Reff Gets Crunched, Cheerleader Holds Ground!

[Loudwhistle]

HS BV last night. Small gym, cheerleaders along sideline. First 20 seconds of game, I'm center and following the players down court as they are attempting to break a press. Player with the ball is making a beeline to get across the division line, while opponents are trying to cut him off against the sideline. I unfortunately am standing 2 feet out of bounds right about where the 3 players are going to meet if they don't change course. I attempt to move further down the court moving along sideline to keep play in full sight and hopefully get out of harms way. No luck! " Bang" into a 250 pound cheerleader I bump into and I am definitely not moving along side line anymore! At about the same time I'm "pinned" against this cheerleader (no comment Mark), the 3 players pile up and go crashing out of bounds into the bleachers! Guess who they landed on? Yep, I was on the bottom of the pile! 6'2" guard that landed on me said anything broke? I had started to whistle a block as the players came flying out of bounds into me. My whistle sound was kind of a tweeeEEEEET! The sound was greatly amplified at the end due to the direct torso hit on me which knocked the wind out of me. Expulsion of air from my lungs really made that whistle sing!! I crawled out of the malay (sp?) went around the cheerleader that never moved on impact and reported the block. Half the gym laughing other half deathly silent to see if I survived (I'm 5'11" 155 pounds so I don't have a lot of mass to stop oncoming players!) Damage report on me: nasty abrasion on shin (bled through pants by the end of the game), can't laugh or yawn without about p$ssing my pants due to very soar ribs, might have cracked a couple, right arm that was extended during fall has a big bruise and the back of my head has a very tender area as well. If you haven't piled into the bleachers since highschool, I can assure you they are as still as hard as ever! Gotta love this job!! Anyone have a similar story?