HERSHEY, Pa. (D9Sports) — While every high school player and coach dreams of playing in the PIAA championships at The Giant Center in Hershey, Pa., there is another group that dreams about being a part of those games as well.
(Photo: Oil City math teacher and Keystone graduate Tim LaVan (center) with fellow officials Pat Cook and Jim Come officiated the Lincoln Park vs. Neumann-Goretti PIAA Class 3A title game Thursday night.)
The officials.
And for one local man, that dream became a reality for the second time Thursday during the Lincoln Park vs. Neumann-Goretti boys’ Class 3A title game won by Neumann-Goretti.
Shippenville resident, Keystone High School graduate and Oil City math teacher Tim LaVan was one of three officials on that game, the second time he has officiated a title game and the first time he has officiated a boys’ championship game having refereed a girls’ title game in 2006.
LaVan found out Wednesday morning that he would be officiating the contest, and even late Friday afternoon the smile hadn’t left his face.
“When you look at the phone and see a 717 area code, the smile is immediate,” LaVan said Friday afternoon at the Giant Center. “I don’t think it’s left my face yet.”
LaVan said it’s hard to put in words his excitement at getting to officiate the game.
“It’s beyond words,” LaVan said. “I’m speechless. I get the call on Wednesday morning, and here we are Friday afternoon and it’s already like a blink of an eye. It goes that quick.”
LaVan said he got some great advice about doing the title game.
“I called Joe Frisina on Wednesday evening,” LaVan said. “He is my mentor and a fantastic individual. He gave a little bit of advice and said to do what you’ve always done to get there. It’s just a game. It’s no different. There was no pressure. We had two great teams. We just did what we needed to do to get here.”