‘Love of the game’ made Scott City senior Official of the Year

Regardless of what team the fans root for, the one group everyone seems to have a problem with is the referees.

Whether it’s a foul they called or one that they missed, fans and coaches alike seem to always have a reason to be mad at the officials.

But sanctioned sports wouldn’t exist without the referees and even they get awards. And this time it went to a local high school athlete.

Scott City senior Lawson Graff, who plays football and baseball for the Rams, was named Sports Official of the Year by the City of Cape Girardeau before the school’s boys basketball game on Tuesday, Jan. 23, in Scott City, Mo. Graff, along with fellow seniors Brayden Mashek and Ian Weber, spent the past year as officials during local youth events, and for the most part, reffed games as a team.

“It's very special to me,” Graff said. “I was always joking with my bosses about [the award] with Josh [Meyer] and Nick [Yaeger]. I was always joking about it, me, and Brayden and Ian, and a couple of months ago actually made a picture saying ‘flag football crew of the year’ and I think they actually use that picture in the slideshow, but it's just surreal. It's crazy.”

Graff said his “love of the game” and desire to help young athletes inspired him to become an official.

“Officials are a big part of [sports], especially at the youth level,” Graff said. “You're almost like a third coach out there.”

Graff said learning the rules of the game has benefited him as a player, especially as a pitcher in baseball. As a junior last year, he helped Scott City win a district title and was on the mound for the Charleston Fighting Squirrels during the Babe Ruth World Series.

“I've learned so much more about the game and that's honestly helped my playing career,” Graff said. “There's a lot more small things in baseball you can pick up on, being a pitcher and especially in the batter's box, things that I can and cannot do.”

Graff said he always wanted to be an official while in high school, and felt he would do a fine job at it, but originally didn’t know how to get his foot through the door. He asked his baseball coach, Skyler Cobb, who also runs the parks and recreation department in Scott City if there was a way to volunteer as an official.

Graff credited Weber for getting him into softball as a contracted official and Mashek for helping him get hired as a part-time employee for football. He said he wants to continue officiating games after high school and join MSHSAA, seeing it as a good source of income while focusing on his college journey.

Graff also said the two events he is hoping to officiate one day are the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament at the Show Me Center and the state championship games at the home of the University of Missouri football team.