A 2010 East Burke High School graduate who played basketball, football, and baseball for the Cavaliers recently made headlines for a decision he made while serving as a referee during a varsity boys hoops game at Bunker Hill.
Lail
The host Bears were facing Newton-Conover on Senior Night in Claremont on Feb. 19 when the referee, Justin Lail, blew his whistle and proceeded to eject fans and cheerleaders of the home team before the start of the second half.
Shortly thereafter, the game was called off, with the visiting Red Devils ultimately earning a 32-24 victory by forfeit.
Video of Lail ejecting individuals from Bunker Hill’s bleachers quickly began circulating online, and numerous people have weighed in on social media, including former West Virginia House member Derrick Evans, who posted the following on X: “I’ve never seen every single fan from a school/community get thrown out of a ball game, including the cheerleaders.”
Additionally, according to Dave Faherty of WSOC-TV, several parents mentioned that Lail called multiple technical fouls during the contest, including one as players were warming up for the game.
The story has even been picked up by such outlets as BroBible, Sports Illustrated, and Rivals.com.
On Feb. 20, Catawba County Schools released a statement that said the district “is aware of concerns raised regarding alleged unsportsmanlike behavior during the recent athletic contest between Bunker Hill High School and Newton-Conover High School. The game included multiple technical fouls; however, no physical altercation occurred.”
The statement also noted that “no arrests were made” and that the district “will provide additional information if appropriate” after it has finished “reviewing the matter in coordination with appropriate athletic governing bodies.”
Piedmont Basketball Association Regional Supervisor Liz Crowe-Covington declined to comment when contacted by The Paper via email. Attempts to contact Lail for comment were unsuccessful.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.