorm that enveloped Frederick County, Maryland, over the weekend.

Mark was 64 years old.

I can’t, and won’t, go into the details of what happened, in large part because it made my heart hurt. It literally stunned me, seated in my car, this afternoon.

Mark Williams was in the class after mine, a 1975 WCHS graduate, and was a solid defensive back. He was a good athlete. A good teammate. Maybe a live wire, but a good guy. Loved a good time.

And now, he’s gone.

I know we’re in our mid-60s now but I told Dart it’s hard to believe six or seven of our WCHS football teammates, from our senior year, have already passed.

Among them:

Ricky Cowen, a charismatic defensive back who also played at the University of Delaware and briefly in the CFL;

Dave Leas, a wiseacre cornerback with a devilish grin who kept the locker room loose, a big personality;

Paul “Lumpy” Day, a solid defensive tackle with a lot of interests outside football, particularly music;

Bruce Howard, a defensive back-quarterback and one of the best all-around athletes to come through Churchill in the ’70s;

Bobby West, an offensive lineman brought up from the JV team midway through 1973, and a mainstay the next two years.

And now, Mark Williams, a cornerback who could run and hit, a guy who liked to party a little after we got out of Churchill (and, let’s be real, during).

Mark could be pretty quiet at times but I do remember him as a good teammate.

I can almost see Mark Williams and Dave Leas cutting up in the locker room, after a demanding practice or a big win for the Bulldogs, and hope that somewhere they might be enjoying a cold one right now.

God bless, Mark. 2/3/2022

Share