Commissioner of officials to review playoff tape

A South Carolina High School League official will review the videotape of this past Friday's Sumter-Gaffney playoff game.

But he didn't get the tape from Gaffney coach Phil Strickland. In a postgame interview, Strickland said he was upset with the officiating and planned to send a tape to the high school league.

Bruce Hulion, SCHSL's commissioner of officials, said he read Strickland's comments in an article published in The State and asked for the game tape when Sumter head coach Paul Sorrells called him on an unrelated matter on Monday.

"I read his comments in the paper and I just wanted to see," Hulion said.

Hulion said Tuesday he has yet to receive the game tape from Strickland.

He said it's not uncommon for coaches to send in a game tape, but he's never received one from Strickland.

"I've known (Strickland) since his days at Batesburg," Hulion said. "It's totally out of character (for him to criticize

the officials.) I have a great deal of respect for him."

Strickland was especially displeased with the officials when quarterback DeEdward Burris' apparent go-ahead touchdown in overtime was wiped out by a holding call.

Hulion said Strickland was quoted in The State as saying, "you don't make the call at the point of attack when the game is on the line."

Hulion said he believes Strickland was not quoted accurately.

"That's exactly where the holding call should be made at the point of attack," Hulion said. "I don't think that's what he meant."

Hulion said he wants to review the tape to determine if the holding call was correct.

"If the call was incorrect, I'll deal with it," he said.

If Hulion determines the official did blow the call, he won't publicly reprimand the official.

"It will be handled between me and the official," he said.

If Hulion determines the official did blow the call, it wasn't because the official was rooting for his home team. Hulion said no member of the officiating crew lived in the Sumter area.

Two officials lived in Lexington while other officials were from Myrtle Beach and Charleston.

Strickland also was quoted in The State as saying he would black-ball the officials from working another Gaffney game. Hulion said coaches have the discretion to ban up to six officials from working their teams' games.

Hulion said it wouldn't make much sense for Strickland to exercise his right to ban the officiating crew since no official lived close enough to Gaffney to officiate a regular season game involving the Indians next season.

In the regular season, the SCHSL stipulates officials live within 75 miles of the game they will officiate.

That requirement is waived after the first round of the playoffs so the highest rated officials can work the playoff games.