William and Alex Trimble loved music. And as drummers for the Jefferson High School marching band, the brothers helped others keep the beat.
But Friday night's playoff football game will be much quieter. Just two days after a car crash claimed the lives of the two brothers, the marching band opted to skip the away game vs. Blessed Trinity.
It was just too soon, band director Kris Plummer said Friday.
The 111-member band lost two of its own when the Trimble brothers were in a car crash Wednesday night less than a quarter-mile from their Jefferson neighborhood. Alex, 15, died at the scene of the crash. William, who had just celebrated his 17th birthday with about 30 friends at a local pizza spot, died the following morning at an Athens hospital.
On Thursday, students, parents and teachers gathered at the school’s flag pole and in the band room, sharing memories of the boys through tears. Friday, classes resumed, though William and Alex were the constant topics of conversation.
“It was a lot easier today,” John Wheeler, a senior trumpet player, said Friday afternoon. “There weren’t as many tears. But I still cried during second period.”
On Sunday, a memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. at the Jefferson High School Arena for the brothers. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the Jefferson band. Donations to the band can be mailed to the school at 575 Washington Street, Jefferson, Ga. 30549.
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