State finals illegal uniform redux

[Amesman]

... And that Illinois team stuck by its guns and wore its illegal stripes again in the third-place game. Check out this piece -- with anonymous officials' comments included:


Lawndale shows up in same uniforms for 3rd-place game
Assessed with technical before game vs. Leo

By Bob Sakamoto | Tribune staff reporter

PEORIA - Less than 24 hours after being penalized for a uniform violation, North Lawndale was back at Carver Arena in the same white jerseys with the illegal stripe.

One referee walked over to press row, shook his head and said: "It's those same uniforms. I'm going to have to assess a technical foul.''

Leo's James Pointer made one of two free throws to start Saturday's Class 3A third-place game and Leo led 1-0 before the tipoff.

In Friday's 3A semifinal, North Lawndale also began the game trailing 1-0 before the opening tipoff. Illinois High School Association Assistant Executive Director Kurt Gibson ruled that Lawndale's illegal uniform mandated a technical foul.

Champaign Centennial's Jeff Johnson made one of two technical free throws. As it turned out, North Lawndale lost by that one point, 66-65.

After his team's 91-77 victory over Leo on Saturday, North Lawndale coach Lewis Thorpe said he wasn't trying to send a message to the IHSA by showing up in the same illegal uniforms.

"We wore the same uniform we have worn all year,'' Thorpe said. "We had the uniforms from our sophomore team with us. They are in my hotel room.

"But when I checked with Kurt Gibson on Friday, he said that those uniforms were also in violation of the rules. Now, we wore those uniforms all last year---including the 2A state championship game---and nobody ever said anything."

Gibson confirmed that Thorpe had offered to wear last year's uniforms for Friday's game.

"But as I told coach Thorpe, those uniforms were also illegal,'' Gibson said.

North Lawndale activities director Brandon Lenore delivered last year's uniforms to Peoria on Friday morning.

Two officials spoke to the Tribune on the condition of anonymity.

"I thought North Lawndale got a raw deal,'' one referee said. "But we have to enforce the rule. I was aware of the uniform rule, but I know some refs didn't know about it.

"All the officials did have a meeting with Kurt Gibson before the state tournament began and the uniform rule was clarified.''

What about next season if this official encounters a team wearing an illegal uniform?

"The first time it happens, I will issue a warning to the team,'' the referee said. "If I work their game a second time and they're wearing the same uniforms, I'll call a technical foul.

"If the officials had given North Lawndale a technical foul for their uniforms at the regionals or sectionals, it might have been a different outcome in Peoria.''

Another high school referee said he had not seen any teams with uniform violations during the season.

"I knew the rule that came from the National Federation (of State High School Associations),'' he said. "I didn't see any violations until this weekend. I agree that some referees did not know about this uniform rule.''

Sitting on his bench minutes before the Class 3A championship game, Oswego coach Kevin Schnable said the Panthers had an issue with their uniforms at the start of the season.

"The inseam of the jersey top was 1½-inches too wide,'' Schnable. "We measured them when they arrived.

"We reported it to the IHSA and they gave us a letter that allowed us to wear the uniforms until we could order new ones. We had our new uniforms by the middle of December."