Gusman doesn’t have to duck cherry officiating assignment

This isn’t the first time George Gusman of Waipio is officiating a national championship college football game.

Nor is it the first time he’s working a big Oregon-Ohio State game where he and the Ducks starting quarterback had gone to the same high school.

Like Marcus Mariota, Jeremiah Masoli played football at Saint Louis School — from where Gusman graduated in 1969.

It’s a good thing Mariota didn’t also play baseball at Saint Louis, since Gusman has been the coach of that sport at their alma mater since 2010, a year before Mariota graduated.

If he did, Gusman might have had to think harder about recusing himself from being the head linesman at Monday’s College Football Playoff national championship game, pitting Mariota’s Ducks against the Ohio State Buckeyes.

As it is, he made sure to let his assignment coordinator and crew referee know of his connection to Mariota.

"They said it’s not a problem," Gusman said. "I wanted to avoid anyone being blindsided. Just wanted to make them aware, be up front with them."

Gusman returned to his alma mater as baseball coach in 2010. On occasion he crossed paths with Mariota, who graduated in 2011. They knew each other, but barely, Gusman said.

In addition to working as an official for the Big 12, the former Hawaii high school and college official volunteers as a football officiating mentor and consultant locally.

"George Gusman is the most respected, knowledgeable and accomplished active football official in the state," said Keith Amemiya, who worked with Gusman when Amemiya ran the Hawaii High School Athletic Association. "His integrity is beyond reproach and I have no doubt that he’ll call a fair and excellent game."

Another veteran local official, Matt Sumstine, said it is normal for college officials to not work games of players who are close family relations, or if there is a strong "direct" link to a player.

"There is also protocol that if you work for a university or are a major donor they avoid having you work those games," Sumstine said. "But as far as (working at or coming from) the same high school with a high-profile player, no, not a conflict."

Gusman said it will be business as usual — like it was when he officiated the 2012 BCS national championship game between Alabama and LSU.

"It’s not a conflict, just a coincidence," he said. "He’s one of 22 guys playing and you don’t think about anyone or anything, just the job. There are too many other things I have to be concerned about. Probably at least half the time at the end of the game I say, ‘What was the score?’ "

No one who knows Gusman and of his body of work as an official questions his integrity or character.

Folks from the Ohio State camp who might see a conflict can just look at the record.

If Gusman had gone against everything he stands for as a football official and was biased for his fellow Crusader in the 2010 Rose Bowl, it wasn’t enough to influence the outcome.

The Buckeyes beat Masoli and the Ducks 26-17.

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quick-reads.