[Sleeper]

As far as I know he did quite well. He spent a great deal of time calling sub-varsity games and learning the rules and mechanics. I am sure that his non-football officiating experience would make him more composed that a rookie without it. I can tell you that from a personal standpoint, I called with him midway through the season, and I was impressed. We worked a 5A JV game together and the varsity head coach was on the sideline. The coach is a nice guy but difficult to work with. The official in question did a great job of dealing with him and managing the game as well as the rules application. Many of the veterans I called with this past season didn't have a good grasp of the rules. In fact, the ones who did are pretty memorable, because I jumped at the chance to call with them multiple times to learn. I would call with this official again.

I am not advocating this for every first year guy, but I can tell you that the right person with a dedication to learning and getting better can pull it off successfully. I worked with other first year guys who will need a couple of more years of seasoning before they call a varsity game. So I guess it varies from person to person.