SCC - Week 8 (Hooray for the refs?)

Believe it or not, this is a column a dozen years in the making. In 1997, in what seems like a different lifetime, West Haven fell to Cheshire in the Class LL semifinals after having a touchdown called back to a holding penalty.
I made the point - not well - that it is silly to say a referee doesn't "decide" the game because if he doesn't throw the flag, West Haven wins. I went on to say the call was probably correct and the referee did the right thing.
But the word "decided" didn't sit well with some in the refereeing community, and looking back on the situation with those dozen years of experience, I can totally see why. I got a letter from Bill Riccio, head of the New Haven board, telling me exactly why the word "decided" was such a poor choice.
Fast forward (or Flashforward, if you prefer) a decade later, and I decided - whoops, that word again - it was time to make the mistake up to the refs. Like everyone else involved in high school sports, the referees are doing something completely necessary for the game and for very little profit, especially in football - where there are more meetings than other sports, and only one varsity game per week (although some refs do work sub-varsity and youth games).
So about two years ago, I floated the idea to Riccio - one of the best in the business and currently the assistant interpreter for the state - of following his crew around for a Friday night and getting a semi-inside look at what the officials go through. He agreed, but it took two years (and a Cheshire-West Haven cancellation) to put it all together.
But finally, last week on a cold Friday night at the Surf Club in Madison, it all came together when Riccio and and his crew had the Hand-Wilbur Cross game.
I arrived at about 5:45, and Riccio and his crew were already getting changed in the makeshift locker room (the lifeguard station across the street). The crew spent a good half-hour going over different situations that might occur in the game and how to handle them: celebrations after touchdowns on the opposing sideline, wedge busters on kickoffs, illegal formations and trying to agree on whether it is or not on the snap, the time between an extra point and the ensuing kickoff, eligible receivers. Riccio always talks to each coach in the week before the game, just in case they were looking to do something unusual or just to get a feel on what to look for.
Finally, Riccio goes around to each member of his crew - umpire James White, head linesman Todd DeFelice, line judge Steve Rainey, back judge Peter Bowman, and timer Jim McGurgan - to let them know what they will be responsible for. Intermingled with the pre-game speeches are the usual joking you get with a veteran crew, including a friendly reminder to Riccio to hit the facilities before they go out to the field at 6:35.
It's not a long walk to the field at the Surf Club, the crew puts their stuff in their cars and heads to the field, the first issue coming when the yard markers are pointing toward the end zones and not the stands. Minor point, but remember, these are referees, perfectionists. DeFelice, the second most experienced and the most talkative of the bunch (which will be a good thing later on), is positioned on the Cross side, where I will spend most of the night (the Hand side doesn't allow you much room to move), but even though this isn't a huge game comparatively (both teams came in off losses and records of 3-4), you can tell that - at least by high school standards - this is a veteran and quality crew of officials.
It takes about three minutes for the Cross coaching staff to start talking to DeFelice, albeit politely: "Mr. Official, they're holding our end on every play, please keep an eye on it." On the other side, Rainey is getting the same treatment from the Hand coaches, and it pays off ealy in the second quarter when the coaches adamantly point out a Cross player not wearing a mouthguard on the snap. The flag is thrown and Cross has an important first down called back, which means DeFelice gets the wrath of the coaches. "If I see you telling any Hand players to put their mouthpiece in before the snap, then we're going to have a problem." Fair point, but DeFelice is just the messenger, of course.
A relatively uneventful first half ends 14-7 for Hand (with two touchdowns in 12 seconds in the final minute of the half). DeFelice spends the end of the half asking people for the delicious Surf Club popcorn, whose aroma permeates the facility. In the warmth of the lifeguard shack, the discussion is about the mouthguard call. Riccio points out that to prevent controversy, the call probably should have been made at the snap, killing the play and limiting argument. Yes, referees do correct themselves every once in a while. Riccio also tells White to be a little more talkative, mainly for self-preservation for the dangerous umpire spot that stands directly in the path of many running plays.
