By CJ Gray ‘26
Sophomore Joey Bartoszek’s father passed away on Monday, Oct. 20, during the last week of the regular football season. This was a very tragic situation for him and his family to have to deal with. But Joey, being who he is, still played Saturday morning in his last sophomore football game.
He received a ton of support from the BRotherhood and others. All his sophomore teammates showed up to the wake.
“It was heartbreaking to hear someone who is a part of the brotherhood have to go through something like that, so us showing up was a sign he wasn’t alone,” said junior Brayden Parks.
For Joey and his family to be able to see the team and show that they stood by their side was a gesture they appreciated. That is what the brotherhood is about – being there for each other in times of need.
Joey still played that Saturday morning next to his brothers in honor of his father. It was much more than just a regular game. The sophomores took the win, but that wasn’t the most memorable part of the day.
Joey’s teammate sophomore Decatur Washington had a chance to score at that game but chose not to. Instead, they gave the ball to Joey and he scored. The joy on his face and the rest of the team’s faces was irreplaceable. You could see the genuine happiness and care they had for their teammate.
“I was just very happy for him. He was going through a tough time and I knew this made it so much better,” said sophomore Jude Lascola.
“That moment was surreal. When I scored, all I thought about was my dad,” said Joey. This was a full circle moment for him along with his teammates.
