Pity the poor official. When Charles Naismith released his first guidelines for officials, it all seemed quite simple. Even the village idiot could call a 'travel' and thus the term 'Village idiot" and "Basketball official" are synonymous to most folks. I'd bet lots of good officials even think of themselves as village idiots for even thinking how it would be a great way to get some exercise, make a pittance, and more importantly serve as judge and jury on a basketball court serving up verdicts on truth and justice. So as I wandered the old relic known as "The Pit' during the Boys 5A and 6A Championship weekend while Andy was chained to Press Row, it became apparant that next to cheering one's own team, projecting ones own voice toward said officals is a close second during contests. Lets just call them "Refs' for now to keep it simple.

Somewhere over the years, the game of basketball has evolved. Players jump higher and are bigger, stronger and faster making the game of officiating tougher than ever. The most challenging call of all is "The Charge." Face it, the game has changed. Gone is the art of the fifteen foot jumper that constituted over fifty percent of scoring back when basketball shorts were so short they would be grounds for school expulsion (An amazing fact in its own right). Even the art of 'motion offense' is now geared for drives to the basket or open looks for the three point shot. In this day and age, so much of the scoring is done within an arms reach of the basket that 'the charge' has suddenly become the 'en vogue call' that eveyone loves to dispute. For Refs its easily the toughest to call. This weekend, you had Oregon City and Grant in the 6A Championship Game and there are no two better teams at 'getting to the the rack' than these two. Between OC's Brad Tinsley and Grants Mike James and Paul McCoy, constantly getting into the lane and driving it was making it a virtual nightmare for the Refs as every other whistle was the 'judge and jury' getting ready to declare a guilty party and an innocent one where fifty percent of the jury will agree that justice was served and fifty percent will declare the judge unfit to stand trial. While I'd love to see a shot clock finally embraced by the OSAA, I can also understand the arguments against. Also, the 'charge' isn't seen as commonly in the girls game but seems to be increasing rapidly within the boys rank. I'm not sure there's an easy remedy for 'the charge' and until the 'sweet science of the jumper' comes back into style, this will be hotly contested as the biggest area of consternation. For one, an easy decision may be copying a page out of the NBA and the small inner circle 'nuetral zone' where a player cannot establish position to draw on offensive foul would be cutting edge among the United States. That way, when the good folks from out of state come rolling in and throw down 'the absence' of shot clock, we Oregonians can counter with the "We gotta DMZ." Plus it would make the refs jump easier and it would be pennies to a shot clocks dollars to implement.

I'm not sure whats going on but the Ref is becoming an obsession with the fan. They've joined the elite club that includes "ex-wife, ex-hubby, arrogant in-law and political party opponent.' Grant fans were obsessing with the way's 'The Charge' were going Brad Tinsley's and Oregon City's way in the first half as opposed to how Paul McCoy was getting called. Maybe a 12-5 foul count and several Grant players in foul trouble will do that to the paranoid masses. Still, as I got up at the half with Grant nursing a lead and with the many of the Grants fans in back in back of Press Row, I told them I was going to plead their case to the officals but I'd need $5 from each one if it were to work. I could have walked out of McArthur Court with $500 as many were reaching for their wallets. It was a funny moment in a game that had a good feel all the way around. I will admit that Tinsley has a unique ability of getting to the basket in heavy traffic.

The one yawner game was Sherwood and Thurston. Thurston looked as good as any of the top teams 5A or 6A and Sherwood had ridden great bracketology and danced with Lady Luck to get this far, but was still as deserving as any other team regardless of what the one loud boorish Thurston fan was yelling when not continually riding the refs as if a conspiracy theory had been launched to keep the margin of victory to under 30. "Hey Stripes, what game are you watching cuz it aint the same one I'm watching' the middle aged Colt fan bellowed as he kept a running monlogue going with other Thurston fans informing them with a steady stream of 'pearls of wisdom' (as I am guilty of right now). "Hey ref, you gotta kid playin for Sherwood or what?' he yelled in the second half as "A Charge" went against the local team. From where I sat, it looked like the officiating was pretty even. Thurston committed 18 fouls to Sherwoods 14 and I'm a believer that usually the more agressive team wins. I did wonder how North Eugene had Thurstons number as Wiley is a treat to watch and should fit Ernie Kent's system quite well. He did remind me a tad of a kid from Creswell a few years back. If he can continue to develop his game, we could move from "the Lukes' to 'the Drews' if he and Viney get the SG/SF mojo going.

