Well that was fun

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First, I was a little surprised to get the assignment late Wednesday for the JV double header. That suggested someone was taken out of the game (or removed themselves) and that was confirmed when my partner showed as he got the assignment then as well.

We get on the floor and as I am having the coaches double check the book the home coach says "Hope you are ready" then added that he had requested two who "Knew how to handle and intense game and were confident." I figured it was a BS line and he was trying to smooze...nope, he was dead on.

There were only about 300 in attendance but for the secondary gym that made it full. And they were loud from the opening tip as the schools are long time rivals. This was at an old school so between the bench and the court there had to be a good two inches. We had told the coaches we understood that if they stood they would be on the court, just "watch out and work with us". At least we tried.

It started getting rough right away so we started calling everything trying to get them to settle down and just play. Between the first and second I told my partner that I had warned white 21 to leave the other team alone and he said "I was about to tell you the same thing." Right after the start of the second my partner calls a foul and as I am getting ready to toss the ball to the shooter white 21 starts jawing at him. I see my partner coming in as I drop the ball. I give him the stop sign as I grab my whistle...whack, white 21.

A few trips down the floor later my partner calls a travel on white and as I turn to go down the court the home coach is about 6 feet on the door, stomping his foot and yelling "How can he make that call"...whack.

Early in the third period I am at lead (opposite) as we are getting ready to come out of a time out when all of a sudden about 20 kids from the stands make a dash for the floor. I immediately hit my whistle and manage to move the players away from the sideline. One of the kids leaving comes out on the floor but there was a local LEO standing there. I pointed to the kid and told the officer "He's done. Get him out." After a couple of minutes the police and school officials have everything under control and we resume play.

The game stayed close all the way and the visiting team hit a three at the buzzer to send in to OT. On the second trip down the court for the visiting team I call a foul on white and point to the shooter. As I turn to report I hear my partner hit his whistle four or five times. I spin around to see blue 23 (who was going to be the shooter) put his hand in the chest of a player on white and shove him back a few feet. White 1 immediately retaliates with a two-handed shove that almost sends blue 23 to the floor. My partner and I are both hitting our whistles and get between them...both coaches are on the floor in the blink of an eye and we manage to stop things quickly (nobody left the bench for either team).

Coaches get their guys in front of their bench and my partner and I make sure we have the two numbers correct. I report everything and we get the replacements for the ejected players. As my partner administers the free-throws for the initial foul I explain what will happen to both coaches...they nod and we finish without further incident. Lucking white missed their three at the buzzer and we avoided a second OT.

Just another night in the gym.