High School Ref

Brenden Black picked up a whistle in college officiating intramural sports at NC State — and never put it down. Now six years into his high school career working basketball and football, Brenden shares what that journey actually looked like: from campus rec games to varsity sidelines, and everything that humbled him along the way. This episode gets honest about one of the bigger problems facing hi...

What do high school officials really need from leadership? In this episode of The High School Ref Show, we sit down with Steve Schwartz to talk about expectations for the next commissioner of the NCHSAA and what this transition means for officials across North Carolina. This conversation goes beyond the headlines and into the real experiences of officials — what’s working, what’s not, and what nee...

Some games mean more than just the final score. In this powerful episode, we sit down with Scott Graham to share the story of a truly unforgettable assignment — officiating a game played on a court dedicated to his father, Danny Graham, a longtime high school girls basketball coach at Lumberton High School who passed away last year. This episode goes beyond officiating — it’s about carrying on a l...

Flag Football is sweeping the nation as high schools and colleges add varsity teams. On this week's episode, DJ Doss joins the show to talk about flag football officiating, the high school landscape in Georgia, and his 10+ years of officiating at many levels.

The interview with Randy Lockhart on the High School Ref Show covers his 46 years of basketball officiating experience, the challenges of balancing officiating with a full-time job, and the evolution of officiating rules and practices over the years. The conversation covers the differences between IAABO and NFHS officiating, the training and support provided to officials, the pay structure, the ch...

Scott Flickinger joins the show on Episode 2 to discuss his 25+ years as a high school basketball official and his career developing student intramural sports officials at multiple campus recreation departments in the Northeast. The conversation includes the following topics: * Intramural sports * NIRSA Regional and National Championships * Link between intramural officials and high school officia...

On Episode 1, the conversation with Steve Schwartz shares stories about his 37-year officiating journey and tells us why so many basketball officials chose to attend his local clinics. As the most vocal spokesman for high school officials in the state, Steve discusses the current frustrations with the relationship between officials and the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. Takeaways...

What’s it really like to be a high school referee? The High School Ref Show is a podcast and YouTube show dedicated to sharing the real experiences of high school officials — the good games, the tough nights, and everything that happens before and after the whistle. This show brings locker-room and post-game conversations into the open. We talk through real situations, rule applications, game mana...