Pritz is O-R Boys Player of the Year

Junior forward/center Gabe Pritz is the sixth Observer-Reporter Boys Basketball Player of the Year from Peters Township High School.

For the story on Pritz, and the rest of the All-District Team, click
http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/sports11/04-01-2012-gabe-pritz-poy.

The first-team features four juniors in Pritz, Josh Wise of Washington, Zach Challingsworth of South Fayette, and Christian Koroly of Trinity. Monessen's Jaisen Irwin is the lone senior.

POY winners

2012 - Gabe Pritz, Peters Township

2011 – Pat Zedreck, South Fayette

2010 – Mike Lamberti, South Fayette

2009 – Nick Wilcox, Peters Township
2008 – Charles Murphy, Canon-McMillan
2007 – Jock Wells, Washington
2006 – Christian Goetz, Burgettstown
2005 – Dan Davis, Fort Cherry
2004 – Nate Stoner, Waynesburg
2003 – Paul Ruhmann, South Fayette
2002 – Javon Hines, South Fayette
2001 – Tom Lulich, Peters Township
2000 – Eric Lang, Peters Township
1999 – Aaron Ankrom, Waynesburg
1998 – Bryant Thomas, Bentworth
1997 – Henry Klinar, Peters Township
1996 – Justin Voithofer, Carmichaels
1995 – Mike Horan, Ringgold
1994 – Vince Graham, Belle Vernon
1993 – Chad Lechner, Carmichaels
1992 – Mike Maloy, Washington
1991 – Brian Miller, Ringgold
1990 – Yancey Taylor, Ringgold
1989 – Matt Jennings, Immaculate Conception
1988 – Wade Timmerson, Fort Cherry
1987 – Dan Conn, Bentworth
1986 – Ron Moore, Washington
1985 – Chris Popeck, Washington
1984 – Adam Sarson, Peters Township
1983 – Duane Johnson, Canon-McMillan
	Tony Conn, Bentworth
1982 – Jeff Conn, Bentworth
1981 – Lance Spernak, Mon Valley Catholic
1980 – Ray Natili, Immaculate Conception

Statement from Pritz family regarding punching incident

Media Release

February 23, 2012

The Pritz family, and especially Gabriel, is very grateful to his teammates, coaches and
the Pittsburgh community for the outpouring of support shown following the injury
sustained during the Peters Township- Woodland Hills basketball game on Saturday,
February 18, 2012.

Although we hoped this would be “old news” by this time, the continuing coverage has compelled us to issue this note of gratitude and clarification regarding Gabe’s role in the incident.

No words were exchanged between Gabe and Shakim the entire game. They competed

cleanly and intensely through 3 ½ quarters of play.In Shakim’s own words in his apology to Gabriel he stated,

“You were a cool dude on the court I had no problem with,therefore I had no reason to hit you.” The McKeesport Daily News having spoken directly to Shakim

reported that “Alonzo said Pritz was not his intended target.”

He expressed this previously in his statement to the California University Police.Gabe did not hear any racial slur from either team during the contest and certainly he didn’t make any. He is a victim in an unfortunate incident.

We remain watchful of Gabriel’s health and healing and are so grateful that he was notmore severely hurt during this incident. We continue to pray for Shakim and his family
as we are certain this has been a difficult time for them. And we hope the broader
community can now focus on the conclusion of the WPIAL Basketball Playoffs as
Gabriel just wants to get back to being a student and a basketball player. Go Indians!

Postgame video from Peters Township and Woodland Hills coaches

It's one of the bigger stories to happen in the WPIAL this school year, a sucker-punch thrown by Woodland Hills' Shakim Alonzo, who happens to be a University of Cincinnati football recruit, that landed on the ear of Peters Township's Gabe Pritz.

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.