Respect my Call! Ross enjoys the thrill of a Top 28 game

Let’s face it – not many people get to say that they love what they do.

But Houma native Darrick Ross is an exception to that rule.

With a striped shirt on and a whistle around his neck, Ross is in his haven and he wouldn’t trade that role for any other in the world.

Ross is a local basketball official – annually graded as one of the best in the area at his craft.

This year, Ross got to do something he’s never done before. He called a game at the Marsh Madness Boys’ Basketball State Tournament in Lake Charles – a significant goal scratched off his career to-do list

Ross said to be on that stage was something he won’t ever forget. He called the State Semifinal game between Wossman and Madison Prep.

“Both teams push the ball and it was not one time that you could just relax,” Ross said over the weekend, days after his game. “Both teams wanted it, but only one could win it. There was aggressiveness, up-tempo and above the rim basketball. That’s the games I dream of officiating in all of the time.”

For Ross, the officiating stripes have been a huge part of his life.

He said he started as a referee as a teenager – working TPR games as a kid.

Ross said he was always pretty good at it, but never thought anything of his work. He had other goals and ambitions in mind at the time.

“I didn’t take it as serious in my early time because I was focusing on playing the game, myself,” Ross said.

The reason for that was because this referee had some game in his day. Ross was a multi-sport athlete at Ellender Memorial High School in the early 1990s.

But like most, Ross didn’t ascend to the professional ranks of play, but he said he wasn’t ready to let go of being in the middle of the competition.

So he picked back up the whistle and got back involved.

He’s been officiating games ever since.

“When I realized that it wans’t going to happen for me in that manner as a player, I said that I wanted to stick around the game,” Ross said. “And that’s when I said, ‘I’m going to put the work in to become a referee.’”

And work, he has.

Ross said he’s been to countless camps and clinics over the years as a way to polish his craft and become better at his work.

In his career, he’s joined the Gulf Coast Atlantic Conference and worked some collegiate games for some of the smaller schools in the area.

Ross got out of doing college games a few years ago, but said he’s looking to build his way back up to those levels in the very near future.

Ross said college jobs are highly competitive and difficult to get because once officials are in the club, they tend to stay for a while, which limits job openings from year-to-year.

To get positions, officials have to go to camps around the Southeast. While there, they are graded and chosen – much like players who are looking for a team.

“I’m trying hard to get back in hopefully this summer when I attend their camp,” Ross said. “I’m hopeful that I may get that chance again. … I’m not going to give up.”

While the college success is yet to come, there is absolutely no doubt that Ross is one of the best local officials at the prep level.

The work speaks for itself.

Ross has now called three Top 28’s – two girls’ games and one boys’ game.

To get to the Top 28, you have to be chosen by your local official’s association, which makes its picks based on season grades and performance scores, among other things.

Ross is almost always graded as one of the top officials in the Thibodaux Association and local coaches asked over the weekend all say that they’d be comfortable with him calling the biggest games of the season.

But more important than the on-court work is some things that Ross has done off it to try and help the local referee scene.

Ross said he takes pride in being a mentor to local younger officials who are just getting their stripes in the high school ranks.

His appearance at the Top 28 Boys’ Game last week was special because one of his understudies got to call the game with him, Ross’ little cousin, Justin Ward.

“Calling those games in the Top 28 gives you a feeling like no other after working so hard trying to be the best – it’s like you deserve to be there,” Ross said. “And for me to be with Justin, I’ve grinded so hard with him and I told him when he first joined that if you stay close to me, listen and watch, the sky is the limit. And for him, that was just a proven fact and it made the game even more special.”

OTHER LOCALS GET TOP ASSIGNMENTS

In addition to Ross and Ward, other locals were chosen to receive Top 28 assignments.

Ross said that he, Ward and Robert Brown called the boys’ semifinals game and each also had girls’ basketball assignments at the State Tournament.

Fellow local official, John Lerille, also worked a game in Lake Charles and called the experience an honor and a thrill.

Darrick Ross

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