Norris Winner Excels in Valuable Roles
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 19, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The first thing Michael Gentry did after showing up for a freshman/junior varsity football doubleheader was pull out a new white hat, presenting it to a young official working as the referee for the first time – the first act of encouragement that eased the up-and-comer’s anxiety throughout the game.
Another former pupil wrote of how, no matter if a game was five minutes or 50 from his mentor’s house, Gentry always was there – and a list of observations and pointers would be under that young official’s windshield wipers when he arrived at his car to go home.
Gentry always has made it a priority to help young officials realize their potential, wrote another, often giving those eager to learn places on his crew.
“To this day, I derive more pleasure from passing on what I know and helping people take advantage of the resources that are there for them nowadays,” Gentry said. “I had dinner with one of (the officials I mentored) … and he told me he still has the pen-and-paper evaluations I did and still reviews them to this day, and that just stuns me. I never realized the impact you can have on fledgling officials.”
That impact, along with his continued success as one of Michigan’s top high school officials in a variety of sports, has earned Gentry the MHSAA’s Vern L. Norris Award for 2017.
The Norris Award is presented annually to a veteran official who has been active in a local officials association, has mentored other officials, and has been involved in officials’ education. It is named for Vern L. Norris, who served as executive director of the MHSAA from 1978-86 and was well-respected by officials on the state and national levels.
Gentry will be honored at the Officials’ Awards & Alumni Banquet on May 6 at Eagle Eye Golf Club in East Lansing. He is in his 38th year as an MHSAA-registered official, this school year for football, basketball and baseball, and has worked MHSAA Finals in four tournaments (boys and girls basketball separately) and 10 championship games total during his tenure serving Michigan’s high school athletes.
A member of the Metro Detroit Officials Association, Gentry has officiated MHSAA Finals in baseball (1992, 1999, 2003, 2010), football (1994, 2005, 2010, 2016), boys basketball (2008) and girls basketball (2013) and most recently the Division 4 Football Final on Nov. 25 between Grand Rapids Catholic Central and Detroit Country Day at Ford Field.
He’s also mentored or assisted in guiding a number of young officials from his community over the years and frequently served as a presenter and clinician at local and MHSAA clinics and officials meetings.
“Michael Gentry’s work encompasses all that is recognized by the Vern L. Norris Award,” MHSAA Executive Director John E. “Jack” Roberts said. “He’s at the top of his game on the field. But his contributions off the field recruiting and mentoring young officials are just as significant. Ask those who have had an opportunity to receive his guidance, and they’ll describe him as selfless, dedicated and truly invested in building up the next generation.”
Gentry initially hoped to stay in athletics as a coach after graduating from Harper Woods Notre Dame High School in 1971. He had played basketball as a freshman in high school and also as part of Detroit’s Catholic Youth Organization athletic program growing up, and he had coached CYO teams for nearly a decade when one of his players’ parents who also served as a local referee suggested Gentry give officiating a try.
He first registered as an MHSAA official for the 1978-79 school year and was mentored early on by Detroit’s Ted Wilson, the eventual first recipient of the Norris Award in 1992.
“He was very instrumental in getting me games, higher profile games, games when I started out at the junior high level, and really forging a path for me,” Gentry said. “As a matter of fact, the first Regional in basketball I worked was with Ted, and although I don’t know it for a fact, I’m pretty darn sure he was the reason I was on that game with him.”
Following Wilson’s lead, Gentry took an interest in not just officiating, but teaching others how to do so. His current football crew includes six officials he helped mentor, including three who are 25 or younger.
A number of officials who have been mentored by Gentry and the Macomb association have gone on to work not just high-level high school games, but at the college level. One of them, Nick Meyer, now officiates in the National Basketball Association’s D-League.
Gentry, who also has officiated at the Division III college level, took classes at Macomb Community College and Wayne State University after high school before taking a fulltime job at General Motors. For the last 20 years he has worked for Carmela Specialty Foods in Clinton Township, currently as the chief operating officer of the wine division.
