Sports
A7
Saturday, November 20, 2021
DAVIS
CARBAUGH
CARBAUGH’S CORNER
Nobody
wins in
Gladstone
situation
s many are aware,
an investigation is
underway regarding
the alleged racism from La
Grande’s football team during
a state playoff matchup against
Gladstone.
The allegations listed by
Gladstone players and parents
outlined in an article from The
Oregonian are appalling, and
serious action should be taken
if proven true. With that being
said, it seems that the narrative
is already tilting in the direc-
tion that La Grande is guilty,
even though the investigation
is still ongoing. La Grande has
released two statements thus
far, neither of which admit to
any of the allegations.
This premature indictment
on La Grande is creating a dif-
fi cult situation for all sides
involved.
The La Grande School Dis-
trict, Gladstone School Dis-
trict and Oregon School Activ-
ities Association are diligently
looking into the allegations as
a conclusion to the investiga-
tion nears. A joint statement
released by all three entities
on Tuesday, Nov. 16, described
solidarity between the schools
and looked at ways to mend
the relationship between com-
peting sides.
The La Grande School Dis-
trict should be commended for
how it has handled the situation,
following OSAA guidelines
and doing what it can to provide
clarity into the situation.
However, the damage has
already been done in terms of
condemning La Grande’s rep-
utation. If the investigation
comes back and shows that the
players were not saying racial
slurs, La Grande’s name has
already been dragged through
the mud. A group of leading
Democrats from the Oregon
House of Representatives even
called out the school and called
for action. Again — these are
allegations, and the investiga-
tion is ongoing.
If the allegations are true,
that is a serious issue that the
school and athletic program
will need to handle moving
forward in order to avoid an
issue like this ever happening
again. However, it seems
unlikely that video or personal
accounts are going to reveal
any major outcomes to the
investigation.
Before any action is taken
or any names are slandered,
the full investigation must run
its course to get to the bottom
of what happened during that
playoff game.
———
Davis Carbaugh covers
news and sports for The
Observer. He can be contacted
at dcarbaugh@lagrandeob-
server.com.
A
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
Ab Orton, a referee with OSAA, walks off the fi eld after a game between La Grande and Vale on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. The OSAA is experiencing a referee shortage as it
enters into basketball season, just as it had during football season in 2021.
Coming up short
Referee shortage still lingering heading into winter sports season
By JEFF BUDLONG
For The Observer
LA GRANDE — George Gil-
lette isn’t blowing the whistle to
signal a panic-level problem when
it comes to the number of offi -
cials who will call prep basketball
games for the upcoming season.
But he could be reaching for it
soon.
The Blue Mountain Basketball
Offi cials Association commis-
sioner has seen a steady decline
in numbers for decades, but the
impact now is being truly felt.
Last spring’s pandemic-com-
pacted fi ve-week season tested
offi cials across the state and the
Blue Mountain Basketball Offi -
cials Association — which is
based out of Pendleton and han-
dles schools from the state line at
Milton-Freewater to Boardman
and south to Ukiah through Pilot
Rock — was no diff erent.
“We were extremely short and
we had less than half of what we
would normally have during a
regular season,” Gillette said.
The association usually counts
between 45 and 50 basketball offi -
cials able to work games in its
region, but during the spring that
number dropped to 17. It was fur-
ther pared down to 12 by the end
of the season because of injuries
or overwork. It led to a situation
where games were rescheduled or
even canceled.
Gillette said with the var-
sity and JV schedules of the 13
schools the association is assisting
this year, he is trying to cover
about 1,200 games. Schools are
moving games to diff erent days,
trying to fi nd enough offi cials
to work the games, but that only
does so much.
Gillette is hoping the number
of available offi cials increases
before games tip-off Dec. 1.
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
An OSAA referee on the fi eld waits for
the second quarter to start in a OSAA
2A state championship match between
Heppner and Regis on Saturday, Nov. 6,
2021.
It is not a basketball-specifi c
issue either. Football games were
being played on Thursdays and
Saturdays in addition to Friday to
try to alleviate some of the offi cial
shortage.
“Moving games around will
help, but most of the schools start
games at 3 p.m. and it is diffi cult
to get people to break away and
be able to be in a gym and toss a
ball up at that time,” Gillette said.
Lingering issue
Gillette held his fi rst meeting
for this season Nov. 1 and had
25 offi cials attend, but there is
a new problem he is having to
contend with.
