When the Tigers took the field last Friday night against Lafayette, they did so without their head coach.

Coach Arlee Conners was ejected in the third quarter of the game against De Smet on Sept. 30 after confrontation with a referee over a number of questionable calls. According to Conners, after he failed to receive an explanation on a call that went against the Tigers, he asked, “What do we need to do to get equal treatment out here?”

The referee interpreted Conners’ question as a suggestion that the referee cheated and Conners was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.

“What was that flag for?” Conners said he asked the official.

The referee then told Conners that if he heard another word from him he would be thrown out of the game. “Whatever,” Conners replied with a shrug. To that, the referee threw a second flag on Conners, which ejected him from the game.

After the game Conners filled out an evaluation sheet on the referee and the referee submitted a write up to MSHSAA (Missouri State High School Activities Association) justifying why he ejected Conners.

Calls to the MSHSAA were not returned.

Conners’ absence from the game against Lafayette hit some of the players hard. The Tigers were shut out 0-50.

“Coach Conners gets us so pumped up and ready, it was different without his inspirational speech,” captain Eric Simon (12) said.

Assistant coach Kevin Niedringhaus assumed the head coaching spot. Conners is expected back for the district game against Fox on Oct. 14.