While that role has come with more responsibility, his fulltime bosses have been supportive of his officiating avocation – and Gentry plans to keep on as long as he’s able.
“It’s a question I ask myself all the time – why do I love it – and basically, it’s like an addiction,” Gentry said. “When the season is over, I get near depression; I just wait for the next season to start. I don’t know what it is. Part of it is the job and doing it well as an individual, and getting together with other people as a unit and doing a good job. There’s satisfaction in that.
“As a football crew we joke, when we hear coaches say, ‘Here comes Gentry’s crew,’ we take that as a good sign. They realize they’re not getting away with anything.”
Gentry was inducted into the Detroit Catholic High School League Hall of Fame in 1996. He also is a dedicated contributor to his parish community at St. Isidore Church in Macomb.
Previous recipients of the Norris Award
1992 – Ted Wilson, East Detroit
1993 – Fred Briggs, Burton
1994 – Joe Brodie, Flat Rock
1995 – Jim Massar, Flint
1996 – Jim Lamoreaux, St. Ignace
1997 – Ken Myllyla, Escanaba
1998 – Blake Hagman, Kalamazoo
1999 – Richard Kalahar, Jackson
2000 – Barb Beckett, Traverse City; Karl Newingham, Bay City
2001 – Herb Lipschultz, Kalamazoo
2002 – Robert Scholie, Hancock
2003 – Ron Nagy, Hazel Park
2004 – Carl Van Heck, Grand Rapids
2005 – Bruce Moss, Alma
2006 – Jeanne Skinner, Grand Rapids
2007 – Terry Wakeley, Grayling
2008 – Will Lynch, Honor
2009 – James Danhoff, Richland
2010 – John Juday, Sr., Petoskey
2011 – Robert Williams, Redford
2012 – Lyle Berry, Rockford
2013 – Tom Minter, Okemos
2014 – Hugh R. Jewell, West Bloomfield
2015 – Sam Davis, Lansing
2016 – Linda Hoover, Marshall
High school game officials with 20, 30, 40, 45 and 50 years of service also will be honored at the Officials’ Awards & Alumni Banquet on May 6.
Seventeen officials with 50 or more years of service will be honored, along with 26 officials with 45 years. A 40-year award will be presented to 68 officials. In addition, 97 officials with 30 years and 190 officials with 20 years of experience will be honored. With the induction of this year’s group of 398, the honor roll of officials who have aided young student-athletes grows to 10,595 since the inception of the banquet in 1980.
Tickets for the banquet are available to the public and priced at $20. They will not be sold at the door. Tickets can be ordered by calling the MHSAA office at (517) 332-5046 or by sending the order form. Deadline to order is April 27.
MICHIGAN HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
20, 30, 40, 45 & 50-YEAR OFFICIALS
The officials on this list will receive their 20, 30, 40, 45 or 50-year service awards at the 38th annual Officials’ Awards & Alumni Banquet on May 6 at Eagle Eye Golf Club in East Lansing.
