Wiltfong reflects on 40 years of officiating

By Susan Schneider Stockton Sentinel

For many basketball fans, the 2019-20 season was certainly a memorable one. Stockton resident Doug Wiltfong chalks it up as one to remember — not only because it came to an abrupt end due to the coronavirus — but also because it marked his 40th year of hitting the hardwoods with a whistle in tow.

The Kansas State High School Activities Association was to honor Wiltfong at the 2A state basketball tournament in Manhattan the middle of March, for his 40 years of dedication and service to Kansas interscholastic athletic programs through officiating. However, the ceremony is most likely postponed to tournaments being cancelled next year due to this season’s following the quarterfinal rounds.

The KSHSAA Official Recognition program started in the 1999-2000 school year to honor officials who have contributed a significant number of years. Award plaques are given for 20, 30, 40 and 50 years of and schools of Kan service to the youth sas. Officials getting recognized are to choose at which state championship event they want to be honored. “I chose the Class 2A State Basketball Tournament because it is was the first state tournament I ever worked,” said Wiltfong. “However if Fort Hays had year, I would have been a state site this chosen there,” he added.

Wiltfong, who has ball for 40 years, and officiated basket decided to throw his football for 20 years, hat in the ring while he was in college. Admitting to being a very competitive high high school athlete who played aggressively, Wiltfong felt the officials, with the exception of about three crews, were very poor and didn’t call a fair game. Therefore, when he got to college and had the opportunity to register to be an official, he took advantage of it, hoping to improve the field. “My thought was, ‘Surely I can do a better job than some of the officials I had when I played high school basketball, ’” stated Wiltfong. And so it began…

“When Jim and John Adams and I refereed games together, anywhere from classes 6A to 1A, we were known as officials who let you play. We called a fair game, but we didn’t call the little things, and I think coaches seemed to appreciate that,” said Wiltfong. There was a game, however, where Wiltfong, and his two-man partner, Jay Casey, officiated that would debunk that. “Jay and I were working a boys game in Oakley between the Plainsmen and Scott City. Scott City had just come off winning the 4A football championship that year, and we found out the two teams didn’t like each other. We were warned to not let it get out of hand,” remembered Wiltfong.

“As was expected, the game began and it was very rough. It seemed like all we did was shoot free throws. When halftime came, I went to the scorer’s table, asked how many fouls had been called, and found out there was a total of 49 (25-24) called in just 16 minutes of action!”

Despite the large number of fouls, and fans who were getting irritated at all the fouls called, the athletic director at Oakley assured the pair they were doing a great job and to keep it up. “The AD also told us he had called law enforcement in just in case they were needed,” Wiltfong added.

Before the start of the third quarter Wiltfong knew he and his partner had to address the situation, so he decided to bring the two coaches together. “I told them they could continue to play the game like they did in the first half, and see which one of them ends up with enough players to finish, or they could instruct their players to play the game the way it is supposed to be played,” said Wiltfong.

The coaches talked to their players, and amazingly only 10 fouls were called in the second half. According to Wiltfong, “The game was a complete turnaround from the first half.”

Officiating both basketball and football has been fun for Wiltfong, and he has been rewarded by being chosen to work state basketball tournaments, as well as state football and Shrine Bowl games. Through the years he has worked junior high and high school basketball and football games, as well as girls basketball games in the KJCAA, KCAC, RMAC and MIAA. However, if he has to choose which sport he enjoys officiating the most, his choice is basketball. “I believe basketball is my favorite, mainly because I have been at it long enough that it’s easier to remember the rules from year to year,” said Wiltfong. “Also, the rules of the sport haven’t changed as drastically in the past 10-15 years as they have in football,” he added. He does like the fact that when officiating football, the crowd isn’t right on top of you like they are when you are in a gymnasium.

Longevity at anything doesn’t come without support, and Wiltfong credits his family for making this all possible. “I appreciate my family’s support through the years. If I hadn’t had their support, I wouldn’t have been able to pursue it this long,” he said. “They have attended many of my games to watch. In fact, our daughter Jordann attended her first state basketball tournament when she was just one month old,” Wiltfong added.

Not all of Wiltfong’s memories from the past 40 years are pleasant ones. In fact, he remembers one girls game he and Casey worked together in Palco. “I began feeling sick midway through the second quarter. I relayed my situation to Jay and told him if I run off the court, he can stop the game until I come back out, or he can proceed as a one-man crew. Sure enough, we were heading down to the south end of the court for a one-and-one, and it hit, so I just continued running right into the official’s locker room where the AD, Fred Joy, was holding the door open for me. I had also warned Fred what might happen. By the time I got back out on the court, they were back down at the south end again, shooting free throws, so I just took my spot and continued on. I’ll bet half the people in the stands didn’t even realize I ever left. Fortunately I was able to finish the rest of the game, and also made it through the boys game,” reflected Wiltfong.

When asked how much longer he plans to officiate, Wiltfong said, “I’d like to make it another five years, but you never know. I’m sure my body will tell me when it is time to quit. I do want to make sure I hang it up when I’m still at the top of my game, so we’ll just have to see how it plays out,” he added. “I’ve been officiating long enough that I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of the officials who actually officiated me as a player. Now, I am getting the opportunity to officiate the children of some of the athletes I refereed early in my career. It’s really neat,” said Wiltfong.

The bottom line is, Wiltfong desired to become an official to improve the quality of how the games are called. “I hope through the years I have earned the respect that I had for the good sets of officials who worked when I played,” he said.

Everyone would surely agree you’re not going to last 40 years at anything without being respected for what you do. Congratulations, Doug!