6A — BAKER CITY HERALD
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2020
High school referees also
eager to get back to action
By Corey Kirk
ckirk@bakercityherald.com
Student-athletes aren’t
alone in wanting to get back
to competition after seven
months of restrictions due to
the coronavirus pandemic.
Referees have also missed
the excitement of a competi-
tive atmosphere.
“The high schools are tell-
ing us that they don’t have
any games planned (for the
fall), but they want us to
be prepared, said Brandon
Torres of Baker City, who
referees high school soccer
matches. “It’s diffi cult to be
prepared when you plan out
your life.”
When the pandemic
started in March, basketball
teams, including Baker’s
defending state champion
girls squad, were preparing
for state tournaments.
The cancellation of most
tournaments was a shock,
said Jack Folliard, executive
director of the Oregon Athlet-
ics Offi cials Association.
“And in the spring, sports
like softball and baseball
were wiped out,” Folliard said.
Torres, who has been a
soccer referee for 13 years,
immediately felt the effect of
the pandemic.
He has refereed high school
games for the Oregon School
Activities Association, U.S.
Soccer (club play) and for
younger players.
Torres also likes to play the
sport.
“The only sport I really
enjoy is soccer, there is a big
group of adults that also
play, and we couldn’t do that
either,” Torres said. “Not being
able to referee in the spring
for Eastern Oregon soccer
league in Union County and
not being able to play at the
same time, was a big prob-
lem.”
In Oregon, referees and of-
fi cials are labeled as indepen-
dent contractors. How they
end up getting compensated
study the sports.
He said he tried to get into
refereeing right after high
school but stopped soon after,
only returning to it years
later.
“I had thought because I
was a player and I had been
playing since I was two years
old I knew the rules,” Torres
said. “If you are interested, go
ahead and pass the test, obvi-
ously study the rule book fi rst.
Get with a group of referees
that are willing to mentor you
as an assistant referee.”
The future of high school
sports depends on whether
students return to in-person
classes, at least on some days.
The Baker School District
has no timeline for when
Baker High School students
could resume in-person
classes, even on a hybrid
Kathy Orr / Baker City Herald, File basis, with students attending
A referee (in yellow shirt) watches an October 2019 soc-
classes at the school on two
cer match as Baker’s Brooklyn Jaca, No. 5, and Maya
days per week.
Smith, No. 6, play against La Grande.
If BHS does start in-person
classes, athletes could start
depends on the sport, and
using electronic whistles,
practicing Dec. 28 for the
what level they are offi ciating. which don’t require that they winter sports — basketball,
They are paid by the schools, remove their face masks.
wrestling and swimming.
Folliard said.
Torres said he under-
The schedule for the usual
“The schools pay a set
stands the precautions, but fall sports — football, volley-
fee per offi cial, per game,”
he isn’t overly worried.
ball, soccer and cross-country
Folliard said. “It’s a little bit
“I’m not one of those
— would start with prac-
different in each sport, and
alarmist people where I
tices Feb. 22, and traditional
it is slightly different if it is a think it should run our
spring sports would start
6A school or a 1A school.”
lives,” Torres said. “If I get it April 19.
With high school sports
I will stay away from people
Torres said he’s ready to
potentially resuming in Or-
and get better.”
return to the soccer pitch.
egon in January, Folliard has
The effects of the pan-
“I would be back to my
been busy working on plans
demic could exacerbate a
normal routine immediately
to keep referees, players and problem that has plagued
if that was an option,” Torres
coaches safe.
high school athletics for
said.
“We are talking about de-
several years, Folliard said:
Those interested in offi ciat-
pending on the sport whether a shortage of referees.
ing can learn more at www.
offi cials will be wearing
“The numbers have been newoffi cials.org
masks like that we’ve seen
decreasing for several years,
sometimes on TV,” Folliard
if we lose a lot of offi cials
said. “The other issue we are because of COVID we are
trying to deal with are those going to be in more dif-
sports that require whistles, fi culty getting the games
we are trying to fi gure out
covered,” Folliard said. “We
whether that could be done
need people to sign up to be
with a regular whistle or an
an offi cial more so now than
alternative type whistle.”
ever.”
Referees for the National
Torres encourages people
Football League have been
interested in offi ciating to
Russell Wilson making his
case as the NFL’s top player
Seattle Seahawks
quarterback Russell
Wilson has accomplished
nearly everything a start-
ing quarterback can. He
immediately secured the
starting role for the orga-
nization that drafted him in the third round
in 2012. He’s been a Pro Bowl pick every year
except 2016. In 2014 and 2015 Wilson led the
Seahawks to the Super Bowl, including their
fi rst championship.
