Passing camp honoring MC coach a major hit

The Legends Rock, touched by Maryville College players upon entering Honaker Field, was erected in honor of former Maryville assistant Cody Bowers.

Cody Bowers would be so proud.

Three years after the former Maryville College assistant football coach died tragically in an on-campus automobile accident, the high school passing camp begun to honor his memory is enjoying unprecedented success.

The Maryville College 7-on-7 Perimeter Passing Day welcomed 30 teams to the campus last Saturday for a day-long, midsummer extravaganza. The camp had applications from 50 schools, but the college simply didn’t have the field to hold more. The passing day is staffed by several Maryville alumni, including founders Brian Gossett, Nick White and Jason, who began event and moved it to Maryville three years ago in Bowers’ honor.

Bowers was killed when the pickup truck he was driving struck a tree in the Maryville College Woods one night in late November 2007. Bowers’ high school friend, Trey Lefler, was critically injured in the accident and died a few days later at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. A third occupant survived.

“He was a beloved teammate, coach and friend,” Maryville coach Tony Ierulli said. “He was just a great young man and had a great future ahead of him. “We wanted to turn a tragedy into a positive. You still can’t believe something like that happened.”