Pritz needed 11 stitches to repair cartiledge damage to his ear, but he finished with 30 points, a double-double and six blocks as PT upset Woody high in the first round of the Class AAAA playoffs at California University.
Observer-Reporter sports editor Chris Dugan, who actually covered the game, wrote a pair of outstanding pieces on the game and the incident. For his game story, click here. For a follow-up column, click here.
Alonzo is claiming a Peters Township player used a racial slur, which triggered his emotional eruption.
For postgame reaction, check out the video.
32 comments:
Everyone is going to kill this kid but I have heard these slurs before from peters and South fayette kids in the past but none like south side beaver. Just saying their is always two sides. Sucker punch though is petty.
Before I say what I'm about to say, I in NO WAY condone the actions of Alonzo in this situation. What this kid did was an embarassment to Woodland Hills, his coach, his team and himself. If he loses his ride to Cincy because of what he did, he deserves it.
With that said, the WPIAL has a real problem on its hands. In recent weeks, we have heard alleged incidents of racial intimidation and slurs used during sporting events from predominantly white high schools directed at predominantly black high schools. You can debate what may or may not have happened in these situtations. As someone that grew up in a predominantly black high school (I'm white), played sports for said high school, and played against predominantly white high schools, I can tell you that I have heard these things said FIRST HAND. Its real. It happens. It happens more frequently than any of you would care to hear about. Thats a fact. You can choose to ignore it, you can choose not to believe it, but it happens. The question is what is the WPIAL going to do about it going forward? The incidents that happened at Brentwood/Monessen and Woody High/Peters Twp were bad, but it can get worse. I feel bad for Gabe, but in the end he was able to walk away. What happens when this escalates? The WPIAL needs to get a handle on this situation and fast.
Not justifying the sucker punch, but people just don't go hit people for the heck of it. There is a large socioeconomic gap between these two districts; do the math.
Apparently, the gap between the two was large on the basketball court as well. Think that had something to do with his frustration?
Come on. Two days after the fact when he realizes he really screwed up, he cries racism. Sets my BS meter off.
He's trying to save his scholarship.
You don't throw a flagarant elbow, get restrained, break free and run across a gym - just to punch the other team's leading scorer who has dropped 30 on your butt - because somebody else on the team called you a name.
Not buying what he's selling.
@ Keith....certainly sounds like you are defending the sucker punch...Is it ok to do what he did just because maybe a Peters player got physical with him (sorry, Im not buying the "N" word charge - hes not getting defended by his coach which would be occurring if there was some modicum of truth to it)...This is a basketball game - not the back-alley where thugs settle disputes in this manner..
To get a double technical for a flagrant elbow and then break away from his coach as the boy's mom tried to help calm him doesn't exactly paint a picture as a player that had control of his faculties - to be escorted off the court, break away from the coach is premeditation - he wasn't just acting in the moment as the flagrant elbow most likely was reactionary...
So what if there is a large socioeconomic gap between the schools - does that give any player from the low end of that socioeconomic gap to behave in a manner that would cause police charges to be filed?
This should be a teachable moment in which Alonso and his teammates are taught that people need to rise above situations like this and be the better human being - not rely on some excuse like its the rich vs the poor or cry that a racial comment was uttered....How about just apologizing for the behavior instead of trying to make an excuse - nowhere in the article in the Tribune review did I read a quote from Alonso declaring he was sorry for his actions...Just trying to justify it...
how about the comment from the coach calling the kid a punk? thats real class
Hey read the post gazette ...! no racial slurs? again it takes two to brawl....after the game locker room comments...class real class and the coachs comments about the kid..class real class...Oh i forgot it was an emotional reaction..Guess what you get paid to set an example if thats how your reaction is going to be then you need to be reviewed.
Sarcastic Sword said, "sorry, Im not buying the "N" word charge - hes not getting defended by his coach which would be occurring if there was some modicum of truth to it"
This is exactly what I've been thinking.
Re-read some of the articles written about this incident. Alonso's coach didnt defend him, thats true...i dont think anyone would defend what happened, but in a couple different articles immediately after the game he did reference that Alonso's reaction was a result of "things that were going on during the game".
