`He Was A Real Champion' -- Lakewood High Pulling Together After Coach's Death

Mike Millar is a varsity football and baseball player at Lakewood High School in this quiet, rural community northwest of Marysville.

Friday night, Millar lost his coach.

And yesterday, Millar and the other students, teachers and staff in this small, close-knit community were trying to find ways to deal with the death of Mark Gilman, teacher and head football and baseball coach at the school.

Gilman, 42, died early Saturday at General Hospital Medical Center of Everett, only a few hours after collapsing in the locker room after the Cougars' controversial Cascade A League home football game against South Whidbey.

Gilman was agitated late in the fourth quarter and argued with referees after Lakewood failed to convert a fourth down. Lakewood was penalized twice after Gilman carried his argument onto the field.

The game was called after the incident with two minutes to play with South Whidbey ahead 15-7. But Gilman's death was attributed to a heart disorder, according to Lakewood district Superintendent Wayne Robertson.

Gilman came to Lakewood four years ago. He taught world history, English and art. He also was varsity football coach for three seasons as well as the school's varsity baseball coach.

The closeness of this community and its school district - there are 640 students in grades 7 through 12 - has amplified the impact of Gilman's death and the difficulty in dealing with the accompanying grief.

``I actually found myself smiling a couple of times this weekend because I knew there was no pain where he (Gilman) was,'' Millar said. ``He was a strong believer and I know he'd want us to remember him that way. He was a real champion.''

Millar went to the football and baseball fields at Lakewood a few times over the weekend to find some solace. He even picked up a baseball batting cage that needed repair, loaded it in his truck, and took it home to work on it.

``I've been with him from the time he came and I liked him the first day,'' Millar said. ``He'd want the cage fixed so I decided to do it.

``I've got a lot of memories of him. I spent Sunday night until around 3 in the morning writing down some of his inspirational sayings. That helped me.''

Millar also received approval from school officials to work on a tribute to Gilman in the school's trophy case. He has photographs of Gilman with his Lakewood teams and plans to incorporate some of his sayings, along with Lakewood's Cascade League baseball championship trophies from 1988 and 1989, into the display.

``I want to get it done the way he'd like,'' Millar said, gritting his teeth as he fought back tears.

School officials organized an assembly to help students and staff learn more about Gilman's death and ways of dealing with their emotions.

Like many at school yesterday, Millar had trouble concentrating.

``We were taking a test and I tried to do it. I finally just wrote a note about Mr. Gilman on my paper and turned it in,'' Millar said. ``Then I just went to other classes and talked with friends and teammates.''

Robertson and Principal Linda Byrnes said they expected a variety of reactions this week from students and staff. In preparation for it, the staff met early yesterday morning as students began drifting into the main office and hallways.

Secretary JoAnne Cassingham hugged two girls in the office as one wiped away tears. ``We all have to be strong now. But it's hard,'' Cassingham said.

It was even more difficult in the ensuing assembly, which opened school for the junior-senior high students.

``A lot of people are feeling a great deal of pain,'' Byrnes said. ``A lot of you didn't know Mr. Gilman. But we need all of you to help us deal with the tragedy. It impacts all of us. It's all right for some of you not to feel the pain some of us feel.

``Life does go on. Your teachers and counselors will try to help us return to normal life. . . . Try to remember that a football game didn't kill Mr. Gilman, a heartbeat did.''

Funeral services for Gilman were to be held this afternoon at St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Stanwood.

Byrnes and Dick Jensen, Lakewood teacher and athletic director, said many of the school staff and students found themselves better able to cope with Gilman's death because of two incidents in May.

One was the shooting of Seattle police officer Mark Sigfrinius. Two of Sigfrinius' children attended Lakewood. Two days after the Lakewood community learned that Sigfrinius would live, Leonard Nelson, who taught science at Lakewood for 25 years, was killed in an automobile accident.

``I think most of us learned a lot from those events,'' Jensen said.

School officials had a number of counselors standing by to help students and staff if they needed it.

Homecoming activities scheduled this week for Friday's football game with La Conner have been postponed.

But the football team decided to continue the season, including Friday's game. Assistant coach Jay Adams will be interim head coach.

``We want as many things to go on as seem right because we think that can help everybody,'' Byrnes said.

After their meeting, the football players went to the Gilman home and worked on several projects. ``I think that really helped all of them,'' Jensen said.

``The football team plays a key role in the routine of the school and how we go on from here,'' said Robertson. ``They can be a model for all of us. But I couldn't be more proud of so many people. They've risen to the occasion.''