According to some eyewitness reports, the student had played during
the third quarter of the contest but was sitting on the bench when he
collapsed.
Mark Page, PSHS assistant principal, was not at the game, but said he
was notified through a phone call that the athlete was Tanner Otey, a
16-year-old sophomore at the school.
Rick Ball, pupil services coordinator for the Mercer County Board of
Education, confirmed that a medical emergency occurred at the school's
gymnasium, resulting in the cancellation of Princeton's game against the
James Monroe Mavericks.
The scene was somber outside of the gymnasium, where students and
parents gathered to console one another and await further information.
Ball said the school would have no further statement on the incident
Tuesday evening.
Mercer County school board member Bill Seaver said that Ball arranged
for members of the clergy and others to help with grief counseling at the
scene.
"(The school board) naturally has it in place to take care of the
kids," he said. "It was done not only after the game, but it will done
tomorrow (Wednesday) as well."
"There will be counselors made available at the school," John Shott,
president of the Mercer County Board of Education, said. "The school
system was put on delay, coincidentally, due to the cold weather. Students
will be there on a two-hour delay. Our faculty will be there earlier than
that in an effort to prepare to help students and to orchestrate the
services that will be available to the students.
"Certainly we'll do everything we can to try and help students deal
with the tragedy and to support the family."
"You hate a tragedy like this. You especially feel for his parents.
Knowing them like I do, and knowing how close they were to their son, you
really feel for them," Seaver said.
"This was a player who really excelled in athletics. He excelled in
football and in basketball - he is certainly the last person you would
expect this to happen to. Naturally, the sympathies of the school system
go out to his friends and family."
Otey, at 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing 230 pounds, was a member of
the Tiger varsity basketball squad and had seen several minutes of action
in the Tigers' first five contests of the season. Otey also served as an
offensive guard and linebacker for the PSHS football squad.
School Superintendent Dr. Deborah Akers, contacted at home Tuesday
evening, declined to comment on the incident.