And as I read through some of these comments I find it odd that some of you are so quick to dismiss the notion that some type of racial comments were used as you defend the white high school. Until some of you open your eyes and see what is going on nothing is ever going to change. I'm not saying that this did or didnt happen in this situation, but before it is dismissed it at least needs to be looked into.
Shakim's actions were uncalled for. They are indefensible. NO ONE is arguing that. And regardless of whether someone called him that or not, he should have kept his cool and not completely lost his mind. However, this is now the second incident over the last few weeks where racial slurs have been alleged...and in each incident a lot of people have been quick to defend the white kids and just as quick to dismiss the accusations made by the black kids. When you do that, you are calling the black kids liars before you even hear their side of the story. That can't happen. These things need to be investigated thoroughly before they are dismissed.
I have coached basketball at Ringgold for 5 years and a majority of my players were African-Americans. There have been many times when kids from the likes of affluent schools have called my kids racial expletives. Calling an African-American the "N-word" is like pulling the pin on a grenade; It is something you just don't do. So while I don't condone him punching the kid from Peters, I can also see how he did it. But, like most of the people posting, we are simply offering our commentary, as we were not there to make an accurate assessment of the events.
From the post-gazette:
Meanwhile, Alonzo said Peters Township used a racial slur toward him during the game. "They did," said Alonzo, who is African-American. "But I can't really talk any more about the situation."
Peters Township coach Gary Goga denied any of his players used racial slurs during the game. But after the game, a California security worker claimed he heard Peters Township players using racial slurs about Woodland Hills in the locker room.
Goga acknowledged what the security worker reported.
"I wasn't in the locker room after the game," Goga said. "It was told to me by the security worker who overheard it. He told our athletic director [Brian Geyer] and we addressed it with the team. It has already been addressed."
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12052/1211541-361.stm#ixzz1n1fnQuLp
the n word may not have been used in this instance or it may have we will never know. all i know is it happens all the time. the coaches and the refs need to take charge in these situations. if a ref or coach heres these things the kid should be removed from the court.black kids will punch you if they here this, thats the way they were raised, maybe its not deemed to be the right thing to do but thats the way it is.racist comments need to stop.
I'm amazed that any adult would make any attempt to defend this kids criminal actions by claiming a racial slur. I'm 99% certain that it didn't happen, but for the sake of argument, lets say it did. That fact, IN NO WAY, justifies criminal assault! Get a clue, you are attempting to justify a crime with a possible word? The truth is the kid was completely frustrated his career was over after the incredibly dirty elbow and ejection, he had nothing to lose so he took out his embarassment by sucker punching a white kid. This is a hate crime and I hope it is prosecuted as one.
This entire situation is sad on so many levels, that you all have pointed out. On the court, and in life, mere words, even horrible words, do not justify a blind hit or bodily assault.
Then whats the reason Mike? I dont believe that a KID would act the way he did for no reason. There is alot more to this story that we all dont know. But in the newspaper it does say that slurs were used in the lockerroom and overheard by security and the Coach addressed that situation.So if there is smoke there is fire.
The story says the comments were heard after the game. Does that mean they were uttered during the game?
I don't know the answer. Only a select few people do.
No Mike, it doesnt say "comments" were heard after the game, it says "racial slurs" were heard by Cal security, who said that the Peters Twp players were saying them directed towards Woodland Hills. So you, and everyone else that is defending the Peters players, are going to tell me that these kids would never use language like that? It was heard by an impartial party after the game. That alone leads me to believe that there is a distinct possibility that Alonso's story is at least somewhat plausible. It still doesnt make what he did right, but maybe he isnt a liar. And to the person that is "99% sure" this didnt happen...lol...how can you make a statement like that? Were you on the court? Were you in locker rooms? Were you an official? You people blindly toss aside the possibility of racisim like its no big deal. It really makes me wonder.
I haven't defended anyone. I never said PT wouldn't use those words. I never said Alonzo's story can't possibly be true. It certainly can be. It could also be true that PT players said nothing during the game.
I've been doing this for a long time, I'm not naive enough to think it doesn't go on. I'm also not naive enough to immediately take everyone's story for 100 fact.
@ anon 12:23pm ...the article states that security overheard racial slurs coming from the locker room after the game....c'mon man.....at least report the truth....even if it doesnt support your agenda..
