CAL League, Intermediate Gold Division, McCully gym
Hats off to PC, which added some new, tall players from Kailua (and McKinley?) since the last time we played them.
Our guys played their hearts out and we had a 9- or 10-point lead, using our fullcourt pressure to get steals and fastbreak buckets. But we still don't box out on every shot, and they had a massive frontcourt (one guy was about 6 foot and 250 pounds). We lost the battle on the boards most of the game.
Still, we had our chances. A lot of rushed 3-point shots in the final minutes when we just had to execute and move the ball for a better look. We also had the rebound after PC missed a free throw with :07 left. Micah got the rebound outlet pass to Colin, who tried to drive and draw a foul. There was reach, maybe a foul, and the ball went loose as time expired. We had open shooters in the corner, on the wing.
It's the same thing that happened earlier this week, not moving the ball to open shooters (15U game). That's something that a lack of practice time together causes. It was a great effort overall, proud of our guys.
Lineup: Trinity, Josh R, Jhevin, Jayden, Chaz, Colin Micah Ramos, Javan,Josh M DE Jesus, Ryan, Micah.
Note: The game was around 37-all in the third or fourth quarter when Micah had an open layup and was chest-bumped by one of PC's big guys. He missed, no foul call. On the next dead ball, I asked the referee about it. He refused to talk. So I asked, "Did you see the foul or did you miss it?" He yelled at me to get back in the box. I was out near the corner asking him so I wouldn't have to yell from the bench. So, I said, "Yes, sir" and went to the bench. A few seconds later, he blows the whistle and calls a technical foul on me.
In all the years we've played in CAL League, since the very first season in 2010, I've been able to ask referees a question now and then. The really good ones like Ray Fujino and Yale Alama tell me straight that they got it right or they simply missed it, and I'm fine with either answer. But this referee is in the same category with Ramon and Matt Ho of NJB All-Net. He refused to give me an explanation for the tech even after the league director, Greydon Espinda, told me to ask for one.
It would've been funny and comical except for this: Any referee who places himself above the game, above the players and coaches — even above the league director — is bound to get in trouble. And this referee was clearly taking the game over. When he refused to call a foul on Micah's shot, he was completely changing his interpretation and mechanics in calling the game. Our 100-pound guys getting HIT by PC's 200-pound guys without a foul would've left us with no chance to win over the span of a full game. That's why I had to raise the question, and I did it without yelling, cussing, etc.
We've already seen what happens in NJB All-Net, where they place officials over the kids, even when those referees are really bad. I've never seen CAL League go in this direction before. This is the second time this particular referee has called a Thunder game poorly (the other on was in Aiea 13U a month ago), and when I questioned a call, he reacts by giving a coach (me) a tech instead of simply talking.
It's impossible for me to consider exposing our kids, who work their tails off EVERY DAY, and subjecting them and our parents, some of whom drive huge miles from the other side of the island to give their children opportunities, to immature adults who attempt to dominate basketball games rather than simply officiate them. I am not saying we will pull out of CAL League. I trust Greydon as much (or more) as any league director anywhere and that includes the mainland.
But this particular official really undermined us today, and I'll never forget that. His officiating partner had no idea why he was acting strangely. Greydon wasn't surprised and says he's trying to work on him, help him improve. Whatever the case, I agree with Greydon. This referee is not ready to officiate games at a higher level, and in some very fundamental ways, can't even deal with a normal age-group game.
Today made me wish for the veteran CAL referees like Ray, Yale (who worked our 15U game later in the day at PAA League and did a great job), Will... I never take them for granted, EVER.
This game was determined by some of our great plays and mistakes, by my inability to communicate with a referee who tried to big-time us. There is a way to communicate even with horrendous officials like that. I just haven't figured that out yet, and for that, Thunder players and parents, I am sorry.
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