I went to a small elementary school in Wilkes-Barre. We had 24 kids in our class. One class per grade. Eight of us went to GAR High School after sixth grade. The other 16 went to hated rival Meyers.
After sixth grade, my family moved to another part of Wilkes-Barre that was on the border between GAR and Meyers. A couple friends and I walked up our street to go to GAR. A few other friends passed by us going down the street to Meyers.
We are friends to this day, and I still despise Meyers even though Wilkes-Barre Area recently merged the two schools with Coughlin, the third city public school, and made my alma mater a middle school.
There was a stretch of more than a decade when I was a sportswriter in Wilkes-Barre and covered my alma mater and Meyers, including football, basketball and baseball games against one another.
No one from either school ever so much as hinted that I had a bias in favor of my alma mater. I probably was more critical of my alma mater much like some parents who coach their children and feel like they have to be stricter with their kids to avoid even the appearance of favoritism.
For several years during that stretch, I came to Liberty’s Memorial Gym to cover the Northeast Regional wrestling tournament. I saw the disdain Easton had for Nazareth and Nazareth had for Northampton and Northampton had for Easton. I also saw the disdain Easton, Nazareth and Northampton fans had for any District 2 wrestler.
None of that has changed since I came to the Lehigh Valley more than 15 years ago.
Which brings me to Wednesday night’s Easton at Nazareth match. Easton’s Kurtis Crossman registered a technical fall in the final bout to give the Red Rovers a 28-27 victory, but he was given an unsportsmanlike conduct call for tossing his headgear toward the Easton bench. That one team point deducted left the match tied. Nazareth won on the first criteria (number of unsportsmanlike calls).
There has been much debate about referee Mark Getz’s call since the moment he made it.
Less than 15 minutes after the match, Easton coach and graduate Jody Karam summed it up best by saying he didn’t believe Crossman violated the spirit or intent of the unsportsmanlike conduct rule and didn’t believe Getz intentionally made what he considered was the wrong call because Getz was a Nazareth graduate. Karam was not ranting and raving. His face wasn’t beet red. He didn’t go after Getz at any point.
Karam didn’t agree with Getz’s call. No one is going to change his mind, but he acted professionally. So, too, did Crossman, who behaved well throughout his bout despite the pressure he was under to produce major bonus points.
It was only two weeks ago when Crossman was one of the heroes in Easton’s win over hated rival Phillipsburg in their annual Thanksgiving Day football game.
It wasn’t long before that when Crossman was working on keeping his emotions in check on the football field, but he is maturing into a dangerously talented two-sport athlete.
As video shows, Crossman’s toss of the headgear was a mere flick of his wrist. He did not chuck it anywhere near Nazareth’s Vincent Giacobbe. He was not in Giacobbe’s face in the few seconds after their bout.
Crossman also didn’t salute the Nazareth crowd with any wild celebratory split or hand gestures. He just tossed the gear, and Getz made a judgement call.
There were almost no complaints regarding anything else Getz ruled on during Wednesday’s entertaining and intense match.
But the one call has brought out the couch referees, the helicopter fans and social media journalists who have opinions about everything. Some are saying outrageous things about Getz. Almost all of them weren’t there.
There needs to be context. The only way one has context is by seeing all that transpired up to that moment, not just a 10-second clip posted on social media.
I was told a long time ago and came to believe this myself: The best way to get to know someone is watch how they compete.
If you enjoy, support or would participate in the antics involved in many celebrations across all sports at all levels and stand by the mantra that “if you’re not cheating, then you’re not trying,” then we won’t agree on the time of day.
If you enjoy the flexing and stare downs after a basketball player dunks, or the bat flips and celebratory routines after a baseball player gets a hit, or (my favorite) the quick dance or gesture a football player does after making a tackle or picking up a first down in a game his team is losing by three touchdowns, then we won’t agree about what transpired on Wednesday night in Nazareth.
First, my opinion about Getz. I don’t believe he made the call because he bleeds Blue Eagles blue and white. I didn’t see any calls that looked like he was favoring the home team. I think he did his best.
I don’t think Getz should have been put in that situation to begin with. If I was assigned to be the referee for a match between GAR and Meyers, who happen to be two of the state’s best teams, I would have passed because of the optics.
Second, there is an officials’ shortage in Pennsylvania high school sports. But I didn’t get any messages from District 11 chairman Bob Hartman saying there has been an influx in the last couple days of people looking to take the test to become a wrestling official.
We all have opinions about many topics in wrestling, from stalling to potentially danger to, well, unsportsmanlike conduct. But if you feel strongly enough to complain on social media, I certainly will share Hartman’s contact info.
There were two instances earlier in Wednesday’s match when I would have hit wrestlers with unsportsmanlike behavior based on what I saw and heard. But I think Getz did his best at being the official on the spot, in that moment.
Only he knows everything that went on inside the circle and inside his head on that night.
For all those chiming in from miles away, perhaps Getz issued warnings after those instances I mentioned or other situations that none of us in attendance saw or knew about.
Perhaps Getz warned Crossman.
Here’s what I believe based on what I saw in those two hours:
— Getz is a good official who did his best.
— Crossman is a good young man who did not disrespect his team or the sport.
His maturity shines in this tweet on Thursday:
“I regret that I put my team and coaches in this unfortunate position. As an athlete who understands and values sportsmanship, I wholeheartedly accept the responsibilities and consequences that come with competition and leadership.
“Being an athlete is my passion. I love every aspect of being an athlete and competing: winning, losing, working hard, pushing yourself, team camaraderie. It is unfortunate what the outcome was last night but I will take that responsibility. I thank my coaches and teammates for always supporting me. Now it’s time to move forward and get back to work.”
— Nazareth coach Dave Crowell and Easton’s Karam did nothing to spark or incite anything in the moments leading up to and after the match’s final call.
— Easton’s seeding in the loaded District 11 Class 3A team tournament field could be affected by the loss. The computer formula only knows which team won the match. The seeding committee must determine how much value to give the final score of that match.
For those who believe in “let the kids determine the match,” that’s not how wrestling or any sport works. There are rules in place. Coaches coach. Kids compete. Officials enforce the rules. We don’t have to agree with them, but the interpretation and enforcement of the rules don’t change in the last two minutes of a basketball or football game, the last inning in baseball or the final bout of a hotly contested wrestling match.
There is a lesson to be learned from the situation. Headgear on, straps up. Don’t give the referee a reason to make a call like that.
Getz made his call. As someone who didn’t have a dog in the fight, I say we agree or agree to disagree and move on to the next great match in one of the country’s best wrestling pockets.
And, maybe, just maybe, these two rivals will meet again this season.
Morning Call senior writer Tom Housenick can be reached at thousenick@morningpost.us