Before the second half begins, Hand coach Steve Filippone tries to schmooze with Riccio and Rainey, telling them that Cross is blocking downfield on pass plays (you must wait until the ball is caught to block). The third quarter is uneventful, by referee standards, the only flag coming on a pretty blatant pass interference call in the Hand end zone, Cross scoring on the next play to make it 21-21. White - who as the umpire has to spot the ball - bemoans the fact that the Surf Club has no hashmarks, certainly not like most of the turf fields, which make them impossible to miss.
It is not a big crowd, nor a really big game, but it is a competitive one as we head down the stretch. Hand has a 28-21 lead with two minutes remaining and is trying to run out the clock when Bowman calls a late hit on Cross, giving Hand a first down which basically seals the game for the Tigers. Cross coach John Acquavita realizes this and picks up an unsportsmanlike penalty to boot.
Although Bowman made the call, of course it's DeFelice who gets the lion's share of the fans' comments on the Cross side, especially after he calls an illegal formation right at the end. The usual stuff, though: "Good job, ref." "Way to give the game to them, ref" "You on the payroll in Madison?"
In the final minute, I get to make my contribution. Cross quarterback Dontay Long spikes the ball with 30 seconds remaining (it's now 35-21 Hand), and two plays later, it still says 3 on the down marker. Riccio and DeFelice meet to discuss and finally look to me (who they know is writing down every play for statistical purposes), and I give them a fist for fourth down, which it was supposed to be. Long throws an incompletion on the next play, the ball is turned over on downs, and the game is over.
I'm a little bit surprised than within 30 seconds off the final whistle, the referees are on their way out of the Surf Club like it's a getaway. At a local establishment near the Madison-Guilford line, they meet up with the crew from the Guilford-Hillhouse game (a 40-0 Hillhouse win) and discuss the night's proceedings.
DeFelice is quick to rib Bowman about the unsportsmanlike call and leaving him standing next to the guilty sideline. Riccio (and Bowman agrees) says that the second penalty (on the coaches) may have been a bit harsh because the original penalty was in a big spot and they needed to vent, within reason of course.
As they share their postgame meal, it is obvious that these officials are not there for the money (probably a lot of which was actually spent on dinner), but because they love what they do. For those of us that aren't refs, that seems like a masochistic point of view, but just like anything else in life, the enjoyment is what pushes them forward, why they put up with the abuse and the lack of recognition to go out there every week.
Most of you that have been reading this know I've been around for more than a decade doing this, and Riccio and his crew are probably the best in the high school game right now (and the New Haven board seems to be a step above some of the other boards). The fact that they allowed me the access that they did Friday night probably proves that point.
And - my main reason for doing this as well - before you abuse referees, remember that without officials, there is no game. And if you think you can do better? By all means, give it a shot. Riccio, in his 37th season, will be glad to show you the way.
FLU BUGS: Last week's game of the week between Cheshire and West Haven was postponed to next Friday after a number of Cheshire players came down with the flu (with the number of flu cases going around, tests for the H1N1 virus are rarely given to high school kids). Coach Mark Ecke said it was about 40 percent of the team, meaning everything - including practice - was cancelled until Monday.
No one here is accusing Cheshire of any shenanigans, but it was a bit curious, compared with the Guilford situation of a couple weeks back. In that case, the whole school was shut down, no sports were allowed to play or practice for the rest of the week. But at Cheshire, the limitations were confined to the football team. School went on as scheduled, the swimming team captured the SCC title, the girls soccer team captured a share of the conference crown, while the volleyball squad went to the SCC finals, all last week while the football team was on the sidelines.
Regardless of the circumstances, the Class LL playoff picture is now even more muddled than it was last week, with Cheshire still having three games remaining and seven teams having one loss or fewer with only two weeks left. Remember, Xavier has West Haven this week, but then winless Middletown on Thanksgiving. It's beginning to look like a team with one loss might be on the outside of the playoff picture looking in.