20 YEAR OFFICIALS
Adrian - Bill Collins
Adrian - Paul D. Noce
Albion - Mary Ann Egnatuk
Allen - Christopher L. Adams
Allendale - Arnulfo S. Perez
Alma - Jillane S. McDonald-Sandro
Alma - Jennifer L. Shearer
Ann Arbor - David M. Siegle
Auburn Hills - Michael J. Rossi
Battle Creek - Jonathan E. Dolbee
Battle Creek - Dustin M. Fox
Battle Creek - Michael J. Whalen
Belleville - Keith J. Kennedy
Blissfield - Neil L. Heiden
Britton - Rex A. Forsyth
Bronson - Michael G. Sellers
Brownstown Township - Anthony J. Jesue
Byron Center - Michael S. Sturm
Canton - Bryan C. Earl
Canton - Michael F. Guzowski
Charlotte - James E. Hoyt
Chassell - Vickie L. Lobeck
Clare - Christopher T. Gibson
Clarkston - Darwin Conley
Clinton - Dan J. Jurasek
Clinton Township - Vincent J. Garofalo
Clio - David L. Prevost
Comstock Park - Sam Weatherwax
Constantine - William H. Wright
Coopersville - Ben Hondorp
Davison - Steven K. Barbeau
Dearborn - Kevin R. Wilkinson
Dearborn Heights - Julie A. Ader
Detroit - Sean L. Murphy
DeWitt - Patrick M. McDonnell
Dexter - David R. Steptoe
East China - Wayne D. Biscorner
East Jordan - Phyllis A. Olszewski
Essexville - Roland W. Swartout
Farmington - Dennis K. Miller
Farmington Hills - Ken R. Holzheimer
Farmington Hills - Kevin N. Short
Fenton - James M. Anderson
Flint - Ricky E. McQueary
Flint - John L. Perrine
Fountain - Sean R. Sutcliffe
Fowlerville - Nick Douglass
Fremont - Jan L. Burch
Garden City - Gregory Kozub
Gaylord - John B. Carrick
Gladstone - Russell W. Hall
Gladstone - Gerald E. Kulbertis
Grand Blanc - Brian S. Kita
Grand Blanc - Albert L. Mason
Grand Ledge - Timothy D. Marsh
Grand Rapids - Michael Hillary
Grand Rapids - Marc E. Miedema
Grand Rapids - Marc Van Maldegen
Greenville - Greg L. King
Grosse Pointe Farms - John B. Rucinski
Gwinn - Kevin V. Thomma
Hanover - James D. Hose
Harper Woods - April A. Martin
Hillsdale - Daniel C. Laws
Holland - Timothy H. Howell
Holland - Michael R. Jaeger
Holland - Ronald A. Kamper
Holland - Stephen L. Todd
Holly - Anthony G. Engelberg
Holt - Michael A. Dunlap
Holt - Daniel Grady
Howell - John B. Gendron
Howell - Dan W. Jeffery Jr.
Howell - Kyle N. Richardson
Hudsonville - Kevin D. Bayko
Indian River - Gary L. Campbell
Ironwood - Daniel M. Finco
Jackson - Jeff L. McDaniels
Jackson - Jason C. Smith
Jackson - Randy R. Straub
Jonesville - Brian P. Stroble
Kalamazoo - Steven J. Bradstreet
Kalamazoo - Julie A. Cain-Derouin
Kalamazoo - Christopher G. Caldwell
Kalamazoo - Robert N. Cole Sr.
Kalamazoo - Mike E. Daugherty
Kalamazoo - Douglas G. Davidson
Kentwood - Dave C. Rost
Kentwood - Craig S. Workman
Kimball - Scott L. DesJardin
Kingsford - Greg J. Hendricks
Kingston - Tammy S. Brzezinski
Lansing - Terry R. Bernath
Lansing - William F. Burmeister
Lansing - Dawn M. Carson
Lansing - Nichole M. Fisher
Lapeer - James R. Farrand
LaSalle - Donald L. Jones
Livonia - Krista Hobbins
Livonia - Michael E. Sensoli
Lowell - Barry Hobrla
Ludington - James D. Bowen Jr.
Ludington - Les W. Johnson
Ludington - John E. Shay
Ludington - Paul R. Spaniola
Macomb - Douglas A. Crenshaw
Macomb - Joseph T. Latorre
Macomb - Richard T. Paperd
Macomb - Jeffrey J. Zielinski
Madison Heights - Joseph F. Young
Marinette - Al D. Mathy
Marlette - Susanne M. Burton
Marshall - Randy L. Blum
Mattawan - Paul P. Eggers
Mattawan - Chuck Rawsthorne
McBain - Paul Shaarda
Middleville - Jeffrey J. Kenyon
Midland - William A. Larson
Milan - Gary A. Blackford
Milford - John M. Cecil
Milford - Norman Kawaelde
Millington - Byron W. Drew
Monroe - Kenneth J. Bausman
Monroe - Michael G. Gaynier
Monroe - Christopher M. Haut
Monroe - Mark E. Leach
Morenci - Ryan W. Kast
Muskegon - Jeffery A. Dunn
Muskegon - Brad A. Swain
Muskegon - Michael S. Taylor
Muskegon - Leonard T. Vargas
Nashville - Steven L. Hopkins II
New Boston - David J. Sichterman
Novi - Donald A. Fralick
Oak Park - Jason F. Haluscsak
Owosso - Frank D. Tew Jr.
