Wellington HS grad wins big on 'The Price Is Right' (VIDEO)

It looks like Andrew Kinzel is the right guy to take on a shopping spree. The 2011 Wellington High School graduate hit the jackpot on "The Price Is Right," winning $49,000 worth of prizes in an episode that aired Thursday. WATCH THE ENTIRE EPISODE HERE. Kinzel's luck started with a bid that won a digital camera, and carried him through "Gridlock!" where he won a Hyundai Accent. When it came to the big wheel, two rival contestants went bust and Kinzel automatically was thrust into the Showcase Showdown. That's where the 28-year-old's bid $26,300 on a package that included patio furniture, a trip to New Orleans and a second vehicle — a Nissan Versa. Kinzel's wager was just about $550 off the mark, making him the big winner of the day. "I will never forget what I was feeling during that moment," he said in a phone interview from California, where he works in professional sports game presentation. "It was like, 'I don't deserve this.' I was so stunned and grateful." The episode was filmed March 23, and the monthlong wait for it to hit CBS was tough, Kinzel said: "It was a hard secret to keep." Nor has he been able to drive either of his shiny new cars around. "The Price Is Right" prizes aren't processed until after the air date, and immediately after the show Kinzel got an email about claiming his winnings. He said he'll probably sell one of the cars — after all, insurance in the Los Angeles area, where he now lives, isn't cheap, and parking is tough to find. Kinzel said he'll also be taxed for the $49,000 prize value worth of income next year, and he wants to be able to cover the tab without any problems. The best part of the experience, he said, was chatting with host Drew Carey. Kinzel's parents, who still live in Wellington, grew up in the same neighborhood as the comedian and went to high school with him. That's one reason Kinzel said he chose to wear a "Cleveland Against the World" T-shirt on stage while on the game show. He also wanted to pay tribute to the sports teams he previously worked with. Prior to moving west, Kinzel worked behind the scenes to present games for the Cavaliers, Browns and Indians. During the show, he excitedly told Carey, a native Clevelander, that he used to play the "Price Is Right" theme over the ballfield speakers when the Indians would win. Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.