A week ago, Jay Kusler was watching his daughter, Brianna, play for Aberdeen Central in the State AA girls' tourney in Rapid City, while Paul Rozell was watching his daughters, Carly and Ashley, play for Warner in the State B tournament in Huron. Now, both men are donning stripes as part of the officiating crew for the State B boys' tournament at Wachs Arena.
"As a fan or as a parent, you watch the game a little bit differently than you do as an official," Kusler said.
And the views and angles are much as well, according to Rozell.
"When you're a ref, you understand that it's different on the floor than it is in the stands," Rozell said. "What you see on the floor and what you see in the stands is completely different."
Both men said that being an official gives them a whole new appreciation for what they see when they are fathers cheering on their daughters.
"A lot of times I find myself, more often that not, just saying, 'I know what he's looking at there. I've been in that situation before,' " Kusler said.
He said it can be fine line being a fan and still trying to be objective.
"You still root for your child," he said. "You hope that borderline call doesn't go against them, but at the same time some of that stuff is going to happen."
Switching gears from parent to official can also be a bit of a challenge.
"It's a hard hat to wear when one weekend you're a parent and the next weekend you're a ref," Rozell said, "but it's fun."
Rozell said that he always tries to remember that when he puts on the stripes, he is doing it for one particular reason.
"The bottom line is, you remember it's about the kids. That's what you're there for," Rozell said. "You just work as hard as you can."
Both men also played in a state tournament. Kusler won a State AA championship with Aberdeen Central in 1988 and also was on the runnerup squad in 1989. Rozell was part of Warner's team that played in the 1986 State B tourney.
They said feel honored to be selected to work the current tourney.
"There's so many qualified guys that could be here," Kusler noted. "It really is an honor, no doubt about it."
Sports writer Dave Vilhauer
Coach Hood's last hurrah
Dupree has got coach Jim Hood's back.
The Dupree boys' basketball team got new warmup jerseys toward the end of the season. On the front of the warmups is a basketball with an eagle feather hanging from it. On the back of all the warmups instead of each individual player's last name, the Tigers have the words "Coach Hood." Coach Hood is retiring after this season.
The players decided to get the new warmups before the last home game of the season. They also wore them for the district and region championship games. The players are expected to wear them tonight in their last game of the tournament.
Hood had no idea the players were going to wear the warmups until right before the last home game.
"That was pretty special," Hood said. "It was a special night and being it is my last year, the kids have made it kind of special also."
Hood has spent the last 10 years teaching and coaching in Dupree. He also had coaching stints in McLaughlin and McIntosh. Hood led McIntosh to the 1998 State B championship. He led Dupree to the state tournament last season as well.
Hood, 65, said he has no immediate plans after retirement. He said he hopes to travel some and spend time with his two sons and his grandchildren.
Hood added that he is grateful for all the people that he has worked with over the years.
"I have always said when you surround yourself with good people, good things happen," Hood said, "I have been blessed that way."
Sports writer Ryan Deal
Buffalo girl is a trapper
Hannah Phillips can probably play a trap set like nobody else.
The senior at Harding County plays percussion and bass clarinet in the band and traps with her dad in Buffalo during her free time.
"My dad's a trapper, so I'll go out and trap with him sometimes," Phillips said.
Phillips was at Wachs Arena on Friday as her high school band performed during the tournament. She is the lone senior among the unit.
"I'm the only one who stuck with it," Phillips explained.
Phillips, who also shoots guns, is a girl of many talents. She was also a three-year starter on the basketball squad.
She moved to Buffalo three years ago from Utah.
So did she experience a bit of a culture shock when relocating to the small town in Harding County?
"Oh my gosh," Phillips said, "it was like whiplash."
Phillips, who is contemplating coming to Northern State next season, said she is having a blast at the tourney.
The most enjoyable part?
"Getting to see all the different people, because we don't get out that much, because we're so far away," Phillips said. "So seeing all the different people is kind of fun."