Paw Paw - Chad M. Szymczak
Pinckney - Michael L. Rose
Pittsford - John T. Hoeft
Plymouth - Paul E. Woodard
Port Huron - Jesus E. Castillo Jr.
Ravenna - Ken J. Punter
Reading - Eugene L. Miller
Redford - Michael R. Jackson
Redford - Michael Ross
Richland - John P. Nadzam
Richland - Anthony J. Vanlerberghe
Richmond - Gary R. Niebauer
Riverview - William M. Ellington
Riverview - Dominic Frontera
Rochester Hills - Robert T. Bobbitt
Rogers City - Cory A. Davis
Romulus - Donald L. Hamilton
Roscommon - Rodney C. Patterson
Roscommon - Stephen M. Reinke
Roseville - Michael J. Iwasko
Royal Oak - Michael M. Beaulieu
Saginaw - Robert (Terry) DeLand
Saginaw - Guy A. Marcoux
Scotts - Ruben D. Rosalin
Shelby Township - Beth M. Karle
Shelby Twp - Cary A. Stearnes
Shepherd - Gerald F. DeVall
Spring Arbor - Erika L. Raffin
St Louis - Kurt W. Ballien
Sterling Heights - Steven A. Matthews
Sterling Hts - Darron E. Bell
Sturgis - Darrell D. Peugeot
Sunfield - Bruce L. Elliott
Swartz Creek - Scott M. Lovely
Taylor - Michael T. Sarandrea
Toledo - Gregory S. Shoffer
Traverse City - Billie D. Drake
Traverse City - Edward N. O'Brien
Traverse City - Alan J. Waisanen
Troy - Craig R. Smith
Unionville - Douglas E. Coon
Waterford - Laurence K. Campbell
Waterford - Matthew R. Tilley
Wauseon - Ken D. Baumgartner
Weidman - Timothy W. Todd
West Bloomfield - Gary Devine
West Bloomfield - Alain Moore
White Lake - Ryan T. Negoshian
Whitehall - Kurt J. Huizenga
Williamston - Daniel L. Grooms
Wixom - Michael P. Fischer
Wyoming - Frederick S. Adrian
Wyoming - Jeffrey M. Hudson
Zeeland - Derk D. Teusink
30 YEAR OFFICIALS
Ada - Mike Terwilliger
Allegan - John M. Bishop
Ann Arbor - Jon M. Keith
Battle Creek - Malcomb K. Crawford
Bay City - Mark A. Bauer
Bay City - Rollin P. Fawcett
Big Rapids - Jeffrey S. Jennings
Boardman - Lynette S. Angood
Brownstown Township - Peter J. Bean
Buchanan - Randy L. Bicard
Burton - Darrick J. Puffer
Byron - Gregory A. Finch
Byron Center - Marvin J. Heasley
Casco Township - John E. Ward
Cedarville - LeRoy J. Pieri
Clark Lake - Mark G. Snyder
Clawson - Richard O. Szalma
Constantine - Dale W. Wentela
Dearborn - Mike E. Unger
Dearborn Heights - Phil L. Shannon
Eaton Rapids - William DeFrance
Escanaba - Gary D. Buckley
Farwell - Douglas J. Haggart
Flint - Joe H. Wheeler
Flushing - Steven J. Berriman
Flushing - Clarence E. Turner
Frankenmuth - Joe Ricard
Frankfort - Michael R. Fought
Frederic - Randall L. Holecheck
Gaylord - Ralph L. Galbraith
Gibraltar - Brian F. Herman
Grand Blanc - Brian J. Parr
Grand Rapids - Sharon K. Dekleine
Grandville - Geoffrey R. Goodyear
Grayling - Robert G. Gingerich
Grosse Pointe Woods - Tom C. Elsey
Holland - Michael D. Bos
Ida - Gary M. Miller
Ithaca - James J. Wideman
Jenison - Thomas A. Kragt
Kalamazoo - Loren L. Heun
Kalamazoo - Charles E. Kinnane
Lake Isabella - Kevin L. Fountain
Lake Leelanau - Glenn E. Huntley
Lake Orion - Lyle G. Sanderson
Lansing - Ronald R. Smoker
Livonia - Michael Wynn
Marquette - Barry C. James
Mason - Clinton M. Chadwell
Midland - Steve V. Weiger
Millington - Timothy P. Walter
Muskegon - Michael R. Cribbs
Muskegon - Matthew E. Preston
Nashville - Michael P. Meade Sr.