“We don’t have a lot of low-
er-level offi cials, and last spring
basically all 16 offi cials asso-
ciations in Oregon were short-
handed,” he said. “The (Oregon
Schools Activities Association)
allowed the schools to take the
level of play at the JV level to the
JV2 level, which means they did
not have to use certifi ed offi cials
to work those games.”
Gillette said he is fearful that
could happen again this season.
It makes it diffi cult for schools
to fi nd individuals to referee the
games.
“The biggest issue is liability
because if you have an injury
there are a lot of things that could
come into play on the legal side,”
he said. “(Certifi ed offi cials) have
training in case of injury, and we
know what OSAA policy is.”
Other associations across the
state are facing similar situations
and can rarely send their offi cials
to other areas to cover another
associations’ games.
Disturbing trend
Referee shortage is not just an
Oregon issue but a nationwide
problem driven by several factors,
Gillette noted. It is a decline 30 to
40 years in the making with older
offi cials getting out for a variety
of reasons and no one there to
take their place.
“Young people watch games
growing up and see people in the
stands going crazy, and really
question whether they want to go
out and subjugate themselves to
being treated that way,” he said.
Gillette has been commissioner
for 24 years, but has been an offi -
cial for 52 years at the high school
level. He began as a 19-year-old
and has continued on. Today’s
athletes graduate and have many
other avenues to make money or
spend their time.
“Trying to get people involved
is very diffi cult,” he said.
The lack of offi cials can also
have an impact on the court
with more games offi ciated by
two-man crews rather than the
preferred three.
“Over half our games in the
spring had just two-man crews,”
Gillette said. “That is why peo-
ples’ bodies started breaking
down when they are working four
and fi ve nights a week. It doesn’t
mean in three-man that you don’t
run, but it is shorter distances and
your vision and focus is greater.”
Getting involved
Becoming a certifi ed offi cial
begins with a simple click of a
mouse on the “Become an offi -
cial” button on the OSAA web-
site. After choosing a sport, they
fi ll out an online information
sheet and the OSAA will reach
out to the proper association based
on where the individual lives.
For basketball, registration and
a fee is required as well as a back-
ground check. Individuals watch
a video on warning signs when an
athlete may have suff ered a con-
cussion, and there are six required
meetings or at least 10 hours of
instruction.
“People also have to take a
state certifi cation test that is 50
questions,” said Gillette, who said
people get three tries at the test.
To offi ciate at the junior varsity
or lower level, people only need
to take the test. A varsity-level
offi cial must score 75 or better.
To qualify for postseason assign-
ments, offi cials must have three
years of experience and score 90
or above.
The latest requirement is to
supply a COVID-19 vaccination
card or apply for a medical or reli-
gious exemption.
SPORTS SHORT
OSU coach says he’s not a candidate for Washington job
By NICK DASCHEL
The Oregonian
CORVALLIS — As Oregon
State football coach Jonathan
Smith continues to build his pro-
gram and have success, Beaver
fans aren’t the only one taking
notice.
Power 5 programs looking for
a coach are giving the 42-year-old
Smith a long look, too.
Washington fi red coach Jimmy
Lake on Sunday, Nov. 14, and
within hours Smith was promi-
nently mentioned by several media
sites as a potential replacement.
Smith spent four years at Wash-
ington as off ensive coordinator
prior to his hire at Oregon State in
December 2017.
Smith’s name also fi gures to get
some run for other jobs, perhaps
even as a dark horse candidate at
USC. Under Smith, Oregon State is
bowl eligible for the fi rst time since
2013.
Asked specifi cally about his
interest in the Washington job,
Smith said he had none.
“This place, what we’ve got
going, I feel confi dent in our direc-
tion,” Smith said. “I do think when
your name gets out there that’s
really just a nice compliment to
everything we’ve got going.”
Smith said he and athletic
director Scott Barnes talk weekly,
though it’s more about in-season
issues than the future. Smith has
four years remaining on his cur-
rent contract, which was renego-
tiated following the 2019 season.
Smith is the lowest paid head coach
among Power 5 schools this season,
making $2.5 million. The fi nal
year of his deal pays $2.9 million
in 2025.
If there are negotiations, Smith
said it’s as much about resources
as salary compensation. Items such
as a larger assistant coaches salary
pool and additional support staff
are important to him.
“I want to be able to continue
to keep this continuity as much as
possible. (Barnes) has been awe-
some, proactive with that, even
before we won six games,” Smith
said.
Leon Neuschwander/The Oregonian, File
Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith is the lowest paid head coach
among Power 5 schools at $2.5 million this season.