Tonight I will finish up 16 games in four days this week at the PA mike for the AA West Regional tournament at Magazine (following 8 of the District Tournament games last week). I have enjoyed it, but I have to admit that I am going to need a little break from basketball.

The Magazine school system has done a great job hosting the tournaments in their new arena, even though they may be questioning their decision to bid for two in a row. I think everyone involved is going to be exhausted.

PA has its own unique problems, from refs standing in the way, to girls' hair covering up their numbers, to trying to get shooter, fouler, number of personal and team fouls, and subs coming into the game within the few seconds you have.

I have learned a few tricks. 1. If you aren't sure, it is better to say nothing. 2. When there is a technical or other altercation, just stay out of it. Don't say anything until play begins again (that from an AD and an official). 3. You have to speak very distinctly to be understood easily.

Also, very few coaches at the AA level know how to or choose to teach any kind of post play. It is almost non-existent at that level. For example, Mountainburg has two guys 6-4 and 6-5 who can run and jump. Good athletes. Did they use them? Very little. I mean these kids could get off the ground - looked like they could drop step and dunk, and there would have been practically nothing the opposition could have done to defend them. What did they do? Pass it around the outside.

We have had fans thrown out of the arena, an indirect technical on a team scorebook keeper, a scorebook technical because a player's name was not on the official roster. A shot after a foul on the ground that went in, and would have counted, except that NO one saw it go in. All three official and all three of us at the table did the same thing at the same time: we quit watching the ball because the foul was on the ground, but called a shot because it was a continuance play. One of those things. Thankfully it was after a game was already in hand as to the winner.