IHSA State Finals Officials
The goal for the vast majority of officials registered with IHSA is to work in the state tournament series and eventually be assigned by the IHSA to officiate at the respective State Final Tournament. Over the years, a total of 2,206 men and women have officiated at the State Finals. In order to work a State Final the official must have achieved Certified status in that sport. Certified status is the highest rating level in a given sport.
Some officials have had the opportunity to work State Finals in different sports. In the history of the IHSA state finals . . . .
One official has worked five (5) different state finals
Three officials have worked four (4) different state finals.
Fifty-Four (54) officials have worked three (3) different state finals
355 officials have worked two (2) different state finals
1782 officials have worked one (1) state final
The Northern Officials Association has a proud tradition of members who have received the honor of officiating the State Tournament Finals.
NOA members who have officiated 3 different State Finals are:
Jim Bernardi Boys Basketball - 1998 AA, 1999 AA
Football - 2001 6A, 2004 4A, 2007 8A
Girls Basketball - 2010 3A/4A, *2011 4A
John Widmayer Football - 1986 3A, 1987 4A, 1990 2A, 2013 3A
Girls Softball - 1997 AA, 1998 AA, *1999 AA (3B), 2002 A, *2013 1A (3B)
Girls Basketball - 2002 AA, 2003 AA, *2006 AA
Darnell Jones Girls Basketball - 2009 3A/4A, *2010 4A, 2013 3A/4A
Boys Volleyball - 2011, 2013, 2018
Girls Volleyball - 2016 3A/4A
NOA members who have officiated 2 different State Finals are:
Ray Brooks Boys Basketball - 1967, 1968, *1973 AA
Football - 1980 5A, 1982 5A
David Butts Girls Basketball - 2007 A, *2008 (2A), *2010 (2A)
Football - 2010 7A, 2013 5A
Jerry Grunska Football - 1974 5A, 1975 2A, 1978 5A
Judged in the 1980-81 school year at the Individual Events State Final Speech Contest
Willie Jackson Boys Basketball - 1989 AA, 1990 AA, 1991AA
Football - 1979 4A, 1980 5A, 1982 5A
Dick Kessler Girls Basketball - 1980, *1981 AA, *1984 AA
Girls Softball - 1977, *1978 (2B), *1979 (P), *1994 (3B)
Peter King Boys Basketball - 2000 AA, *2001 AA
Football - 2005 5A, 2012 7A
George Lewerenz Football - 1994 2A, 1995 3A, 1996 6A
Girls Softball - 1988 A, *1989 A (2B), *1991 AA (P)
Lee Mieure Football - 1974 5A, 1976 5A, 1979 4A
Girls Basketball - 1982, 1983
Randy Steen Girls Basketball - 2007 AA, 2009 3A/*4A, 2010 3A/*4A
Boys Basketball - 2018 3A/4A, 2019 3A/4A
NOA members who have officiated State Finals are:
Tom Baba Girls Basketball - 1996, 1997 AA
Jerry Blum Girls Basketball - 2011 1A/2A, 2012 1A/*2A, 2014 1A/*2A
Tom Brophy Girls Basketball - 2005 AA, 2006 AA, 2008 *3A/4A
Craig Bunton Boys Basketball - 2009 *3A/4A, 2011 3A/*4A, 2012 3A/4A
Vince Cannon Boys Baseball - *2009 2A (1B), *2012 3A (3B), *2015 4A (HP)
Tom Cappelen Football - 1996 3A, 1997 5A, 1998 6A, 2015 2A, 2019 7A
Ed Curtin Football - 1983 2A, 1984 6A, 1985 4A
Jerry Eiserman Football - 1986 3A, 1987 4A, 1990 2A, 2013 3A
Norm Erickson Football - 1975 2A, 1976 5A, 1981 5A
Chuck Esposito Football - 1975 2A, 1976 5A, 1982 5A, 1991 5A, 1992 4A, 1994 4A
Denny Freund Boys Basketball - 1979 AA, *1980 AA, 1981 AA
Tom Fryer Football - 1998 4A
Tom Gattas Football - 1996 3A, 1997 5A, 1998 6A
Mike Geske Boys Basketball - 2005 AA, 2008 *3A/4A, 2010 3A/4A
Norm Geske Football - 1974 5A, 1975 2A, 1978 5A
Steve Gibble Girls Basketball - 2012 3A/4A, 2014 *3A/4A, 2016 *3A/4A
Rich Grubbe Football - 1997 1A, 1998 5A
Richard Hamilton Football - 1998 4A
Howard Harris Football - 2003 7A, 2006 4A, 2010 5A, 2012 3A
Al Jackson Football - 1990 2A, 2013 3A
Wayne Kendall Football - 1996 3A
Tom Kinkelaar Football - 1983 2A, 1984 6A, 1985 4A
Scott Klingberg Girls Basketball - 2008 3A/*4A, 2014 3A/4A
Jay Lampel Girls Basketball - 2018 3A/4A,
Mark Leffler Girls Basketball - 2008 3A/*4A
Ron Lorenzo Girls Basketball - 2014 3A/4A, 2016 3A/*4A, 2017 *3A/4A
