Whistle while you work takes on a whole new meaning for Bob Ackerman and Tony Payne.

Ackerman and Payne whistle while they work, but it's a different kind of whistle. It's a whistle that hangs around their neck as they officiate high school football games.

And the Ironton football officials have been whistling for the past 35 years.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association acknowledged their many years of service this past week when they were awarded plaques signifying their contributions to high school athletics.

Bob Ackerman

After ending his high school playing career in 1968, Ackerman began working on his officiating career the following fall by taking a class at Ohio University Southern. His first high school game was Green Township at Fairview, Ky.

&#8220I played the game and I liked it and I thought (officiating) would be a way to stay close to the game,” Ackerman said.

The first crew Ackerman joined was headed by Doodle and Bob Kratzenberg. He later formed a crew with Dean McDonald, John Boyd, Allen Vass and Clark Collins. The crew worked together for nearly 20 years.

Ackerman currently works in a crew with McDonald and the Mahlmeisters, Jim, Mike and Jimmy.

&#8220I've worked with a lot of great guys, and I learned a lot about the game and officiating from men like Ralph Davis, Joe Swarts, Doodle and Bob Kratzenberg, Bill Rapp and Harold Rolph. I always looked up to them,” Ackerman said. &#8220We've had a lot of fun, but I don't have any bad memories.”

In 1983 Ackerman got his first playoff game when he had the Wheelersburg and Belbrook game at Welcome Stadium in Dayton. He worked the state finals in 1984 when Columbus Bishop Ready beat Orrville.

Ackerman has worked all over the state totaling about 40 playoff games.

&#8220I've had a bunch of playoff games. Since they went to the five-division format I've worked as many as three games a year. It seemed like I always had a Newark Catholic game. I worked them five years in a row. My wife (Mary Jo) said I lettered for them,” Ackerman said.

The National Federation of High School Football Federation Officials selects an Official of the Year from each state every year. Last year, Ackerman received the award.

Even though Ackerman has 35 years of service, he has no plans of slowing down.

&#8220Until I get tired of packing. Doodle stayed around for 50 years. That's what I'm shooting for,” Ackerman said.

Tony Payne

Payne said he began his career like any other official of his era. He worked junior high and JV games his first couple of years and served as an extra for John Brubaker's crew out of South Point.

His first high school game was in Kentucky as Wurtland played Fairview.

&#8220We worked half the season in Kentucky and half in Ohio,” Payne said. &#8220The Kentucky crews got first choice so we had games that were pretty far away. I said I could fill my schedule in Ohio and we didn't have to go as far.”

Payne, who works in a regular season crew with Bernie Hensley, Chuck Delawder, Larry Muche, Tony Compliment and sometimes Andy Compliment, has been assigned a playoff game every year since 1995.

Payne worked the 2000 Division IV state championship game when Canton Central Catholic beat Van Wert in overtime and the 2002 Division VI title game as Mogadore beat Dela Hardin Northern.

While Payne points toward the state championship games as the highlights of his career, he said there is a third: the Jake Porter game in 2003 between Northwest and Waverly.

&#8220We were at Northwest and they came up to us before the game and told us they had a kid not physically and mentally able to play the game, but he came to all the practices for four years. They were going to put him in on the last play of the game and take a knee,” Payne said.

&#8220We said we'd work it out and then we got down to six seconds to go and Northwest got the ball. We told the Waverly coach about them taking a knee and he came out and said, &#8220No, let him score.' He told his players to let him score. They gave him the ball and he went all the way. There wasn't

a dry eye in the house. The place went crazy.”

Generally, officials catch a lot of verbal abuse. Payne said &#8220we've never been chased out of town or anyone pull a weapon on us,” but he does recall one particular night at Jackson.

&#8220It was cold and I felt a headgear hit me in the side of the head. Bernie (Hensley) looked at my ear and said ‘Oh my God.' I was bleeding and went to the sidelines to get the bleeding stopped. They asked me if wanted to continue the game and I did. The trainer did say I should swing by hospital because I was going to need six or seven stitches.”

For now, Payne doesn't have any plans to retire.

&#8220I just keep telling everybody that as long as I feel fit and enjoy it, I'll do it. I get just as excited as the kids,” Payne said.