TIME OUT!

Channel Coast Officials Association provides top-notch prep referees.

By Sally Cappon
Sout Coast Beacon

They wear the white hats.

On Friday, longtime Santa Barbara official John Stoney will referee Southern California’s prep equivalent of the Sugar Bowl — the CIF Division 1 football championship game at Home Depot Center in Carson between Los Angeles area giants Long Beach Poly and Loyola.

Saturday night, Mike Vail, principal of Cleveland School, will be referee for the District 11 championship battle between Tri-Valley league rivals Oaks Christian and Oak Park, which defeated Carpinteria in last week’s semi-finals.

This says a lot for the reputation of the Channel Coast Officials Association, which provides officials for prep contests from Dos Pueblos to Calabasas high schools.

Vail’s choice has added significance since the Division 11 championship game matches teams from the Channel Coast jurisdiction, requiring approval by coaches and administrators of both schools.

In addition, Stoney recently refereed a NCAA Division III semifinal playoff game between Linfield and Wartburg colleges in Salem, Oregon.

Gary Cavaletto of Santa Barbara, who started out doing local games here, is now an NFL official.

Another official from the local association will work the CIF Division 3 championship game between Sherman Oaks’ Notre Dame and Palmdale Saturday at the Home Depot Center.

A guy who knows, retired Santa Barbara High School athletic director and veteran football coach Mike Moropoulos, said of the local officials’ group, “In my opinion, it’s the best in the (CIF) Southern Section. They’re professional. They meet on a regular basis. They’re the best in the business.’’

While there are horror stories of officials elsewhere showing up drunk for games or not in correct uniforms, Moropoulos said, “In all my years, I’ve never experienced that. We’re lucky.’’

“I think we have one of the best reputations,’’ agreed Cal Houston, who has been assigning officials to local games for 50 years and who assigned his final football games last week. “The Channel Coast Officials Association is known all over.’’

Winding up 50 years marks a good time to retire, Houston believes.

Of Houston’s longevity, Vail said, “It’s a phenomenon.’’

Eisenhower was President and the United States and Russia were in a Cold War when Houston, then a junior high physical education teacher and basketball coach in Ventura and himself an official, took on the job as CIF area assignment coordinator “I was hired by (Santa Barbaran) Bill Russell, the CIF commissioner in 1953, to assign the officials,’’ Houston said. “We only had football, basketball and baseball with organized officials. I’ve been assigning ever since.’’

Houston, now 85, has seen huge changes in a half century. In 1953 there were just 12 schools from Santa Barbara through Ventura County — today there are 41. Sports have multiplied, for girls as well as boys.

When he started out, some 80 percent of officials were involved in schools in some way — frequently a baseball coach officiating football in his off-season or vice versa, he said. With prep sports increasingly becoming year-round jobs for coaches, “Now we have officials from all walks of life.’’

There are now two women officials, one a drama teacher at Westlake High School who is certified for varsity and “doing well,’’ said Houston.

He is proud of the track record of area officials. “A lot go up through the college ranks. Gary Cavaletto got all his training with us. He’s ‘98’ (in the NFL).’’

Of Vail, who transferred from down south and had served as instructional chairman for the Channel Coast group, Houston said, “We got lucky.’’

Houston, of Ojai, assigned officials for all sports until the job got too big, particularly with the advent of girls’ sports. Clyde Bennett, a veteran in the Santa Barbara softball world, now assigns for softball, while Mary Jo Swalley, with a long history in local swimming, assigns swimming starters.

Local varsity football referees get $63 a game, and $61 for other officials. JV and frosh officials receive $55 and $53. It’s a job where being invisible pays off. “When people go home from a game and don’t know the officials, that has been a good game,’’ Houston said.

New officials, who must attend meetings and pass exams, may start out doing Youth Football League games under an experienced official, said Houston, noting, “We’re fortunate to have a large youth program.’’

A graduate of Alhambra High who played basketball at Modesto (against Jackie Robinson) and San Diego State, Houston himself officiated countless UCSB football and basketball games, and CIF championships at the Coliseum and before 36,000 fans.

He will continue as a liaison with CIF and hand out awards at Friday’s Division 4 championship game between St. Bonaventure and Westlake at Moorpark College.

“It’s been a good run,’’ he said.