Scott Welker's long officiating journey brings MVL commissioner to OHSAA Hall of Fame

DRESDEN — Scott Welker has worn many hats.

In fact, if they were hanging on a rack near the front door of their palatial estate, his wife Erin would likely ask they be moved to another room.

Such is the life of a Hall of Famer.

Welker has served as Muskingum Valley League commissioner since 2003, when he replaced another legend in Glen Hursey. In that, he serves a variety of roles between the member schools' coaches, officials and administrators.

Then there is his time as a longtime member of the Tri-Valley Board of Education. Few decisions are more important than a publicly represented vote on district matters.

But it's 33 years as a high school official for which the Maysville grad was honored recently by the Ohio High School Athletic Association, when he was inducted into its Officials Hall of Fame. He was among 13, including Wheeling native Butch Minkemeyer, from the East District, who joined the elite pantheon.

Welker knew of his induction since January but elected to keep the news under wraps until the OHSAA announced it last week. Even on his biggest weekend as an official, he still found his way to the Muskingum Valley-Licking County All-Star football game on June 17, where he presented Maysville senior Garrett LaFollette with the Muskingum Valley League Scholarship.

Typical of his busy schedule, he made his way to the OHSAA ceremony in Columbus with his grandson.

"He's only six months old and gets to go with me, so that's exciting," Welker said prior to the Muskingum-Licking game.

How Scott Welker got started officiating

Welker's journey into officiating began in South Zanesville, where he and classmate Larry Adolph began working biddy basketball games for the late Kelsey Krigbaum in the Maysville Youth League.

"He'd pay us and give us a hot dog, so we did it," Welker recalled. "That's how it started."

He got his baseball start with the late Bob Wolfe, one of the original Muskingum Valley Old-Timers, with whom he umpired his first game. His first basketball game came with another local officiating mainstay in Ed Williams. His first football crew came with Crooksville's Gale Spurbeck's crew.

Little did he know at the time it would be a side gig lasting longer than three decades. He continued working games when Erin was staying home with their children for some extra spending money.

"It's not that the money doesn't mean anything, but I do it for the exercise now," Welker said. "Exercise is more important to me than the money now."

That took a hit when he was forced to undergo hip replacement surgery in February, which prevented him from working as many basketball games during the 2021-22 season. He returned in time to work baseball games with longtime partner Scott Anders, and he recovered from surgery well enough to work a summer shootout recently at Maysville.

His main focus this summer has been on teaching a baseball umpiring class. It has allowed him to meet and observe those whom he has assigned games to gain experience. The lesser workload in basketball season allowed him to do the same during the winter months.

Welker has served as an assigner for the Muskingum Valley League and East District, in addition to his role as an official. Like others in his field, he is growing concerned about the lack of new officials and hopes to build the pool through his teaching of the classes.

"I would like to see us recruit more officials, someway, somehow," Welker said. "There needs to be a better way to get more young people involved. I started when I was 23. I realize everybody is busy, but it would be nice if there was some way to recruit people and still be active in the game. We need them."

Gene Bess, who was inducted into the officials' Hall of Fame in 2019, said Welker is respected by players, coaches, athletic directors and the OHSAA. One of Welker's crowning achievements came when he worked the state football, basketball and baseball tournaments in the same season.

"It's kind of like hitting for the cycle," Welker said. "It's pretty neat. That's probably the biggest thing on that stage, to get to do that."

Welker said he and veteran official Bruce Varner are the only two to work state tournaments in the three major sports.

"It was a real accomplishment that shows the respect (the OHSAA) has for Scott, not only as an official but as a person," Bess said. "Scott has been a mentor to many of us. When you work a game with Scott, you know that all will be well and he has your back if needed."

Welker teamed with Scott Anders and Mike Rauch to form one of the most recognizable — and highly regarded — basketball crews in the region. They spent more than two decades doing games before Rauch stepped away.

Anders remains a mainstay among the East District's elite, despite recent knee surgery.

"The fun part is to know them on a whole different level," Welker said. "You travel with them, so I see them more in the winter than I would see my family. We'd travel and we would joke and have fun. The people you meet when you're out, it's unbelievable. You walk into a gym in Northwest Ohio or Eastern Ohio and people know you. It's like, 'hey it's good to see you.' And then they throw the ball in the air."

Welker said that while baseball is his favorite sport, basketball is his favorite sport to officiate because of the closeness to the action and the increased level of exercise.

Welker said he and Anders will likely work together for two or three more years.

"We've always said that we're going to go out together," Welker said.

sblackbu@gannett.com; Twitter: @SamBlackburnTR

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Scott Welker in OHSAA Hall of Fame after decades officiating