EXTRA POINTS: Meanwhile, in Class MM, three losses might be enough to get North Haven in for the second time in three years if the Indians can win their last two games, and with Jonathan Law and Amity remaining, you have to give them a shot. They will need some help, but don't be completely surprised if it's North Haven making the long trip to New Canaan on a cold Tuesday night in December ... The Cheshire-West Haven game was also the Channel 9 Game of the Week, so they switched on the fly to the Foran-Notre Dame contest. Yes, the game was a rout and, yes, it was 49-7 at halftime, but it was still a little more competitive than the Hamden-Fairfield Prep game the week before. The Lions had some success moving the ball, but just fell victim to turnovers. They couldn't stop the Green Knights at all, but no one has thus far this season ... Elsewhere around the league, it was a pretty uneventful week. Hamden struggled with Lyman Hall, which was surprising. Wilbur Cross seemed to have the upper hand against Daniel Hand (pun somewhat intended), but let the game slip away. Hillhouse drubbed Guilford, North Haven made short work of East Haven, but not quite as short as other teams have, same with Xavier against Fairfield Prep, while Law continues its slide in a lopsided loss to Branford.
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PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ryan DeAngelis, Shelton - DeAngelis ran for 182 yards and three scores on just 20 carries as the Gaels continued to stay hot, particularly on offense, as they pulled away late from Amity for an easy 46-23 win. Shelton has won four straight after a three-game losing streak found them at 1-3 through four games of the campaign.

GAME OF THE WEEK
Xavier at West Haven, Friday, 7 p.m. - Let's try this again, shall we? After last week's game against Cheshire was postponed, West Haven will have had 15 days off going into this huge tilt, while the Falcons will have had only six. Xavier is the hotter of the two teams, but their offense has not been terribly explosive of late, and if the Blue Devils can control Julian Hayes and the line of scrimmage at all, they have a shot to pull the upset and become the best friend of everyone else in the Class LL playoff race.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
413
Number of yards of total offense per game for Foran this season, good enough for seventh in the state according to Maxpreps. Not a bad effort this season from a squad that lost two of the most explosive players in the league to graduation in Tyler Hames and Jake White. The Lions could finish at 7-3 this season if they can beat Branford and Jonathan Law.
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POWER RANKINGS
1) Notre Dame (7-1; Last Week 1) – Knights rooting against Simsbury to lose in Class L playoff race.
2) Xavier (7-1; LW 2) – Only West Haven stands between Falcons and probable LL postseason berth.
3) Cheshire (6-1; LW 4) – Unexpected week off. Will it hurt them or help them? We'll find out.
4) Hamden (7-1; LW 3) – Dragons tied with Lyman Hall in the fourth quarter? Not confidence inspiring.
5) Shelton (5-3; LW 5) – Gaels' offense is sizzling. Too bad we'll never see them against Notre Dame.
6) West Haven (4-3; LW 6) – Have 15 days off before taking on Xavier Friday at Ken Strong.
7) Hand (4-4; LW 7) – Pulled it out late against Cross, will try to slow down Shelton this week.
8) North Haven (5-3; LW 8) - Will need a lot of help, but they could be in the playoff hunt yet.
9) Foran (5-3; LW 11) - Moving up after being down 42 at halftime? They'll have to prove it this week.
10) Lyman Hall (3-5; LW 12) - Is Hamden struggling, or are the Trojans playing that well? Dunno.
11) Amity (2-5; LW 9) – And for the Spartans' troubles, they get to host Notre Dame this Friday.
12) Wilbur Cross (3-5; LW 10) – Looked like they should have had a win last week, but got away.
13) Hillhouse (4-4; LW 13) - Academics came to life against Guilford last week. Good for them.
14) Branford (5-3; LW 15) - Hornets still holding out hope for a 7-3 campaign, which would be good.
15) Sheehan (3-4; LW 14) - Yet another team that had a bye last week. Can we find a 20th team?
16) Jonathan Law (3-5; LW 16) - Lawmen are limping home with two tough games remaining.
17) Guilford (1-6; LW 17) - Indians followed up a good effort with a poor one, but still three games left.
18) Fairfield Prep (0-8; LW 18) - And for a respite, the Jesuits get to face a rested Cheshire Friday.
19) East Haven (0-8; LW 19) - If they're going to break the losing streak, it's going to have to be this week.