Negaunee - Glen Nelson
New Boston - William D. Spiecker
Newaygo - Raymond R. Bauer
Newberry - Rob J. Depew
Olivet - Douglas A. Thering
Owosso - Scott A. Schooley
Owosso - Robert K. Stinson
Pickford - Gregory M. Ledy
Pigeon - Catherine J. Dayak
Plymouth - Mike A. Kavulich
Portage - John J. Creek
Portage - Gregg D. Langley
Portage - John M. VanElk
Reading - Brian J. Hinkley
Romulus - Bill J. Miller
Roseville - Darin M. Gilbert Sr.
Royal Oak - Thomas Eschmann
Saginaw - Carl D. Miller
Saginaw - David A. O'Dell
Saginaw - Calvin L. Robinson
Sault Ste Marie - Billy R. Norton
Sawyer - Scott A. Ponegalek
Scottville - Benjamin E. Nelson
Shelby Township - James F. Plutschuck
Spring Arbor - Brad L. Buter
St Ignace - Gary L. McDonald
Standish - Rod L. Russell
Three Rivers - Kevin R. Tavernier
Traverse City - Roger D. Heeres
Traverse City - John T. Irwin
Traverse City - James D. Szur
Traverse City - Curtis A. Wolf
Vicksburg - Warner C. Offord Jr.
Warren - Kenneth J. Kaschalk
Waterford - Gillie A. David
Wayland - Richard T. May
West Bloomfield - Sheldon G. Larky
West Bloomfield - Lamont Simpson
Westland - Terrence E. Madigan
Wyoming - Gary A. Kuipers
Wyoming - Thomas J. Oosterbaan
Wyoming - Alan D. Woodcox
Zeeland - Carey M. Strykowski
40 YEAR OFFICIALS
Adrian - Don C. Fry
Alma - Bruce M. Moss
Almont - Thomas H. Abraham
Battle Creek - Joseph L. Kurti
Belding - Robert A. Youngs
Benton Harbor - Eleanor V. Dorow
Bristol - David J. Blough
Brooklyn - Thomas W. Crampton
Brown City - Richard Lee
Burton - Rosalie A. Howell
Burton - Steven A. Johnson
Clinton Township - Stephen D. Stuckey
Clio - Dale E. Sneller
Davison - Douglas C. Dillon
Davison - Randy Hutton
Detroit - Patricia E. Jones
Detroit - Bertha M. Smiley
DeWitt - John C. Hoekje
Farmington Hills - John D. Scott
Fenton - Richard D. Massa
Frankenmuth - Dennis Krafft
Galesburg - Wayne C. Patterson
Gladstone - David P. Gagnon
Gowen - Lennda J. Brown
Grand Haven - David B. Parsons
Grand Rapids - Tommy Chambers
Hazel Park - Ronald R. Nagy
Highland - Deborah S. Heck
Imlay City - Jeff M. Weingartz
Ionia - Paul D. Carmichael
Iron Mountain - John J. Sacchetti
Iron Mountain - Doug A. Schupp
Ironwood - Jeff D. Haapoja
Jackson - Douglas J. VanArsdalen
Kalamazoo - Kirk G. Hart
Kalamazoo - Christine M. Juszczyk
Lambertville - Thomas C. Williams
Lansing - George D. Runciman
Lansing - Bryan L. Smith
Macomb - Dennis M. Steele
Mancelona - Robert W. Sanders
Manistee - Tom L. Guenthardt
Muskegon - Jeffery A. Burr
Negaunee - Philip M. DeGabriele
New Buffalo - Jack P. Kennedy
Northville - John M. Fundukian
Norton Shores - Richard L. Anderegg
Norton Shores - Jim Tate
Petersburg - Richard A. Ley
