Weekend Review....Friday Night at the Celina Fieldhouse

Happy Valentine Day!  For those of you who celebrate those sort of festivities.....

Running late today....I almost (keyword "almost") decided to continue to break the ice from the walkways.  Patricia(did most) and I got some of it cleared off over the weekend, as the temperatures "soared" into the 40s...with some ample sunshine to help the snow banks shrink.  However, with the heavy cover of ice beneath the snow, it still will require a number of warmer days, with plenty of sun and/or rain to rid us of this mess...thus making a mess of mud, especially on the
roads and in my back yard.....

 Bulldogs vs Bulldogs-Working the Fieldhouse___

As I mentioned on Friday's post....I was assigned to work the Celina Field House by the Western Buckeye League on Friday night....a JV boys contest between the home town Bulldogs and the visiting Elida Bulldogs.  I would have never accepted nor would I be assigned a hometown game of the Varsity level in WBL Basketball.   The games are intense, with much emotion and drama to work a home varsity game of that level, not that I or most officials would ever be a "Homer", it is just one of the unwritten rules, you don't do your home school Varsity contests at the home site.   However, as it turned out, my JV partner had to work both our game and the varsity that followed.

Celina had little trouble dispatching Elida in the JV contest...leading by as much as 25, they cruised to a 57-39 win...some complaints from fans and coaches, as their always is, but nothing major.  I did blow one call for sure, calling a foul on a Celina player after a made basket by Elida...the score was a 23 point lead late in the 3rd quarter, so it made no difference in the game, despite at least one Celina fan getting in my ear...I basically gave him that "I don't give a Shit what you think" look...let's face it, there are few perfect officiated games, and this one by me, wasn't....I've done worse, done better....it goes with the territory.

After our game was finished, Bruce, the AD, came in and told us that one of the Varsity officials had not shown up and he couldn't get a hold of him....needless to say, I wasn't going to work this game, and he wasn't going to ask.  Varsity Baseball, in a non-league game is one thing....no way in a Varsity Basketballl game was it going to happen, especially given the importance of the contest.  So my JV partner, Mike out of Lima, was given the opportunity to officiate the league contest.

I walked out and sat with some locals, including my barber, George for the entire varsity contest.  The game was intense, and the coaches were up and down...Mike caught it from both benches, especially Elida, as well as the fans.  With the exception of a couple of "iffy" calls, given the circumstances, I though he did an excellent job.  Celina jumped out by 16 in the first half, and had to hold on late, as Elida poured in almost a dozen treys(going 11 for 25 in three point shots), before finally falling 77-71.  Celina{with another win Saturday} now is tied for the league lead with Ottawa-Glandorf at 6-1 in the WBL, and with 13 straight wins, stands at 15-2 overall...securing the #1 seed for the upcoming Sectional Tournament at Ada, where they will take on the winner of league rivals, St. Marys and Wapak.  Meanwhile the Celina Bulldogs and O-G will face off the final Friday of the season on February 25th....at least a share of the league title will be on the line.

I survived my night at the Field House, and have accepted another JV game there next season...what the heck?  It's a 5 block drive,  so why not?  Saturday I drove to Allen East High School, where I worked a girls game...and of the 5 officials for the two contests, 4 of us had worked together in baseball, and 3 of us in football...good to see old faces.


Tonight no games....so I will get in a full night of Dartball at home at St. Johns.  We have no chance for the 2nd half championship, but can take over second place, and with one win, against the team with the leagues worst 2nd half record, will assure us of a winning half.   I have clinched a all-star spot for the 14th time in 17 seasons.  The post season tournament starts next Sunday...right after we return from Hal and Lisa's reception at Fairborn....we will head for the Hope Hotel on Saturday afternoon, and return early Sunday afternoon.

back later>>>>

Photos-The Officials Dressing Room at the 72 year old Celina Fieldhouse...not much has changed since my days in the 1960s...except the lighting and floor(2nd photo) are both much brighter than those days of my youth.  Celina's green and white varsity and JV teams both came out on top this past Friday over the orange and black Elida Bulldogs.  And the final round of the regular season comes to a close tonight for the Wabash Valley Dartball League...post season tournaments start next weekend.