John Washo has seen and heard a lot of things over his many years officiating collegiate basketball.

But he never done anything like his game at Taylor University in Upland, Ind. on Dec. 6

The Princeton native officiated Taylor’s famous “Silent Night” game. If you’ve never heard about it, you need to look it up. It’s in the news and on ESPN ever year.

Starting in 1997, the Taylor students hold a “Silent Night” game, wearing an assortment of costumes and much pregame hoopla in the stands. Once the ball is tipped, however, the students stand and remain eerily silent until Taylor scores its 10th point.

Then chaos erupts as the students rush the floor and everyone on the court, players and officials alike, run to take cover. This year’s 10th point came via a slam dunk.

Washo found himself right in the middle of it working on the 3-man crew.

“I got lucky. My two partners were away from table side and I was closer to the table and able to take advantage of that. I hopped over it,“ Washo said. ”My one partner was kind of right behind me. He came from cross court and got coralled by the guy who made the dunk. The other (official) disappeared. I don’t know where he found safety.”

Washo admitted he had two things in mind when the game started: officiate the game and plan his exit strategy.

“You’re trying to both officiate the game and also being cognizant where you are and what the best route is going to be to not get trampled. It was fun,” he said.

No technical foul is given for the 10th-point celebration, as a media timeout is issued immediately after Taylor scores its 10th point.

“I don’t think anyone’s going to give them a technical foul, so we just went with the media and called it good,” Washo said.

He said it was a “high energy amazing thing” to see live.

“People see the videos and think it’s AI. No, it’s not AI. It’s real,” he said with a laugh. “It was cool to do that game once and check it off the list. It was really neat.”

After doing an array of skits and routines (Washo especially enjoyed the Taylor students dressed up to portray Moses parting the Red Sea by clearing out a section of the bleachers), the students stand and sing “Silent Night” together

One fun fact: Taylor is 27-1 in Silent Night games.

Washo called it one of the great basketball traditions in the country.

“Honestly, it’s one of the most fun one I’ve been a part of. And it’s not just that. It’s the entire game,” he said. “The students are dressed up on costumes and they’re all doing different acts during timeouts. The last two minutes and they start singing Silent Night and swaying. It was really cool I got to experience it.

“The whole culture how it brings the students and the whole community together is just cool to experience. You didn’t get that in college basketball everywhere, especially small college. The students do a great job with that tradition and it just keeps the fun up. It’s just great to see in that community and be a part of.”

Washo got his start in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference in 2007 and works about 60 games a season. His wife, Jennifer, also keeps busy officiating women’s basketball.

“We’re both criss-crossing all over the place. It’s like, ‘see in you in March,’” Washo said with a laugh.

The Washos worked a game together back in his hometown at Princeton High School about 16 years ago.

They met officiating a freshman boys basketball game in Morgan, Utah in 2004. You could call it love at first whistle.

Washo has worked the NCAA Div. 3 National Tournament and said he would like to work at the “highest level I can as long as they’ll have me.”

Kevin Hieronymus has been the BCR Sports Editor since 1986. Contact him at khieronymus@bcrnews.com