Saying Goodbye and Thanks to a Legend. Basketball Referee - Kevin Harrington. Simply the Best.
High School Roundup - Senior Night at Park High. Manhattan Christian upends Three Forks at home, Gardiner beats West Yellowstone as Paker Wyman scores 20, and Lady Rebels win final game.
By: Jeff Schlapp
Saturday night, the crowd at Park High in Livingston said goodbye to 20 seniors, nine basketball players, a team manager, and ten members of the Ranger band. Park High’s Activity Director, Scott Rosberg, also announced before the Lady Rangers game that long-time referee Kevin Harrington was retiring. He paused for a few moments so Harrington could be recognized.
Harrington is a legend in Montana High School basketball. He’s been a referee for 33 years calling grade school, middle school, and high school games. Coaches throughout the state that I’ve talked to always enjoy seeing Harrington in his striped shirt on the sidelines before their game knowing that they are in store for a fair game.
“I started coaching 11 years ago and Kevin (Harrington) was one of my first referees,” Lady Ranger Head Coach Matt Schad told me. “I think Kevin’s reputation as one of the best has been well deserved. He’s always teaching the game to the kids at the lower level while refereeing. When he makes a call he explains to a player, when asked, what he did and why he can’t do it. The same with us as coaches. He’s very respectful, and patient, and he explains his calls in detail to us. He’s going to be missed, there’s not many officials with his experience.”
I’ve always been happy as well to find him officiating a game when covering it. Once when I first was writing, I had a game in Shields Valley. A ref called a technical on a Rebel player, I didn’t see the call and asked him at halftime who and why he called it - he blew up and threatened to throw me out of the game. I wished then and still do that he’d retire.
Harrington - I’m going to miss him. He’s the fairest and best official I’ve seen call a game. Always wore a smile and was quick to ask how other teams that the Dugout covers were doing. One of the Good Guys.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Park County Dugout to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.