Sports writer Dave Vilhauer
One son at State Bs, one son in NCAA tourney
It has been a fun couple of weeks for Dean and Sharon Jacobsen.
Their son, Trevor, is a senior for the Viborg-Hurley boys' basketball that is competing in the state tournament this weekend in Aberdeen. Their other son, Cory, is a member of the South Dakota State men's basketball team. The Jackrabbits recently won the Summit League championship to qualify for the NCAA tournament for the second season in a row. The NCAA tourney will start on March 21.
"I'm just proud of both of them," Dean said about his sons.
The Jacobsens attended the Summit League tournament games last weekend in Sioux Falls. The conference championship game was on Tuesday. The family then came up to the Hub City for the state tournament, which began on Thursday.
"It is real exciting," Dean said. "We have some great opportunities and I thought we would make the most of them."
Cory, who was an all-state player in high school, is a freshman walk-on for the Jackrabbits.
"That is a great experience for him," Dean said. "He will have great memories as he gets older and he still has three years left."
This is Trevor's fifth straight season in a row that he has played in a state tournament.
"Not too many kids get an opportunity to play in five straight state tournaments," Dean said. "He has made the most of them."
Trevor and the Cougars started off their state tournament with a bang as they upset No. 2 seed James Valley Christian on Thursday. The Cougars defeated the Vikings in an overtime thriller to advance to the semifinals.
"That was hard on the ticker for a parent," Dean said.
Sports writer Ryan Deal
Regular attender
If there has been one person on the go lately, it has been Kasey Larson.
Whether watching his sister, Emily, play for Warner or his cousin, Chase, play for Langford Area, Larson finds himself heading to a gym almost nightly at this time of the year.
"This year seems like a lot," said Larson, who farms near Conde. "I just try to make it to as many as I can. During tournament time, I don't think I've missed one."
Last weekend, Larson was in Huron for the State B girls' tourney and this weekend is a spectator at the State B boys' event.
Larson is no stranger to the sport.
He participated in a pair of State B tournaments as a member of the Doland-Conde team in 2003 and in 2006.
He said he has many fond memories from his playing days at the state tournament. Asked what he remembers most about those tournaments, Larson responded, "Just the atmosphere. It's a great time up here at the B's."
Sports writer Dave Vilhauer
New hospitality room
A new hospitality room is one of the things that several people are talking about at this weekend's State B boys' basketball tournament at Wachs Arena.
The new hospitality room is located in the upper balcony in the northwest corner of the arena. It is where the old Northern State wrestling room once was. The new room is much bigger than the old hospitality room.
"Everybody has been really impressed with what Northern has done with the hospitality room because of the size of the room and with how well it is done," tournament director Gene Brownell said.
The room was still getting remodeled just two weeks ago. Now it is fully refurbished and the only thing missing are televisions so people can watch games. Brownell said that next year televisions will be in the room.
Sports writer Ryan Deal
Quickly
- South Central has one of the most experienced boys' basketball coaches in the state. Clayton Steele of South Central is in his 45th year of coaching - mostly in Nebraska. His career coaching record is 555-376 with two Nebraska state titles. He has been at the helm of what is now South Central since 2006.
- Seven years ago, Dupree coach Jim Hood was coaching Chase Spiel, Kaden Deal and Kirby Longbrake. This year he is coaching their brothers who are Dupree seniors: Dayton Spiel, Kash Deal and Seth Longbrake.
- Two of the coaches in the State B are Southern State College in Springfield graduates, Jim Hood of Dupree and Clayton Steele of South Central.
- Coach Hood of Dupree started his college career at Yankton College before transferring to Southern State. He started in football and basketball at both colleges.
- Three well-deserving, big-time supporters of athletics in this region were honored with Distinguished Service Awards at the tourney from the South Dakota High School Activities Association: Mona Smith and Gene Brownell of Aberdeen and Sherm Cutler of Claremont.