Last Sunday, Northeast Ohio high school football was in the national spotlight when ESPN aired the matchup between Lakewood St. Edward and Our Lady of Good Counsel (MD).

The game featured a pair of national powerhouses. St. Edward entered the game ranked 12th in the nation by MaxPreps. Good Council was ranked 21st.

St. Eds posted a 28-7 win at Lakewood Stadium.

On the field, there was a plethora of talent. St Ed’s roster includes a trio of offensive linemen headed to Big 10 schools. Quarterback Casey Bullock is a Davidson recruit. Wide receiver Kyan Mason is headed to Akron and a pair of defensive linemen have been recruited by the likes of Notre Dame and Northwestern.

Good Council featured players who have already committed to Florida State (Elijah Moore), Wisconsin (Dilin Jones), West Virginia (Kyle Altuner) and Clemson (Darien Mayo). Aaron Chiles is a Florida recruit.

Also on the field that day – and trying to stay out of the spotlight – were five Mahoning Valley residents.

The officiating crew of Tony Montana (referee), Pat Montana (line judge), Eric Marino (umpire), Bobby Marino (back judge) and Joe Bettura (linesman) were assigned to work the game. Because a seven-man crew was requested for the game, they were joined by Paul Byrne (field judge) and Mike Dane (side judge).

The Montana brothers have worked games together for roughly 40 years. Eric Marino and Bettura joined the crew more than three decades ago. Bobby Marino – Eric’s nephew – is a recent addition to the crew.

The crew regularly works what many area high school football fans would consider some of the top games in Northeast Ohio, though Tony Montana disagrees.

“They’re all big, every game in every division holds the same importance as far as we’re concerned,” Tony Montana said. “High school football holds the same importance for a kid playing at Newton Falls as it does for a kid playing at St. Ed’s. So in that regard, I truly believe that no game is bigger than another.

“Some games might be more high profile. They may get more coverage and recognition, but that doesn’t make them any more important than the Division VII game being played on a Saturday afternoon.”

That being said, it would have been impossible for anyone watching last Sunday’s game not to notice the talent on both sides of the ball. That’s especially true when you are just a few feet away from the action.

“Sometimes you are just wowed at what you are seeing in front of you,” Montana said. “The size and speed on that field last Sunday was just crazy. While you’re watching this game unfold, you can pick out one player after another, which ones are going to be playing at the next level.”

“I’ve been doing this a long time, and those were easily two of the biggest teams I’ve ever seen. I’m six-foot-two and I was looking up to these kids all day long.”

Eric Marino echoed the comments made by Montana, noting that less than 24 hours before the ESPN game, the same officiating crew worked the LaBrae-Valley Christian game played at Liberty.

“I can honestly say that our entire crew approaches every game with the same attitude and the same mindset,” Marino said. “Whether you’re from St. Ed’s or a Division VII school you play with the same passion and the same desire to win.

“It was an honor to work that (St. Ed’s) game, we were lucky and blessed to be able to do it. But at the same time, the kids from LaBrae and Valley Christian were playing just as hard as the kids were on Sunday. So they all deserve our best effort.”

Over the years, Montana and his crew have regularly worked games such as St. Ed’s-St. Ignatius and Canton McKinley-Massillon. Montana, who began officiating games in 1973, worked his share of Warren G. Harding-Warren Western Reserve games.

“That was some real football between those two Warren schools,” Montana said. “Every single play was extremely hard-hitting. You heard those hits on every play. That was some intense football.”

Montana said that the biggest change he’s seen over the years is the overall size and speed of players.

“A lot of these players today, they have the size and speed of what we saw at the bigtime college level not that long ago,” Montana said. “Players have gotten much bigger, stronger and faster over the years.”

Montana also praised the changes which place an emphasis on player safety.

“In recent times the sport has done a good job of implementing rules designed to prevent injuries, and that’s a great thing,” Montana said.

The biggest change?

“Well, the athletes are always seventeen and eighteen-year-old kids and we’re getting older every year,” Montana says with a laugh. “But with age comes wisdom. I’ve learned to take a step back, to stay out of the way.”

One change that worries Montana is the struggle to create a new generation of officials. Across the nation, high school athletic associations are having a difficult time filling the void for game officials who are stepping away – either due to retirement or because they are frustrated with the current state of athletics at the high school level.

“People often say that we’re losing officials because of how they’re treated, but honestly I’ve never had any issues with coaches or players. We’re blessed with a ton of great coaches in our area.” Montana said. “I just think that for the most part people don’t want to invest the time and effort.

“Last Sunday, we left for our game at nine in the morning and got back at six at night. We put in a lot of time, and you have to be very dedicated to what you’re doing. But I love it, I actually love the travel and I love the interaction with the coaches, players and other game officials wherever we go.

“We have to do a better job of getting into schools, getting the 19-year-old kids to see that this is a great way to stay close to sports while picking up a few extra bucks.”

Montana noted that he began officiating at the urging of Eric Marino’s father, Bobby Marino Sr., who was part of the crew for many years. Marino Sr. now serves as an observer, evaluating the performances and offering advice to present-day officials. Eric followed in his dad’s footsteps, and now a third-generation Marino is on the crew in Bobby.

“It’s a labor of love,” Eric said. “Sometimes you ask yourself why you’re doing this, but we love doing what we do. It’s a great way to stay involved in a game that we love.”

And, whether they are doing it on ESPN or on a muddy field in rural Columbiana County on a Saturday morning, Marino, Montana and the rest of the crew are giving their all and treating every player like they are in the national spotlight.