Officials fail to show for big GW-Fleming game

ROANOKE – George Washington players were hyping each other up, bumping chests and pounding on helmets in anticipation for their regular season finale against William Fleming, a game that would determine whether the Eagles get to host a playoff contest next week – or, with a loss, potentially miss the postseason altogether.

There was just one problem as the captains from each team prepared to meet for the coin toss at midfield:

No officials.

“It’s a communication thing, probably between our school and probably the officials association,” Fleming vice principal and former athletics director Roland Lovelace said. “Probably just a slight communication gap.”

The teams were eventually sent back into the locker room and, after William Fleming personnel were unable to get in touch with the Western Virginia Football Officials Association, which is in charge of assigning referees, the game was called off about an hour after its scheduled start time. The contest has been rescheduled for 6 p.m. tonight back at this field, following Patrick Henry’s 2 p.m. contest against Halifax County.

“I have never seen anything like this as a player, as a coach, as an official myself,” said Withers Jackson, GW’s vice principal who oversees the athletics department. “I have never seen nothing like this.”

GW (5-4, 2-1) and Fleming (6-2, 2-1), which are ranked fifth and sixth in the VHSL’s Group AAA Northwest Region Division 5 power rankings, respectively, are both likely to make the playoffs regardless of the outcome of this contest because top-ranked Massaponax defeated Mountain View 38-19 Friday night in Stafford. Mountain View entered the weekend ranked No. 7 in the points standings. Only the top six teams make the postseason.

A GW victory against Fleming tonight might allow the Eagles to jump to as high as No. 3 in the rankings, allowing them to host a first-round playoff game at J.T. Christopher Stadium on Nov. 13.

While the Eagles should make the playoffs with a 5-5 record, a loss to Fleming would send GW backing in on a two-game skid and to Northern Virginia for the first round of the postseason.

The possibility of hosting a playoff game, as opposed to traveling to Northern Virginia, makes it imperative for GW to make up the rescheduled game with Fleming, even though each trip for GW’s football team and cheerleaders to travel from Danville to Roanoke costs “anywhere from $1,600 to about $2,500,” Jackson said.

He declined to comment on how or whether the school intends to try to recoup those funds.

Fans in attendance were offered full refunds of their ticket prices.

Further complicating matters for GW players is that some have SAT testing this morning, however, the tests should be completed by the time the buses depart for the rescheduled football game.

Western Virginia Football Officials Association commissioner Steve Fleshman, reached at home by the Roanoke Times on Friday night, told the paper that the GW-Fleming game was never on his schedule and that “each school has the responsibility of checking the computer to make sure their games are on there and listed.”

Lovelace served as Fleming’s athletics director until last month, when Zach Hayden took over the responsibility on an interim basis.

Fleshman said that officials will be available to work the rescheduled game tonight.