Andy did a great job of capturing snippets of the tournament and conveying the feeling of the tournament. What he did not expound of at length was how he covered 46 games the past three weeks and wrote about every one of them. This should be enshrined in either a Ripley's Believe It Or Not, Guiness Book of World Records or a padded cell at the HaHa Hotel.

The two finals were a treat to watch. In the 5A final between Corvallis and Jefferson, it had a great atmosphere thanks to super fan attendance from Corvallis who really helped pack the joint with three full rooter buses of high school classmates who stood and chanted the whole game. It was great to see after a morgue-like consolation bracket afternoon. Jefferson was no slouch either as plenty of Jeff fans made the trip down, and it was a win-win for them and Grant as many stayed for the Grant game since the communities of Northeast Portland are so intertwined that the Grant stands outnumbered the Oregon City crowd thanks to a nice assist from Jeff. The Pit was loud and vibe felt good. Four teams who all played well and produced a memorable double header with the PIL sweep.

Players I enjoyed watching...

Garrett Sim-This Cal Berkeley bound point guard from Sunset is as good as advertised. I liked him on this day more than Tinsley. Going against one of next years premier point guards, North Medford's Jordan Ellis, who was simply 'en fuego' in the first half, it was a great game for third place in the 6A. He outdueled Ellis to score 34 to Ellis's 27 with most coming in the crucial second half when the Apollo's needed him most.

"The Towers of Terrance" (Jefferson)- Jones and Ross has already arrived as a taller more athletic version of Aaron Miles and John Lee. Ross is graceful and can lauch a three ball that is drop dead gorgeous. Meanwhile, Jones is going to be the 'freak of nature' that will draw comparisons to Magic Johnson. Last year he was a 6'3 point guard and now he's 6'8 and almost unstoppable with the ball. He has a little ten foot floater shot that is solid 'money.'

Brad Tinsley (OC)-Reminds me of 'bumper cars' going to the basket. He kept making a steady stream of layups throw the Grant defenders even though they knew it was coming. Then he'd pull up and drain a three just for good measure. Smart and a better build than Sim for college ball. Whoever gets him has a treat.

Kalonji Paschal (Jefferson)-I really thought Jefferson was the best team in the tournament and the biggest reason was Paschal as the heady, smart leader of the club who made big plays on a continual basis. Didn't matter if it was the big pass, big steal, big rebound or basket, whenever the Demo's really needed a big play, he was the one to step up and make the play. Can't beleive he hasn't hooked up with a school although he's a young senior and could go to prep school if the right courtship doens't come along. I enjoyed watching him as a quarterback two years ago as well. Natuaral Born Leader, plain and simple.

Paul McCoy-While Mike James caught my eye and may be just as important, I love McCoy's game. He looked in control and played smart. When it became dangerous to go inside, he started nailing them from deep. As good as he is with hoop, I still like him on a football field even more. I thought he was as good as everybody's favorite Jordan Polk and as shorthanded as the Ducks are at receiver, still can't believe they didn't offer. He could be one of those 'special athletes' that could do both ala Jordan Kent.

Team-Loved watching Corvallis as a team play together. Smart seniors that really played 'team ball' as good or better than anyone else. During the finals, their usual stud Nadav Heyman had an off night but they still didn't lose a beat as they used him for a decoy and still matched Jefferson step for step by playing smart and taking good shots and blcoking out under the glass to deny the JeffJumpingJacks their usual obscene amount of putbacks that usually kill other teams.