By Steve Ruman

sports@vindy.com

They are among the first to arrive at the stadium, and the last to leave.

They are as close to the action as the players themselves, yet they prefer to avoid contact.

Though constantly the target of verbal abuse from coaches and fans, they strive to be seen and heard as little as possible.

They are the men in the striped shirts, the zebras — the game officials who maintain order at high school football games throughout the Mahoning Valley.

Ohio generally uses five-man officiating crews. The referee, umpire, head linesman, line judge and back judge are assigned specific duties, and are stationed at specific locations on the field. In short, they are the highway patrolmen of the gridiron. Their eyes are trained to spot offenders for the sake of safety and fair play.

“Fans think we like to throw flags. I would just as soon never have to reach in my pocket,” Tony Montana said. “The funny thing is, most of the time the players and coaches who are right there will acknowledge their mistakes. But the fan who is sitting at the opposite end of the stadium is convinced his team is getting robbed.

“It’s just the nature of the game. It’s fans being fans, and any longtime official understands that.”

Montana has been officiating games for 43 years. His resume includes six state championship contests. And while he and his crew routinely work what is often considered the premiere game of the week in the Mahoning Valley, he insists there is no such thing.

“My belief is that the game being played on a Saturday afternoon between two Division VI schools is as important as the one being played under the lights at Mollenkopf,” Montana said. “Regardless of what’s at stake, to the kids on the field, that particular game means everything.”

Montana’s approach toward ungrateful fans is simple — don’t listen. He admits that as a young official, crowd reaction would sometimes stay in the back of his mind. Today, he has no trouble blocking out the noise because, “I know that every call I make will upset half of those in attendance.”

As for coaches?

“I can honestly say that our area has some of the best around. I’m talking great coaches and great human beings,” Montana said. “For the most part, these guys are tremendous to work with.”

And, coaches in turn acknowledge that the referees who work games in the Mahoning Valley are top-notch. Niles coach Brian Shaner said he believes he speaks for the vast majority of area coaches when he calls Valley-based officials “as good or better than any in the state.”

“The guys we see on a regular basis, they are very professional and very good at what they do,” Shaner said. “All the officials we deal with have the same goal in mind — fairness and player safety.

“As a whole, I really believe you won’t find better officials in the state than what we have right here in our backyard.”

Terry Swauger is in his 17th year of officiating high school football. He echoed the comments made by Montana, then reflected back to a playoff game he worked several years ago that pitted state powers Steubenville and Cardinal Mooney. Statistics from that game showed the two teams were flagged for 23 penalties.

“I didn’t hear a single complaint from either coach,” Swauger said. “It’s been my experience that the less successful a coach is, the more you hear from him. It seems like the less successful coaches are spending too much time worrying about calls, and not enough time coaching their teams.”

Preparation begins long before kickoff for game officials. Crews arrive 90 to 120 minutes before the start of a game. They meet with coaches, check field conditions, discuss their own gameplan and review mechanics.

Yes, they check the footballs to insure that there will be no deflategate issues at the high school level.

“I’ve never worked a varsity game where the umpire hasn’t checked the balls,” Swauger said. “Each team brings their game balls to the locker room and the umpire checks to make sure they are regulation then puts a specific marking on each ball. During the game, we make sure we’re using those marked footballs.”

There are also rule books which must be read and state rules meetings which are required throughout the off-season.

“I’ve even gotten film from coaches of games that I’ve worked so I can evaluate the work of me and my crew,” Swauger said. “As an official, you always want to stay on top of things.”

Eric Marino is now in his 20th season of officiating. He was persuaded to join the ranks by his father, Bob Marino, a 38-year veteran who now serves as an officiating observer for the Ohio High School Athletic Association.

“It’s a great way to stay close to the game,” Marino said. “My Dad kept insisting that I try officiating before I jumped into coaching. I was hesitant, but as soon as I got into it I loved everything about it.”

Marino especially enjoys the opportunity to meet the different coaches and visit the different area venues on a weekly basis. He also appreciates the fact that the job is less time-consuming and less stressful than coaching.

“People think we have it tough. We’re out there doing this for the love of the game. For the coaches, it’s their livelihood. That’s why a lot of refs are understanding and patient when coaches let off steam. We understand what the game means to them,” Marino said.

Interaction between officials and players also plays a key role in any game.

“We’re not out there trying to control a game. We just want to enforce the rules,” Marino said. “I try to communicate as much as I can with the players. If there’s a penalty, I’ll explain what they did wrong. If they are close to committing a penalty, I’ll give them a heads-up and tell them to be careful.

“In general, the players have great respect for the officials. They understand our role.”

Like Marino, Pete Mollica was persuaded into the officiating business by his late father Pete Sr., who was also a longtime area ref and a Vindicator sportswriter. In Mollica’s case, he was thrust into the role of referee while still in high school. It all started when his dad’s crew was several men short for peewee game.

“Me and a buddy filled in. I remember my Dad saying, ‘just go out there and don’t throw any flags.’ Well, we were throwing flags for everything. We were having a ball,” Mollica said. “I quickly realized that being a ref was a great way to stay involved with the game I loved. It provided me the best seat in the house.”

Today, a less flag-happy Mollica acknowledges that a well-played game is generally one which involves few penalties.

“The better a team is, the better disciplined they are. That is true almost without fail,” Mollica said. “Losing teams often complain that they were flagged way more than the opponent. That’s generally because a lack of discipline is a big reason a team struggles.”

When asked to describe the biggest change in high school football in recent years, Mollica never hesitated in referring to the up-tempo offenses which have become the norm.

“The spread is being used more often than not. Offensives are so wide open, and everyone wants to pass,” Mollica said. “It’s a whole different look than just a few years ago.”

In fact, today’s wide-open offenses have caused some schools in Ohio to resort to seven-man crews which include a field judge and side judge. Montana works college games which often add an eighth official – a center judge.

“Our [high school] crew almost always works with seven men,” Montana said. “Some schools are really pushing for this to become the norm. Football has changed so much in recent years that you almost need extra sets of eyes to keep up with the action.”

Montana noted that the players themselves have also changed.

“Twenty years ago, if you had a three or four guys over 200 pounds, you had a big team,” Montana said. “Now, you’ll see rosters filled with that type of size. And, they’re not only bigger, but much faster and better-conditioned.”

All of which makes for better football, according to Montana.

“The players, and the game itself is as good as its ever been,” Montana said. “And, I truly believe the best high school football is played right here in Northeast Ohio. That’s why we do what we do. It’s an honor to be part of the game.”