Plymouth - Thomas J. Poma
Port Huron - Ray S. Cornwell
Posen - Frank Wozniak
Rapid River - Jeffrey A. Schram
Saginaw - Charles S. Sherman
Saginaw - Suzanne R. Swanton
Saginaw - William Turner
Sebewaing - Paul K. Geiger
Shelby Township - Michael L. Hessen
St Clair - Garth E. Jones
St Clair Shores - Roy W. Vorhees
St Louis - Michael R. Allen
Sturgis - David R. Cherry
Trenton - Max Monas
Troy - Joseph E. Thilman
Troy - Dennis W. Wedell
Warren - Kenneth C. Baker
Warren - Larry R. Leeper
Williamston - Michael A. Nestell
45 YEAR OFFICIALS
Battle Creek - Charles M. Hobbs
Blissfield - Darrell W. Polter
Bloomingdale - Clyde Line
Brighton - Bruce D. Ritter
Colon - Lloyd D. Teller
Davison - Patrick J. McKenna
Farmington - Raymond A. Cranston
Fremont - Ronald E. Mousel
Grand Rapids - Michael J. Cronkright
Grand Rapids - Tom J. Essenburg
Grand Rapids - Bryan P. Lillis
Howell - James L. Downs
Iron Mountain - Kenneth E. Marchetti
Ithaca - John P. Raducha
Lansing - Daniel J. Jimenez
Plymouth - Brian F. Foust
Saginaw - John B. Musulin
Spring Lake - William J. Fritsma
Spruce - Leslie L. Miller
St Clair Shores - George Mihalic Jr.
St Joseph - Frederick A. Fenrick
Taylor - Alphonse P. Ruffner
Tekonsha - Brian C. Briegel
Warren - Thomas J. Lieckfelt
Westland - James J. McPartlin |
Wyoming - Robert L. Stewart
50 YEAR OFFICIALS
Adrian - James I. Kerekes
Alto - Paul L. VanOveren
Battle Creek - James P. Hayes
Caledonia - James P. Uyl
Florence - Dennis R. DeMerse
Grand Blanc - James Lott
Grand Rapids - Kenneth H. Terpstra
Haslett - Rodney H. Horton
Jenison - Frank P. Scalabrino
Middleton - Jim G. Niemiec
Negaunee - Roland K. Koski
Rochester Hills - Cecil R. Haggard
Rochester Hills - Walter E. Popyk
Rockford - Larry M. Taylor
Trenton - Arthur E. Wegienka
Ubly - Jerome J. Messing
West Bloomfield - Alan K. Kaczander
PHOTOS: (Top) Michael Gentry signals a change of possession while Detroit Country Day players cheer during this past season's Division 4 Final. (Middle) Gentry keeps an eye on the action as a side judge alongside back judge Nicole Randolph at Ford Field.
Hoping to be 'Hardly Noticed,' 50-Year Official Allen Certainly Recognizable, Respected
By
Mike Dunn
Special for MHSAA.com
December 18, 2025
Editor's Note: An extended version of this article appeared originally in the Cadillac News in March. Since then, Allen has been inducted into the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan's Hall of Honor in October and is wearing the striped shirt again this basketball season, officially his 50th year.
CADILLAC – Bill Allen’s story is similar to that of many area sports officials, particularly those officials who have been active for many years.