But one thing has eluded Wilson: the Most
Valuable Player award.
He hasn’t even been in the conversation,
never having received a single MVP vote.
Not even in 2019, when Wilson completed
66.1% of his passes with 30 touchdowns and
just fi ve interceptions. He was named to the
Pro Bowl again, but Baltimore quarterback
Lamar Jackson won the MVP award.
How is it possible that Wilson hasn’t gotten
a single MVP vote during his eight seasons?
Obviously he doesn’t get enough credit for
the model of consistency he has been in the
Emerald City. Besides racking up the seven
Pro Bowls, he has led his team to the playoffs
every season except 2017. Although at 5-foot-
11 Wilson is 3 inches shorter than the average
NFL quarterback, the
disadvantage doesn’t
phase him. Whether it is
COREY
with his arm or his legs,
KIRK
Wilson is as reliable an
offensive threat as there
is in the NFL.
And now fi nally, in his ninth season, Wilson
has placed himself as a frontrunner in the
MVP race.
After four games, Wilson has completed
75.2% of his passes for 16 touchdowns and just
two interceptions. He is the top fi ve for pass-
ing yards (1,285), quarterback rating (83.4)
and overall rating (136.7). The stats speak for
themselves — he is having one heck of a start.
Still, Wilson will need to continue to post
stellar numbers if he is to outpace challengers
such as Jackson and Kansas City quarterback
Patrick Mahomes. Both benefi t from having
taken the league by storm recently, whereas
Wilson’s excellence is marked more by its
consistency.
It’s early in the season, of course — maybe
too early to be talking about handing out
trophies.
But the unbeaten Seahawks are one of the
teams to watch in the NFL, and Wilson is the
unquestioned leader.
Robert Gauthier /Los Angeles Times-TNS
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert
is hit by Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Michael
Danna (51) as he scores a touchdown on Sept. 20
at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Herbert named
Chargers’ starter
By Joe Reedy
AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES — Anthony Lynn has taken the
temporary starter tag off quarterback Justin Herbert.
The Los Angeles Chargers coach on Thursday
named Herbert the starter for the rest of the season,
beginning with Monday night’s game at New Orleans.
“He has impressed me from the very beginning. I
think he’s shown the consistency that you look for,
especially in a rookie quarterback,” Lynn said. “He’s
made some pretty nice throws and some great plays.
So I think this young man is just going to continue to
get better.”
Tyrod Taylor was the starter going into the season
and directed the Chargers to a Week 1 win over Cin-
cinnati. But the 10-year veteran suffered a rib injury
during the game and then suffered a punctured lung
while receiving a pain-killing injection before LA’s Sept.
20 game against Kansas City. Taylor was taken to the
hospital and Herbert found out he was getting his fi rst
NFL start less than a minute before kickoff.
Lynn said after that game — a 23-20 overtime loss
to the Chiefs during which Herbert became the ninth
QB since the merger to throw for 300 yards in his fi rst
start — that Taylor would return under center when
he was “100%.” Herbert’s play changed Lynn’s mind.
With Taylor returning to practice this week, Lynn
said he made the decision Tuesday and informed both
players.
“Tyrod is a veteran quarterback with a winning
record in this league. I thought it would have been
ideal for us to play this year with him as a starter and
Justin to watch and learn, similar to what Patrick
Mahomes did in Kansas City. But it didn’t work out
that way,” Lynn said. “He got thrown into fi re. And I
thought he handled the situation well, and I want to
see more of him. And it’s not going to be a situation
where he’s looking over his shoulder.”
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EOU football could start in February
HELENA, Mont. (AP) —
The Frontier Conference has
approved a conference-only
football schedule with games
beginning in late February,
the league announced.
Each of the league’s eight
teams, including Eastern
Oregon University, are sched-
uled to play the other teams
once during a seven-week
season that starts on Feb. 27
and ends on April 10. There
will be no nonconference
games. Game dates may be
changed as recommended by
the schools and local health
offi cials, the conference said
Wednesday.
The NAIA football playoffs
are scheduled to begin on
April 17 and the national
championship is currently
set for May 10 in Grambling,
Louisiana.
The Frontier Conference
football teams are: Carroll
College, College of Idaho,
Eastern Oregon, Montana
Tech, Montana Western,
Montana State-Northern,
Rocky Mountain and South-
ern Oregon.
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