High school responds to reports of a basketball player possibly heckled by crowd
BURGETTSTOWN, Pa. (KDKA) — During a high school basketball game last week, a player was heckled about his father's death.
KDKA-TV received a message from a woman who graduated from Fort Cherry High School who said she was not a proud alumnus after witnessing the sheer disrespect the student section displayed at Friday's game against Burgettstown.
The woman, who didn't want to be identified, said senior forward Zack Schrockman, who lost his dad to cancer, was set to score his 1,000th point. When Burgettstown fans began encouraging Schrockman to set the scoring record, some in the Fort Cherry student section reportedly started chanting, "Where's your dad?"
Schrockman became so upset that he left the court to head to the locker room.
Logan Johnston and Mason Derosky are seniors at Burgettstown High and were at that game. They say Fort Cherry's behavior was uncalled for.
"When we were making a comeback, you could tell they were getting a little nervous and they started doing what they do best and they were just throwing jabs and then it really broke us and that's what probably won them their game," Derosky said.
"He seemed to be normal and back to how he was, but it's nice to see him not take it to close to heart," Johnston said.
Fort Cherry School District officials said they were alerted to the unsportsmanlike behavior, "promptly intervened" and the chanting stopped.
In an email to KDKA-TV, Thomas Samosky, Fort Cherry's superintendent, said in part:
"In response to this incident, the administration convened with the student body this morning, to emphasize the importance of upholding the highest standards of sportsmanship and respect in all interscholastic activities. It was reiterated to students that any actions intended to be a little or disrespect opposing contestants, teams, spectators, or officials, are contrary to the values of the Fort Cherry School District and interscholastic competition, and will not be tolerated."
KDKA-TV talked to someone within the Fort Cherry School District off camera who emphatically said this didn't happen. He says the students were chanting, "Who's your daddy?"
