Luke Skaggs, a 2018 graduate of Hillsboro and freshman at Jefferson College, is the new face of officiating in Missouri.
Nearly half (47 percent) of all officials on the state’s gridirons are over 50 and 17 percent are 60 or older. Fewer than 30 percent of football officials are under 40.
Skaggs, 19, is exactly the type of youthful official the Missouri State High School Activities Association is seeking to replenish its ranks.
A year ago, Skaggs and his Hillsboro teammates on the gridiron won the Class 4 District 1 championship. Now Skaggs is officiating middle school football games in Jefferson County, filling a need that is state wide.
Sports editor Russell Korando shares Skaggs’ story in The County Line in the Oct. 11 issue of the Leader.