Knights' battle cry: 'Our brothers are looking down'

Both of the gates to the football field at North Cedar High School in Stanwood are dedicated to Aaron Lawrence and Jayce Droll, two football players who died in April in an ATV accident. Image taken on Sept. 30. (Cliff Jette/SourceMedia Group)

STANWOOD -- By all accounts, they were good kids. Very good kids.

"Great kids," said North Cedar High School principal Dain Jeppson. "You think of the spirit they brought to our school. In the hallways, at sports events ... they were so fun-loving and full of energy.

"When you lose kids like that, it's a severe loss."

North Cedar lost two leaders last April, when Jayce Droll and Aaron Lawrence were killed in an ATV accident. Their families, their coach and their school have teamed to make sure the boys will be remembered long after the Class of 2012 exits the school.

Each game, a senior player wears the No. 1 uniform (it belonged to Lawrence) and No. 51 (that was Droll's). When the Knights (6-3) face Turkey Valley (7-2) in a Class 1A first-round playoff game Wednesday at Jackson Junction, Jordan Hay and Josh Sander get the honors.

Then, there are the additions and improvements at Doug Jackson Field.

A boulder was transported from the front yard of the Droll farm and was inscribed with the following message:

"Touch this rock, and tap into the courage and spirit of all those who have worn the purple and silver."

The rock stands, not far beyond the end line of the northwest end zone, next to a victory bell that the school purchased off e-Bay from a school in Mississippi.

 Droll's father, Jim, did much of the iron work on two memorial gates that border the field on Maple Street.

"I was thinking the walk-through gate on the south," Droll said. "(Jeppson) was thinking the drive-through gate on the north. We ended up doing them both."

Both victims' names are inscribed in stone on the walk-through gate.

"It's beautiful," said Knights Coach Clay Harrold. "I love it."

Lawrence and Droll were key members of a defense that allowed 3.9 points through the 2010 regular season. North Cedar finished 10-2 -- its best season in school history -- and advanced to the Class 1A quarterfinals.

At 5-foot-5 and 150 pounds, Lawrence collected 31 tackles and rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown last year. Droll (6-0, 250) collected 20 tackles.

"Aaron led us in special-teams tackles," Harrold recalled. "Jayce was playing as well as any defensive lineman I've ever coached by the end of the year."

Good players. Very good kids.

"They were proud of their school," said Droll's father, who attended seven of nine regular-season games. "When the basketball team made it to state, Jayce was there (in the stands) with his purple-hair mohawk."

"Probably the main reason we won the sportsmanship award (at the basketball tournament)," Jeppson said.

When the Knights make the 140-mile trip to Jackson Junction Wednesday afternoon, they'll take along the uniforms of Droll and Lawrence. And their memories.

"During pregame, one of the seniors will always mention them," Harrold said.

The message is usually brief:

"Our brothers are looking down. Let's make them proud."