Grandfather-grandson duo works together officiating WPIAL basketball games

By: Chris Harlan
Thursday, February 17, 2022 | 9:00 AM

When Matthew White was a little kid, he enjoyed going to high school basketball games and seeing the officials, because his grandfather was one of them.

“From when I was very young, I have memories of him taking me with his partners back to the locker room and then going out to watch the game,” said White, now a 21-year-old college student at Cal (Pa.).

What White couldn’t have imagined then was someday he and his grandfather, Dale Thunhorst, would officiate basketball games together. The grandfather and grandson shared the court six times this winter for WPIAL varsity games — both girls and boys.

Their first was a Jan. 3 section game between the Highlands and Valley girls. They officiated their first boys game Feb. 8, a section contest with Belle Vernon and South Park.

“When our game assignment came through, it was a big deal for both of us,” White said.

“This has been my dream since he decided to start officiating,” Thunhorst added.

It also got them wondering: Had a grandfather-grandson duo ever worked a WPIAL or PIAA game?

White searched the internet and found a 2018 story about the Pattisons, a grandfather and grandson in Johnstown who together officiated Allegheny Christian Athletic Association games. But there was no indication of any such duos in the WPIAL or PIAA.

A few longtime WPIAL officials said they also couldn’t remember any grandfather-grandson combination working games here, so they might be the first.

“To the best of my knowledge, we are the only grandfather-grandson ever to do it,” said Thunhorst, calling the achievement the highlight of his nearly five-decade career.

White and Thunhorst, 73, are members of the Westmoreland County chapter of officials. This was White’s second season as an official and his first working varsity games.

Thunhorst, a Clairton native and Port Vue resident, has officiated for 46 years. Among his favorite basketball memories, he recalled handling Jeannette contests involving Terrelle Pryor and officiating WPIAL and PIAA playoff games, all the way to the state semifinals.

“But this,” he said of working with his grandson, “is the best for me.”

The two are close and often golf together. White, an Elizabeth Forward graduate, grew up playing basketball but didn’t play high school ball. He did play varsity baseball and golfed for the Warriors.

At Thunhorst’s suggestion, White took up officiating last winter, starting with recreational leagues. He started this winter working junior varsity games and earned a promotion to varsity in January.

“I think he has a good whistle,” Thunhorst said, “and he runs like a deer.”

The Highlands girls defeated Valley, 64-22, in their debut game together. White’s first whistle of the game was for an early out-of-bounds call.

“I was so nervous to blow the whistle,” he said. “I was happy to have that be my first call and get it out of the way.”

His grandfather admits he was a little nervous, too. Mainly because it was White’s first game working with three officials on the floor. Junior varsity games use two, so the on-court mechanics differ.

“Protect might be too strong of a word, but I went out there to protect him,” Thunhorst said. “But one good thing about Matthew is, if you tell him what he did wrong, the next time out it’s corrected. He just doesn’t miss it again.”

After working more games together, Thunhorst said he no longer felt quite so protective.

Having his grandfather as a resource has helped him learn the job quickly, said White, who talks with Thunhorst after almost every game, even those they don’t work together.

“I call him no matter what,” White said, “whether it’s rec, JV or varsity.”

Thunhorst previously retired from working playoff games, so this season is over for him. As a second-year official and first year on varsity, White won’t work the postseason either.

Their season finale was Monday night, when the Indiana boys lost 71-60 at Greensburg Salem.

“I do it because I want to stay young,” Thunhorst said. “And by talking to the kids and talking to the coaches, I stay young at heart. Maybe not in body, but young in heart.”

There is a shortage of high school sports officials nationwide, and the PIAA is making efforts to add younger members such as White to its ranks. A National Association of Sports Officials survey a few years ago found there were more officials over the age of 60 than under 30.

Thunhorst, who fits into that first category, isn’t sure how many more games he has in his future. White, on the other hand, is curious to see how far officiating might take him.

“I have fun doing it, and I played sports all through my life,” White said, “so I knew what I was getting into.”

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.