Tom Lowe Football - 1998 4A, 2015 2A,
Ian Macaulay Football - 1996 3A, 1997 5A, 1998 6A
Pete Merkel Football - 2013 3A
Ed Moricoli Football - 1986 3A, 1987 4A, 1990 2A
Frank Moscardini Football - 1991 4A, 1992 3A, 2001 6A, 2004 4A
Ron Olesiak Boys Basketball - 1987 AA
Phil Perna Football - 2019 7A
Rich Petersen Girls Softball - *2010 3A (3B), 2014 3A (1B)
Ken Pink Girls Basketball - 2017 3A/4A, 2019 3A/*4A
Chuck Popp Football - 1994 2A, 1995 3A, 1996 6A
Jim Righeimer Football - 1974 4A, 1976 5A, 1984 6A
Steve Ruggiero Football - 1998 4A
Darrell Schrag Football - 2015 2A, 2019 7A
Al Smigiel Football - 2005 1A, 2007 6A, 2012 4A
Don Swanson Boys Baseball - 2011 3A/4A, 2018 3A/4A
Fred Swanson Football - 1979 4A, 1980 5A, 1982 5A
Ken Swanson Football - 1986 3A, 1987 4A, 1990 2A
Mark Thompson Football - 2001 6A, 2004 4A, 2007 8A
Tom Toman Boys Baseball - *1989 AA (RF), *1990 AA (1B), *1992 AA (P)
Troy Whalen Girls Basketball - 2016 3A/*4A, 2019 3A/4A
Terry (Doc) Wolf Football - 1994 2A, 1995 3A, 1996 6A
Mike Zuckerman Football - 2015 2A, 2019 7A
Notes:
In baseball and softball, the letter behind a given name represents the position worked in the title game.
In football the classification of the title game worked follows the year.
In basketball the A, AA, 1A/2A or 3A/4A following a year indicates the class of the State Final worked.
*Indicates the official worked the championship game.
Other Officiating Achievements Important to Recognize:
Mike Babicz Football 2018 8-man football Championship, Monmouth College
Jim Bernardi Football 2008 Continental Indoor Football League Championship
Jerry Blum Basketball 2018 Special Olympics USA Nationals, Seattle, WA
Basketball 2015 Special Olympics World tournament, Los Angeles, CA
Basketball 2014 Special Olympics USA Nationals, Princeton, NJ
Basketball 2010 Special Olympics USA Nationals, Lincoln, NE
Basketball 1999 Special Olympics World tournament, Raleigh, NC
Pete Flatebo Basketball 2005 Girls 7th grade AA Jr. High state tournament
Dennis Freund NCAA Football 1983-2002 Big 10 Football Official, working 10 Bowl games
Joey Hager Basketball 2005-2009 USADB (United States Deaf Basketball) Tournament
Howard Harris Football 2018 8-man football Championship, Monmouth College
Dick Kessler NCAA Softball Division III World Series
Division III World Series
Doug King NCAA Basketball 2016 NJCAA DII Women’s Championship, 3rd place
Peter King Football 1984 Semi-pro National Championship
NCAA Football 2014 NCAA Division III National Championship, Salem, VA
NCAA Football 2010 NCAA Division III National Championship, Salem, VA
Jim Krushwicz Football 2008 Continental Indoor Football League Championship
Ron Mohler NCAA Baseball 2010 NCAA Division III World Series
Frank Moscardini Football 2006 Chicago Prep Bowl
Glenn Nielsen Football 2018 8-man football Championship, Monmouth College
Bill Swanson NFL Football 1982 Superbowl XVI, Pontiac, MI
NFL Football 1977 Superbowl XI, Pasadena, CA
Don Swanson Big Ten Football Official 1990-2018
NCAA Football 2015 Liberty Bowl, Memphis, TN
NCAA Football 2015 Big 10 Championship, Indianapolis, IN
NCAA Football 2011 Independence Bowl, Shreveport, LA
NCAA Football 2010 Pinstripe Bowl, New York, NY
NCAA Football 2008 Liberty Bowl, Memphis, TN
NCAA Football 2007 Texas Bowl, Houston, TX
NCAA Football 2002 Peach Bowl, Atlanta, GA
Fred Swanson Football 1982 Semi-pro National Championship
Football 1984 Semi-pro National Championship
Supervisor of Officials: Northern States semi-pro football league, 6 years
Mark Thompson Football 2008 Continental Indoor Football League Championship
Tom Vogan NCAA football 2008 Jr College semi-final, College of DuPage
Illinois Special Olympics State Tournament Officials
2014 Mike Babicz, Jerry Blum, Vince Cannon, Tom Vogan
2010 Mike Babicz, Jerry Blum
2006 Mike Babicz, Jerry Blum, Jim Kruschwitz, Mike Roseman and Tom Vogan
Update by: Darrell Schrag
Date: 2/3/2022
