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4-12-2007 The Daily Star Gentile, 18, died Thursday after his sport-utility vehicle veered off county Route 33 in Middlefield and rolled over several times. Gentile was driving north on the highway at about 6:30 p.m. when he lost control of a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee on a curve, Otsego County Sheriff Richard Devlin said Thursday night. Gentile, who was alone in the Jeep, wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. "It’s made us realize how short and sweet life is," said senior classmate Zack Sittler, who played soccer and basketball with Gentile. "It’s too bad that it might have taken this to show us." Sittler said several students went to school Friday, where classes were not in session due to the holiday, but the building was open for counseling. "You can see it in everyone’s face " everyone is in complete shock," Sittler said. "I knew Chris my whole life. He was an awesome kid and always lived life to its fullest ... He was always joking around and full of life." In addition to earning an All-Star honorable mention from The Daily Star in boys basketball, Gentile made the Star’s Second Team for the second straight boys soccer season this past fall. Gentile also won the 2006 Center State Conference tennis championship last spring before becoming the first singles player in school history to qualify for the state tournament. Gentile finished second in the Section Three Tennis Tournament last spring, one season after he and Quinn Snyder earned a state-tournament berth by winning the Section Three doubles championship. "He was an incredible athlete," Cooperstown basketball and tennis coach Dave Bertram said. "He had great skills and was determined. It’s shock " disbelief. It’s affecting the whole community. It’s difficult. He was a great kid. The teachers are sad and it hurts." This past fall, Gentile finished with 25 goals and 17 assists for the boys soccer team, helping the Redskins reach the second round of the Section Three Class C Tournament. Gentile’s soccer coach, Frank Miosek, learned of his player’s death just a few hours after the accident. The young man could light up a room with his smile, Miosek said. "He was just a great kid with a big heart," Miosek said. "He made the world a happier place. It’s a real sad time for the village." A three-point threat during winter basketball, Gentile always wanted to take the big shot, Bertram said. For Bertram, Gentile was more than just an athlete. "He was a fun, great kid," Bertram said. "It’s hard to explain about him. He was almost like a son to me." |
Copyright 2007, Cooperstown Crier, Cooperstown, NY All rights reserved