I'm not usually one to play the officiating card, but...
Jeremy Heath

Jeremy Heath is the Dispatch Record's sports editor. His column appears Fridays. He can be contacted via e-mail at jheath@lampasas.com.

When I cover Lampasas High School basketball games, I sit with the fans of the opposing team to remove myself from the subjective atmosphere the LHS fans rightfully create.

I do my very best to avoid the parents of the players I cover, knowing any kind of relationship between myself and a parent could taint my objectivity.

And I never let my relationships with coaches or players blossom beyond professional obligation. (That one's tough to do sometimes because coaches, athletes and sports writers all share a love for sports.)

While I do selfishly root for LHS athletes to compete at a high level -- it's always more fun to cover competitive teams -- I can honestly say I don't lose any sleep after losses or get too fired up after wins.

In more than 11 years of covering sports, I can count on one hand the number of times I've referred to officiating in print.

That said, I thought the fourth period of Tuesday night's Lake Travis-Lampasas boys' basketball game was a bit of an eyebrow-raiser.

The Cavaliers led 33-29 after three periods, and the strong defensive play on both sides up to that point appeared to set up what should have been a doozy of a final frame. I had the sense the District 25-4A-leading Cavaliers (24-3, 8-0) were a more complete team, and that they probably would walk out of Bozarth-Fowler Gymnasium with a slim margin of victory.

The officials had called the first three periods fairly loosely, allowing players on both sides to play a physical game. In the fourth period, that changed. Almost every bit of physical contact resulted in a whistle.

The Cavaliers were awarded 36 free throws in the final frame alone; the Badgers had seven. The Cavaliers hit 27 of those charity shots on their way to a 67-46 win.

LHS head coach Scott Harrelson refused to address the officiating on or off the record, but his frustration was evident when he was whistled for a technical foul with 48 seconds remaining.

Lake Travis is a better team. Teams don't win 24 of 27 games unless they're outstanding. The officiating did not change the outcome in terms of which team would register a W and which would receive the L. It did, however, turn what should have been a tight game -- and a potential confidence builder for LHS -- into an apparent blowout.

It was a strange thing to witness -- even from the visitors' stands.

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If the Badger basketball team (15-10, 3-5) can take solace in one thing, it's that Tuesday's game was one it could afford to lose. On the other hand, the boys need to win at least five of the final six games to contend for a playoff spot.

And one of those wins has to be tonight. Connally improved to 6-2 in 25-4A with an expected victory over Burnet on Tuesday. The Cougars are in third place, one game behind Hendrickson and two behind Lake Travis.

The Badgers are three games behind Connally and one behind fourth-place Vista Ridge (4-4). Lake Travis and Hendrickson are out of reach, but if LHS beats the Cougars tonight there is hope. The Cougars still have to play Lake Travis, Hendrickson and Vista Ridge -- two teams that should beat them and one that could.

But without a Badger win at Bozarth-Fowler tonight, none of that matters. While Connally is an athletic and potentially explosive team, Lampasas almost beat the team Dec. 21 on the road. LHS fell behind 10-0, but rallied to within 47-45 in the end.

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Lady Badger basketball coach Mitzi Lancaster has been on the bench the past three games.

Lancaster, who gave birth to a son three weeks ago, was a welcome sight Tuesday to assistants Stuart Beckwith and Jimmie Cain. Beckwith and Cain gladly accepted the responsibilities of coaching the varsity, junior varsity and freshman teams in her absence, but that's a stressful situation.

Whether or not the girls on any of the three Lady Badger squads realize it right now (a lot of the lessons coaches teach aren't recognized until later in life), Beckwith and Cain have provided them a tremendous example of teamwork and unselfishness.

Their salaries are tax dollars well-spent.