Stephen DeRoades, a graduate of Fairbanks High School, works the boys Division III state championship game last weekend at the University of Dayton. (Photo submitted)
Fairbanks High School graduate Stephen DeRoades and his basketball officiating crew reached the top level of the state last weekend.
DeRoades, along with his partners Greg Mock and Kurt Schonely, officiated during the boys Division III state championship game at the University of Dayton Arena last Sunday.
They worked the title game that saw Cleveland Heights Lutheran East defeat Worthington Christian, 61-56.
“I was honored to earn the state assignment,” said DeRoades during a telephone interview with the Journal-Tribune.
DeRoades, 30, was named as an alternate to the 2019 boys hoop tournament at The Ohio State University’s Schottenstein Center.
“I was there in case one of the officials of any of the games would not have been able to work,” he said.
DeRoades was supposed to work the court during the 2020 tournament.
That event, however, was canceled due to COVID-19.
State tournament assignments are partially based on what type of ratings officials earn during the regular season.
They are evaluated by state assigners, athletic directors and coaches.
“They are also based on years of service,” said DeRoades.
The former Fairbanks football and baseball standout has been officiating high school games for 12 years.
“I went to Heidelberg to play football after I graduated from Fairbanks,” he said. “My mom and dad said I also had to get some type of job to help out.
“I became licensed to officiate in Tiffin and worked junior varsity games (boys and girls) for two years in the Tiffin area.”
DeRoades graduated and moved back to the central Ohio area.
He took a teaching job for one year in the North Union school district and has since been an eighth grade science instructor at Marysville’s Bunsold Middle School.
DeRoades has also served at one time or another on the varsity football coaching staffs at Fairbanks and Marysville.
He has been a varsity official for the past 10 years and has worked games in the Ohio Capital Conference, the MAC and the Licking County League.
His assignments generally keep him away from Union County games.
“I think I officiated one Marysville game because another referee was ill,” he said.
DeRoades was part of both boys and girls varsity games for seven years.
He dropped girls games from his schedule for family reasons. Son Matthew is now three years old and daughter Emily is one.
Still, he averages three games per week.
DeRoades worked between 45 and 50 regular season contests this past winter.
As far as the post-season was concerned, he officiated three sectional, two district, one regional and one state game.
Officials who are selected to work state tournaments are usually notified in late December.
This season, the call didn’t come for a couple more months.
“That was because of the virus,” said DeRoades. “We all were waiting to see how long the season would play out.”
Crowds were generally down during most high school basketball games this past campaign due to the pandemic.
Things got a bit noisier for the state tournament.
“We had 2,000 fans at UD for our game,” said DeRoades. “That was the biggest crowd I’ve officiated in front of all season.
“I was thrilled to work the state game,” he said. “A lot of officials go 25 or 30 years and never get a state assignment.
“The basketball was good at UD and my wife (former Fairbanks athlete Kristin Burns) and my children were able to attend.
“It was the only game they saw me officiate this winter.”
DeRoades said he’s not sure how long he will continue to officiate games.
He indicated once his children are old even to begin their own sports endeavors, he’ll step away from the whistle and striped shirt for at least a while.