Here you go.....http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12052/1211541-361.stm
its right there in black and white...or shouldnt I say that phrase either so as to not offend anyone...
If the comments were coming from the locker room. Who was in the locker room with the players? Im sure they werent left alone! The Coach wasnt in there but who was with the kids? I dont believe that the procedure is to ever leave the student/athletes unattended.
So the comments came from the locker room Sword. Does that make it right?
Again, you think the fact he wad getting his butt kicked had nothing to do with this? If not, the you are being naive. If Woodland Hills had been up 10 points, you think he gets himself kicked out of this game? You think he would have sucker punched anyone?
Didn't think so.
If he acts like a punk, guess what, he's a punk.
Sword, you apparently missed the ENTIRE point. The POINT is that the Peters kids WERE in fact overheard using that language directed at the Woodland Hills team. It doesnt matter whether it was before, during or after the game. The FACT is that an impartial third party heard them using that language. THAT leads me to believe that if they are capable of using that language in their locker room then they are certainly more than capable of using that language on the court during the heat of battle...which leads me to at least partially believe Alonzo's story.
As a stand alone event, no racial slur is acceptable.
Youre talking two different periods of time though and that is important with regards to Alonso's alibi...
Alonso is saying they occurred during the game. If the only documented evidence is after the game, then it doesnt support Alonso's story.
As an aside - hypothetically speaking, if no racial taunts were used during the game and then we know what happened between Alonso and Pritz (black on white crime and yes its a crime and most likely will result in aggravated assault charges being filed), can anyone be surprised if the "N" word was used in the Peters locker room? Im not condoning it and I hope that the players are identified and Peters handles it as they see fit but c'mon, its 2012, blacks call the white folk names and the same with whites calling blacks names..thats just an observation of what I see ....and situations like what happened in this game playoff game just further deteriorate relations between the races...
if your kids cuss at home more than likely they cuss at school. Heres the point: if they said racial things in the locker room you can bet they were said on the court as well. It aint the first time they have said it either. ask some of the wash high players who played peters in this decade and they will tell you. south fayette, burgettstown and fort cherry as well. I personnally told mine when they call you one blast him him right in the mouth.
Even if the peters kids did say these its still not the right thing to retaliate. shut them up with your play. anon@ 5:15pm, I feel like you are teaching your kids that the best way to deal with any adversity is to fight. Now I'm all for someone being able to defend themself, but why not teach your kid to have self control rather than be destructive or a stereotype. At the end of the day, nothing justifies what Alonzo did. He is grown, and should act like a man and take his punishment like a man. As for the peters twp kids, if they did say something, they should grow up too. At the end of the day 2 wrongs still don't make a right.
i think if woodland hills was up by 50 and the kid used a racial slur he would have been punched. the coaches at the begining of the year need to emphasize that racial remarks will not be tolerated. in the locker room , on the court, on the football field wherever. i know it happens i've seen it.
Anon @5:11
What a great example to set. Responding with violence is always the right move.
The bottomline is no one but the players knows if a racial slur was used out of the court. However the fact is that Pritz isn't even the one alledged to have said these words, Alonzo said so himself.
Regardless of what was said his actions were way out of line. I was there. For anyone who saw it live, it's even worse than it sounds in writing. Brutal attack that could've seriously injured Pritz.
PT coach had first interview right after game. Can't blame him for being upset in the heat of the moment. He did however back off his comments a bit if you read PG story.
No one should be supporting the use of the n-word, it's certainly wrong. But just because someone uses a certain word it doens't mean an innocent bystander deserves to be attacked.
He didn't blast anyone in the mouth, either. He ran up from behind and punched him like a b!$'&. And, according to accounts, Pritz wasn't the person he had issue with. He just happened to go after the player who had dropped 30 on his behind.
Are you freaking kidding me? Are any of you stupid enough to not think that the WH's players were calling the PT players racial slurs as well? It's ok for black kids to call white kids names but not the other way around?
Unbelievable.
Just an incredibly sad situation and there are no winners in situations like these.
so what happens to the Coach thru this making his remarks? I have seen coaches put in worse positions than this and be able to control there behavior. I guess he is not a football coach so they wont bother with him.
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