WATERBORO — It was supposed to be a happy time Friday night. A celebration of the last York County football team to win a Maine Class A state championship.

But it was a bittersweet reunion for the 2000 Massabesic football team, as only days before, they attended the funeral of one of the key cogs of the team; fullback Joey Olszewski.

“It was great to see all of those guys,”  Massabesic head coach John Morin said. “It was a week before we wanted to, it wasn’t the greatest of situations. But those guys, in a really short amount of time, rallied around that family and rallied around each other, and we were a team all over again. And that’s just the way they were.”

Olszewski died in a hospital in Burbank, Calif., after complications from pneumonia and respiratory distress syndrome. He was 28.

Former teammates attended both his wake in Springvale on Sunday as well as his funeral in Sanford on Sunday.

Morin remembers Olszewski as a quiet, but hardworking and talented player.

“Joey had a quiet confidence about him,” Morin said. “He didn’t talk a whole lot. Joey didn’t say much, but he had a quiet confidence about him, and he was fast. There were times when he made all of us look good, where if it had been another fullback it would have been an 8 or 5-yard gain. If you didn’t have the right angle, and sometimes you could still have the right angle, and he’d still run away from you. So, that quiet confidence, and Joey was a competitor.”

Olszewski’s death is the third for the 2000 Mustangs. Offensive lineman Seamus Densmore died in a car accident in 2006, and Allen Bennison was killed at a Sanford gas station in January of 2007 by Joshua Stewart, the ex-husband of Bennison’s fiancee. Stewart is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for manslaughter.

While quarterback Jason O’Tash, who won the Fitzpatrick Trophy – awarded to the best player in the state – received the most media attention that season after rushing and passing for 1,000 yards, Olszewski was every bit O’Tash’s equal, also rushing for 1,000 yards. Though listed as a fullback, it was Olszewski’s speed that set him apart from other southern Maine running backs. Olszewski was also on the Mustang track team, and still holds the record in the 100-meter dash, running the event in 11.1 seconds.

O’Tash remembers Olszewski as a quiet and funny teammate.

“The quietest funny guy you’ll ever meet,” O’Tash said. “He was the king of the one-liners. He was one of the best people, one of the best friends I’ll ever have.”

It was Olszewski who scored the winning touchdown against Bangor in the Maine Class A state title game in 2000, clinching the 26-21 win. The Mustangs finished the season with a 12-0 record. For his efforts during the season, Olszewski was named to the All-State team as well as the All-SMAA team.

After graduation, Olszewski went to the University of Maine, where he received a degree in sociology. He walked-on to the football team, and played for the Black Bears in 2002 and 2003.

Olszewski was working for D’Agostino Consulting, LLC., at the time of his death.

Tom Thornton, an offensive lineman on the 2000 team, said the week has helped the grieving process for everyone.

“[Olszewski’s father] said he was looking forward to coming back. He was looking forward to coming home from California to see his friends and family, his brother, catch a high school football game. I think it’s helping the grieving process for a lot of us too, because a lot of us don’t live around here. Mind you, it takes an hour for some of us to drive to someone’s house around here anyway, it’s bringing us all together and it is helping the grieving process, because I’ve seen [O’Tash] about four or five times.”

The current Mustangs displayed black decals with the number 32 – Olszewski’s number – on their helmets, and will keep them on for the rest of the season.

— Contact Dave Dyer at 282-1535 ext. 318.