Michael Pfertsh's tragic death in a rollover crash early Sunday has shaken the community of Twin Bridges.

Pfertsh, 19, graduated from Twin Bridges High School earlier this year, and he had plans to attend college in the spring.

Karen Degel, the athletic director at Twin Bridges High School, said a lot of people in Twin Bridges are suffering because of the sudden loss.

"He was an outstanding athlete and just a great young man," Degel said. "Any time you lose a young man like that a lot of people are affected. A lot of people are grieving today."

Pfertsh played safety and wide receiver for the Twin Bridges football team. In 2011, he helped the Falcons win their first eight-man football state title since 1952. And Pfertsh, along with his twin brother, Jesse, was also was a member of the 4x400 relay team that broke a school record and took home a Class C state title earlier this year.

Friends of Pfertsh posted on Facebook that the young man had a great sense of humor.

Degel agreed.

"He was just really light-hearted," Degel said. "He loved to make people laugh."

Basketball coach Brad Elser said Pfertsh kept the team loose with his jokes, especially on long road trips, and described Pfertsh as a player who would do anything for the team.

"He wasn't worried about being the top scorer," Elser said. "He did all the little things … He was just a great kid who always had a smile on his face."

Elser said even though Pfertsh had graduated from Twin Bridges High School, the accident still affected his team — and the town. The coach said Pfertsh saw him twice last weekend, before the accident.

"It hurts," he said. "In a town this size, a team is more like a brotherhood."