A visit to a St. Anthony's freshman game

BIAH Contributor Ray Floriani also works as a referee in his native New Jersey. He had a chance to ref a freshman game for St. Anthony's. Yes, that St. Anthony's.

Officiating assignment this afternoon called for a freshman game at St. Anthony. Yes that St.Anthony, the school with head coach the legendary Bob Hurley, and a program known nationally. Make that internationally.

Outside of Golden Door Charter School, St. Anthony's home court.

Came from a travel tournament in my Lyndhurst hometown and left my whistles at the gym. Luckily partner Manny Bernardez had a spare. St. Anthony is facing Memorial of West New York today and after a brief pre-game officials conference, we are ready.

Inside the gym.

Game starts out with the St. Anthony pressure defense setting the tone. Even the half court defense is getting in the passing lane, deflecting passes and starting transition breaks. Being on the floor and experiencing the St. Anthony intensity up close on defense is a perspective you can’t get from the stands. In a word maybe too often used but appropriate, awesome.

On one out of bounds I tell the St. Anthony player ‘hold your spot’ (as we are instructed to do). He answers, ‘thank you sir’. Bob Hurley is in Massachusetts with the varsity but the stamp on his program permeates all levels at the school. Courtesy to officials and sportsmanship are as important to Hurley as playing hard and relentlessly defending.

At the half it is 44-20 St. Anthony. We discuss a few items during the break and it is out on the floor. The second half sees no more full court pressure by the Friars. Both teams are now in a 2-3 zone and time moves. For St. Anthony’s guard quickness, size and the ability to move the ball on offense are too much. Memorial in their own right is not a bad team. They are relatively competitive but on this afternoon they are facing a team on another level. The Memorial players will challenge and take it to the basket hard. All too often St. Anthony has the answer on defense and is still forcing turnovers.

St. Anthony's freshman take chairs back to the storage room.

Despite facing a half court defense Memorial scores 6 second half points and loses 83-26. Following our game there is a knock on our officials’ room door. It is the St. Anthony freshmen team putting away chairs so the JV can practice. At St. Anthony you may be part of a marquee program but that does not excuse you from doing the ‘grunt work’. On and off the floor. The way it should be.

Says it all right there.