A background in sports, typically playing team sports while growing up, combined with a desire to continue to be involved after high school or college, coupled with an inner urge to be part of the solution – these characteristics find a natural outlet for those brave souls who choose to be officials. and these traits are nearly always part of the make-up of the officials who receive high grades for their efforts and serve capably for many years.
Allen, of Cadillac, would not say this about himself. But he is one of those officials whom coaches are glad to see on the floor because they know they’re getting someone who will be fair and consistent. The same could also be said of Allen when he was umpiring, though he doesn’t work the diamonds anymore.
As Allen can tell you as he enters his 50th year wearing the striped shirt on the hardwood, officiating is a demanding vocation – and it is rewarding at the same time. It requires the right temperament as well as an above-average level of mental and physical fitness, especially as age makes its inevitable demands. It requires the ability to make decisions quickly, sometimes under very stressful conditions. It requires the ability to face criticism, sometimes expressed loudly or very loudly. It requires the ability to be a peacemaker at times and also the willingness not to hold grudges or become petty.
For those like Allen who have what it takes, those who are up to the challenges and the rigors that officiating requires from an individual, there is a deep satisfaction in knowing they are making a positive difference.
“I think that’s a common thread among all the officials, whether it’s basketball or baseball or softball,” Allen said. “You obviously want to do your best, but you want to manage the game in a way that helps it to flow the way it should flow and enables everyone, the players and the coaches and the fans, to get the most out of it.
“It’s an old cliché but it’s true: The best officials are the ones you hardly notice. If you can officiate a game and walk through the crowd afterward and no one recognizes you, then you’ve probably done your job pretty well that game. That’s what every official strives for.
“You’re never going to get every call right, and you have to be willing to accept that going into it,” he added. “But you know the rules and apply the rules the best you can, you put yourself in the best position to make the calls, especially in basketball, and you call it the way you see it.
“Are you always right? No. But if you put yourself in the right position and make the call you believe is correct, you can live with that and normally the coaches can too, even if they’re angry about a particular call in the moment.”
Allen, like most officials, was an athlete himself growing up in Traverse City and playing multiple sports for what was then known as Traverse City High School, the largest high school in Michigan in the early 1970s. By his own admission, he wasn’t one of the top stars in basketball and baseball but he was a good, reliable player for his coaches and a dependable teammate who loved the atmosphere of the arena during each season as well as the sense of achievement that the act of competing brought out in him like nothing else.
“I was pretty athletic growing up, but not a great athlete at Traverse City High School,” he said. “I was good enough to make the teams, but I wasn’t what you would call an impact player. A lot of officials have the same kind of background as mine. Maybe we weren’t the greatest players, but we still enjoy sports and we like being part of the action.”
It was during his final two years at Michigan State during the mid-1970s that Allen received his start in officiating.
“In my junior year at Michigan State, one of the fellows I roomed with did assignments for the intramural programs at the college,” he said. “Everything from touch football to basketball to slow-pitch softball. He told me to take the officiating class and he would assign me to games, and that’s how it all started 50 years ago.”
Allen jumped into the world of officiating eagerly with both feet, working a sporting event “nearly every night” at MSU.
“I would go to school during the day, ref at night, and do it again the next day,” he recalled.
“There were so many contests, maybe thousands, that I got to work with a number of other officials. Tim McClelland, who later became a Major League umpire and made the illegal pine tar bat call against George Brett, was a colleague back then. It was a lot of good experience and good mentoring and laid a great foundation for what turned out to be ahead.”
Allen initially earned a degree in criminal justice, graduating from Michigan State University in 1977, and worked in the field of corrections for a period of time before his love of baseball and a sense of personal confidence in his potential to officiate at a higher level prompted him to attend a school for prospective umpires in Daytona Beach, Fla.
That didn’t quite work out, but Allen was not deterred. He changed his career plans from criminal justice to education, and the switch would also lead to abundant opportunities for officiating down the road not just on the baseball and softball diamonds but the basketball court as well.
