Sam Schissel had a way about him. He was a guy’s guy, a girl magnet, a people’s man.

His smile lit up the room. His intensity, whether playing a video game or striking out the next helpless batter with his magic left arm, made people want to watch. He was calm, quirky, confident and the class clown.

And this was the way his family, friends teachers, coaches and all those he touched remembered Schissel on Friday afternoon during a three-hour visitation held before his funeral Mass at Bradford High School’s auditorium. Schissel, 18, died unexpectedly Saturday at his home in Somers after 10 days of flu-like symptoms, and a day before his 19th birthday.

Kenosha County Medical Examiner Mark Witeck has said the athlete appears to have died from some sort of viral illness that spread to his heart, but one believed not to be related to the pandemic H1N1 flu virus. The results of further tests will not be available for at least several days.

Many close friends who came to the auditorium to pay their last respects said they were still in shock that Schissel, among the stars of Bradford’s 2008 championship baseball team, had died so suddenly. More than 1,000 came to mourn their loss.

“It’s impossible to sum up. I know if you really needed someone to turn to, he was the one who was there, the guy you could go to,” said Jake Chopp, Schissel’s best friend. “It’s totally weird that he’s gone because it was unexpected. It still seems so unreal.”

Chopp remembered happy times, especially watching Schissel throw the last pitch that sealed the victory and gave Bradford its first State title in 45 years.

“He was so happy and so pumped when they won State and I skipped work to be at the games,” said Chopp, who graduated with Schissel last year.

Chopp said he remembered hugging Schissel, who wasn’t afraid of showing his emotions after the championship game.

“I said to him, ‘I love you’ and he said ‘I love you, too,” he said.

Schissel didn’t have just one group of friends, either.

“People are just drawn to him. He was always the life of the party and you knew as soon as you met him, you just wanted to be around him,” Chopp said.

Jordan Posie said Schissel was a calming influence, leading by example and showing unwavering loyalty.

“He meant the world to me. He made things a whole lot easier to deal with,” Posie said. “He was exuberant, full of energy, charming and super funny. He made everyone more relaxed. He was somebody anybody would want as a close friend.”

Assistant coach Hansel Lugo, who is also a Bradford counselor, called Schissel talented with “one of the strongest arms in the state.”

“Ask any player. He loved baseball and he loved life,” Lugo said. “He knew he was ready for a challenge, not just baseball, any challenge. He craved (taking the ball). He lived for it. It’s a loss for our community and a loss for the sport.”

Kenosha Unified Superintendent Joe Mangi said Schissel was a “special young man” who inspired others, especially his teammates to elevate their game.

“He not only led them to the state championship, but he was a leader of student body and of the community. Just look at all the people who are here,” Mangi said of the crowd that came. “I had a player say that whenever Sam showed up to a game or to practice, he’d have to do his best because Sam was here.”

Miles Smith, who also knew Schissel well, said as a friend he made everyone smile, but when he was playing any game he was perpetually in competitive mode. Smith and Anthony Clark, along with others in a group formed outside the auditorium, looked at each other as if sharing an inside joke. They remembered how Schissel and Smith would duel in the game Battleship and when Schissel lost, look out.

“He would get so mad if he lost,” said Stefan Feldmeier of Schissel’s competitive nature. “He always had to win at everything.”

Schissel could also be charming, said friend Amy Tripp, who went to school with him at Harvey Elementary and graduated with him last year. In the fifth grade, almost all the girls in his class had such a crush on him the teacher set aside special time for him and his following, in lieu of recess.

“He was the only boy in fifth grade to have ‘girl time,’” said Tripp, who stood among a group of female friends who wore neon green bandanas around their arms, a fashion statement made popular by Schissel.

Minju Rhee said Schissel had many random groups of friends of all ages.

“He was always around people,” she said.

“Sam would’ve loved this. If he was looking at this right now ... he would love this because he loved being the center of attention,” Tripp said.

The young women remembered fondly how Schissel took his school spirit into graduation and out to the graduation party, not once shedding his gown.

“That’s just something Sam would do. He was one of a kind,” Tripp said.