Ref Penalizes Football Team For Emotional Gesture For Fallen Friend

The Athletic Director for Louisville High School says the official who made a controversial call against his team with 1:15 left to play on Friday was simply doing his job enforcing the rules.

Louisville WR Alex Schooley caught a dramatic touchdown pass, giving his team the lead over Walsh Jesuit in the season opener.

For Schooley and many of his teammates, the week leading up to the game had been emotional.

The same day as the game, Schooley was a pallbearer in the funeral of a close friend, Dom Wilgus, 16, who was killed in a tragic accident on Aug. 22.

After scoring the touchdown, Schooley and teammate Gavin Lovejoy pointed their fingers toward the sky in a tribute to their deceased friend, and were penalized for excessive celebration.

Louisville Athletic Director Rich Venuto says the officials did not know the reason for the gesture at the time.

“He had no idea and nor would he have and I don’t think the officials can bring in that type of emotion to what they call on the field,” Venuto told Fox 8 on Tuesday.

“They have to call the game as they see it, that’s what their charge is according to the Ohio High School Athletic Association, and that’s what we would want them to do as administrators and athletic administrators.”

Venuto spoke with the official who made the call and the entire officiating crew. He says he knows the referee who called the penalty has taken a lot of heat for the call.

“His interpretation was that we called attention to ourselves after the touchdown was scored and during the celebration we did draw attention to ourselves and that is against the rules,” Venuto admitted.

On Monday Assistant Ohio High School Athletic Association Commissioner Henry Zaborniac, who oversees all of the referees in the state, told Fox 8 the rules prohibit “any excessive or prolonged act by which a player attempts to focus attention upon himself.”

The same rule also penalizes players for “refusing to comply with a game official’s request.”

“According to the National Federation of High Schools, you are not allowed to draw attention to yourself and, in fact, [the referee] even told me that he had asked our players not to do so, but then we did that again and that’s when he threw the flag,” said Venuto.

Venuto does wish the call had not been made. But he harbors no ill will against the official who made it.

“The gentleman who made the call is a very well known and respected official, someone we certainly hope has another one of our games this year because he has a great reputation,” added Venuto.

“The crew chief engaged me in conversation after the game and told me that this year the celebratory rule as far as drawing attention to yourself is a point of emphasis with the Ohio High School Athletic Association and at the rules interpretation meeting that the coaches and officials have to attend that was one of the things that was brought out, a very strong point so officials do not allow that to happen, so officials are looking out for that and rightfully so.”

The penalty helped Walsh Jesuit get excellent field position from which they were able to eventually work their way down field and kick a game-winning 29-yard field goal as time ran out.

Venuto understands that fans are upset with the call, but he credits Walsh Jesuit, which has a very highly ranked team, for playing a good game and says rather than dwell on what cannot be changed, the team and their fans need to move on.

“I think that people’s emotions have spilled over and certainly I think unfairly for that official and the crew, and we don’t feel that way towards the offical or the crew at all. You know what, we have benefited from calls in the past. This one we didn’t.”