By John Bassetti

bassetti@vindy.com

Youngstown

Bob Nacarato will be one of five men on the football officiating crew for the first game at the new Rayen Stadium on Saturday.

It’s not unusual except that he was also a member of a five-man crew that worked the last game at the stadium in 2006 before Rayen High School closed in June, 2007.

The Rayen-Akron East game on Sept. 30, 2006 was more symbolic than anything — it was the only varsity game since a pressbox arson fire on April 2, 1983. A fire also inflicted $5,000 worth of damage to the scoreboard in July, 1987.

Now beginning his eighth year as a member of the Youngstown District Football Officials Association, the Rayen graduate was in his second year in 2006, when the stadium was revived for an afternoon.

“I remember looking up and seeing a shanty where the pressbox once stood,” Nacarato said of the structure, which he believes was made in a Rayen shop class. “It was more of a lean-to as a pressbox.”

He remembers the overcast day with a 2 p.m. kickoff — same as this weekend’s.

“The bleachers weren’t filled,” Nacarato said, estimating the attendance at maybe 2,000, “and the scoreboard was in the back of a pickup truck.

“We had to acclimate ourselves to where things were.”

Nacarato, a member of the line-of-gain crew (chain gang), remembers working with line judge Gerald Fordham, referee Jeff Vrabel and umpire Kenny Krantz.

Nacarato recalled that quarterback Sal Battles led Rayen to a 30-20 win over Akron East.

The game also allowed alumni to have one last public tour of the school before it closed.

Whether his 2012 season-opening assignment was happenstance, Nacarato can’t say, but when he received his contract from assignor Mike Butch Sr. he was pleasantly surprised.

“I said to myself, ‘that’s terrific,’ but I think it’s just luck of the draw,” he said.

His crewmates will be referee James Zarlenga, umpire William Bagnola, back judge Mike Vaschak and line judge Adrian Foster.

“I feel privileged because it’s a thing to put a smile on my face to realize I had this game,” he said.

As linesman, Nacarato’s main responsibility is the line of scrimmage.

“I’ve got to make sure that seven players [on each side] aren’t in the neutral zone at the snap and that there’s no false starting before the snap.”

Being situated on the visitor’s side, it’s also Nacarato’s job to take care of the first-and-10 markers.

“I’ve got to make sure the [chain] is clipped on the backside of the 5-yard hashes in case the chain gang guys have to get rid of their sticks,” Nacarato said of assuring the legitimacy of the line-to-gain position in the event of crew dispersal.

“If the players sweep your way, you’ve got to move,” he said of avoiding possible injury.

Once the play starts, Nacarato is watching receivers or the players split wide on the line.

“I’m watching the blocking of receivers and pulling guards, to make sure there are no blocks in the back or holding. If the ball’s in my zone and when the runner’s down, I’ve got to mark the spot and, being a good dead-ball official, I’ve to make sure there are no shenanigans going on when the play is over,” he said of late hits and other tactics that may violate fair play.

Rayen’s resurgence is long overdue, in Nacarato’s opinion.

SDLqI think it’s a good thing, not only for East, but for Youngstown Christian, Ursuline and Cardinal Mooney to maybe get into more of a high school-type stadium, a smaller venue,” he said.

“When you go to an Ursuline game and they draw maybe 3,000 or 4,000, they’re lost in a 17,000-seat Stambaugh Stadium. To play at a right-sized stadium would be more of a home field advantage. I’m not saying that’ll ever happen, but it would be a nice thing to happen.”

Of the scoreboard for Saturday’s game, Nacarato said: “If I see a truck pulling up, I’m going to be a little worried.”