“When I didn’t get picked (for umpiring), I went back to school to earn my teaching certificate and a graduate degree in history with the goal of becoming a teacher at Cadillac,” he explained. Allen’s wife Sue already was employed as a teacher with the school district.
Bill’s goal at that point was to join Sue as a member of the faculty, as a social studies teacher, and that’s just what happened. Bill served for 26 years in the classroom before retiring along with Sue 12 years ago.
“I viewed Cadillac schools as a great organization to work for as a teacher before I got hired there, and I was right,” he said. “I wouldn’t trade my years at Cadillac for anything. Susie and I both thoroughly enjoyed our years there.”
In conjunction with teaching, Allen continued to officiate basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring and summer. He umpired a lot of men’s summer league softball games through the years and grew to love in particular working the games under the lights at Cadillac’s Lincoln Field.
He also became a registered official with the MHSAA and has continued in that role, though he decided to hang up his umpire cleats a few years ago.
“I registered with the MHSAA while I was still in Lansing,” he said. “The first place I ever did a sanctioned event was in Perry, Michigan. I had barely enough (umpiring) equipment and I’m sure I looked like a real yahoo out there, but I got through it.”
After coming to Cadillac, Allen met Dave Martin, who was an active official and a fellow teacher at Marion, and Martin became his first “crew chief.”
“They needed some JV officials and I got signed up and was off and running,” Allen recalled. “That’s how you got into it back then. You found a crew and the crew chief assigned you some games, and you were evaluated. As long as they liked you and liked what you were doing, they kept you around.”
Allen expressed admiration and appreciation for Martin and also the late June Helmboldt from Lake City, another crew leader “who had a great perspective on the game.”
Allen served as a crew chief himself for a long time and has built rewarding relationships with fellow officials through the years. He has worked many games with Penny McDonald of Cadillac, another longtime official who has earned much respect for her consistency and quality of work in multiple sports over the decades. Allen, in a reversal of roles, is the one receiving assignments from McDonald these days.
Bill Bartholomew is another longtime officiating partner with whom Allen has worked many games over the years and for whom Allen has great respect. This school year, in fact, marks Bartholomew’s 51st year as an official. There are a few others from northern Michigan who have stood the test of time and have passed the 50-year service milestone, such as Paul Williams of Mesick, Tom Post and Mike Muldowney of Traverse City, Tom Johnson of Gaylord, and Dan Aldrich of Charlevoix. All of these, Allen said, are a credit to the craft of officiating and have earned the respect they receive.
Allen also has fond memories of working frequently through the years with Don Blue of Falmouth and Jill Baker-Cooley of Big Rapids, who was chosen for the MHSAA’s prestigious Vern L. Norris Award in 2018.
“I was there when Don and Julie and Penny all got their start in officiating, and they all found their skill set and became excellent officials,” Allen said.
Bill is included in the 50-year milestone group of basketball officials now that the 2025-26 season is underway. He is pleased that he has been able to maintain his longevity; as to the future, he is ready and willing to keep going.
“As long as I’m healthy and can do it properly, I hope to continue,” said Allen, who remains physically fit, jogging regularly along with activities including downhill skiing in the winters and golf during the warmer months.
“I’ll know when it’s time to step aside. When I can’t see well enough to judge the baseline and need to rely on my partners more than I should, then it’s time to hang up the whistle and let the younger ones take over. I hope that’s not for a while though.”
Mike Dunn is a sportswriter for the Cadillac News and the sports editor of the Missaukee Sentinel weekly. He has won numerous awards through the Michigan Press Association as well as the Michigan Associated Press.
PHOTOS (Top) Cadillac’s Bill Allen, shown here following a varsity girls basketball game in February in Evart, is in his 50th year as an MHSAA registered official. (Middle) Allen waits at the baseline for action to resume. (Below) Allen talks casually with McBain Northern Michigan Christian boys assistant coach Terry Pluger prior to the start of the varsity game with Buckley on Dec. 8. (Photos by Mike Dunn.)