For wrestling referees, second-guessers abound

The noise came from every angle of the arena, both cheers and boos. Mitchell wrestling coach Travis Carpenter pumped his fist, while Huron coach Dan McCarty threw his hands up in disbelief. Steve Rounds, a 26-year veteran high school wrestling referee, kept his cool. His first-period, time-expiring takedown call gave Mitchell’s 112-pound Lakin Neugebauer a 2-0 advantage over Huron’s Reagan Francom. To the fans all around the Huron Arena, it was a very close, controversial call. Not to Rounds, though. He knew he had it right. “He had a cradle hooked up and his hips were down,” Rounds said, adding, “Out there, there’s no place to hide. You’re always going to have 50 percent of the people happy with you.”

By: Luke Hagen, The Daily Republic