Harpursville Central High School | Archive | May, 2013

The Arbiter

It has been said that “umpiring is the only occupation where a man has to be perfect on opening day and improve as the season goes on.”  The source of that quote is not known, but anyone who has been an arbiter understands its sentiments completely.  The excitement when the home team wins and the frustration when they lose is felt by many, and often the arbiter – the referee, the umpire, the official who makes the calls – is singled out as the cause when the team loses.  Many fans don’t stop to consider that that official is there, is getting paid, to make the tough and controversial, calls.  If all calls were easy and noncontroversial, the players or coaches or fans could call them.  It is the close, difficult decisions that led to the need of professional arbiters.  And the need for professional arbiters in turn led to the need for their training.

It takes an investment of time to become an official.  First year officials for high school sports have to train extensively before they get on the field or court, logging dozens of hours in classroom instruction and on-site training.  They must pass written tests and participate in simulated game evaluation before they are allowed to begin actual officiating.  Once started, they begin at the lowest levels of the sport and are constantly evaluated by active officials.  If their performance is deemed satisfactory, they can begin the often slow process of “moving up” to the higher levels of the sport.  Depending on the sport and the particular official, it can be four or five years before being permitted to do varsity level games.  In order to umpire at the highest levels, i.e. Sectionals and State Championships, active umpires are rated by their peers and asked to officiate.  They are then rated at the sectional level and a select few are allowed to officiate at the state level.    

It also takes a financial investment to become an official.  An arbiter must pay dues to various organizations and purchase the necessary uniforms and equipment.  They also usually pay a percentage of their game fees to the assignor who schedules the officials.  Taking into consideration travel and other expenses such as accident and liability insurance, most arbiters make at or near minimum wage for the first four or five years of their careers.       

In addition to time and finances, it ultimately takes a personal and emotional investment to become a successful official.  To be able to ignore one’s own feelings and make a correct call that favors a coach that has been critical of you the whole game is not easy.  But it is necessary.  To be just as intense for a minor league youth game as you are for a high school sectional championship game isn’t easy.  But it is necessary.  Umpire Doug Harvey, in his acceptance speech to the Baseball Hall of Fame put it this way, “I have heard it said that umpires are a ‘necessary evil.’ Well, we are necessary, but we are not evil. We are hard-working and dedicated people whose primary interest is to make sure the game is played fairly. We are the integrity of the game.”

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Fab Four to Continue Running After Graduation

Harpursville’s running fab four (Seniors Jack Hillenbrand, Will Villano, Mike Lake, Josh Gaudette) will continue competitive running next year.  Villano will run for SUNY Cortland; while Hillenbrand, Lake, and Gaudette will run for legendary Broome CC Coach Tom Carter.  Collective championships include:  MAC Boys Cross Country team champions, MAC 4800 Meter Relay Champions, MAC Distance Medley Relay Champions.    Villano was MAC Boys Cross Country individual champion and Section IV Class D 800 Meter champion.  In addition to winning many local road races; Hillenbrand is the MAC Steeplechase Champion, MAC 3200 Meter Champion, Section IV Class D Steeplechase champion, and Section IV Class D champion.

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Sectional Champions

Press and Sun Bulletin

March 3, 2013

BINGHAMTON — Call it a surprisingly smooth path to victory for Harpursville’s girls, who on Saturday made it two Section 4 Class C basketball championships in a three-season span.
Miranda Drummond’s 27 points headed the Hornets in a 60-36 dismantling of Unatego at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.

Against an opponent they’d fallen to twice this season, the Hornets’ lead was of the two-digit variety for the first time in the opening quarter and for keeps over the final 17 1-2 minutes.

Ahead for Harpursville (18-3) is a state quarterfinal against Cooperstown (20-2) set for 1 p.m. Saturday at SUNY-Oneonta.

“We got into our game instead of playing their game. We got in our own flow and we did our thing,? said senior guard Savannah Murray, who scored 10 Harpursville points.

“We made smarter decisions with the ball and as a team just played together.?

Oh, and Arena savvy may have factored in.

Saturday marked Harpursville’s third consecutive appearance in the final. Unatego hadn’t appeared in the title game in decades.

“We know it’s a hard place to shoot in sometimes and it’s just a whole experience that we’re used to,? said Hornets coach Kurt Ehrensbeck, whose blueprint called for – and resulted in – a whole lot of layups that can be converted in any building.

Rebound-and-run was the recurring theme for the Hornets, who repeatedly beat Unatego up the floor for transition goals. Spearheading the fast break was junior forward Drummond, not only the leading scorer on the floor but the finest athlete and least guardable player.

“We knew they were going to double-team the defensive rebound to keep us from running, so we talked to Miranda about ripping the ball over the top and getting up the middle of the floor,? Ehrensbeck said. “Or, power dribbles to the side and run the break up the sidelines – and we were able to do both at times.?

Either way, Harpursville’s advantage in speed and mobility was the difference from outset through conclusion.

Four scorers contributed to a 16-7 Harpursville advantage through a quarter, and it was 33-21 midway through. At halftime, Drummond had 13 points and rapidly improving sophomore Shelby Medovich 10 of her 13.

Try as they might, the Spartans were unable to cope with Drummond in the open court.

Three minutes into play she handled from end-to-end only to feed Medovich for a goal to make it 8-0. To close first-quarter scoring, Drummond snared a defensive rebound and handled into the forecourt on a sequence Murray finished with a layup.

A one-gal fast break – Drummond rebounding, dribbling the distance, finishing and tacking on a free throw – had the Hornets up by 21-9 early in the second.

A tricky mid lane-to-block feed from Drummond to Tatianna Sosnowsky made for a goal and 29-15 lead.

Drummond opened second-half scoring by banging a 3-pointer, and Medovich added a three over Unatego’s zone next trip down courtesy of high-quality ball movement.

A left elbow-to-right block pass from Murray set up Holly Henry for an easy one and a 45-27 Hornets advantage with 3 1-2 minutes remaining in the third quarter.

As the game unfolded, it became increasingly apparent that Harpursville was going to be productive whether on the run or out of a half-court set.

“We made some great interior passes to kids who usually don’t score,? Ehrensbeck said. “We’ve got Miranda scoring 22 a game and Savannah scoring 17, but we spread it out pretty good today. We tried to look for where the possible weakness would be and tried to attack that.?

Of the Hornets’ winning defensive game plan, Murray said: “Box out, rebound, don’t let them get 2-3 opportunities each time down the court.?

Said Ehrensbeck: “We’re playing state-level type defense right now. We’re physical, where we haven’t most of the year.?

Three players scored eight points apiece for Unatego.

The next test for Harpursville is a Cooperstown squad whose lone losses have been dealt by Class B foes, and who feature a freshman guard named MVP of the Section 3 tournament.

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