West Side Alderman Trades Suit For Stripes At State Basketball Tournament

Lamont Westmoreland. Image provided.

Alderman Lamont Westmoreland is used to making tough calls.

In addition to representing the city’s northwest side on the Common Council, Westmoreland is a high school boys basketball referee.

Sixteen years after first donning the black-and-white stripes and one year after tearing his Achilles tendon, Westmoreland reached the pinnacle of refereeing: the state tournament.

He was part of a three-person crew that officiated the Racine St. Catherine’s versus Lake Mills Division III boys basketball semifinal game on March 19 at the Kohl Center in Madison.

“I had a good matchup,” said Westmoreland, praising the play on the court. His time in front of the camera for his day job has prepared him for the increased pressure on the court during the tournament. “Everyone just assumes that most first-timers are nervous because you’re on TV and there are cameras and lights, and it didn’t bother me.”

He said that knowing he won’t make everyone happy when he blows a whistle has made him better at making tough votes on the Common Council. “Obviously, there are going to be, no matter which decision you make, what vote you make, people who disagree with it.”

Shortly after being elected in 2024, Westmoreland told Urban Milwaukee he wanted to referee the state tournament. But he’s not ready to hang up his whistle yet. He hopes to get a state final game next.

“As a first-timer, they don’t give you a final right away,” said Westmoreland about the WIAA. “You get the semifinal, and then, of course, they want to see how you do with a semifinal. And then, if you do well historically, the next year you’ll get a final.”

He said he enjoys the educational experience associated with refereeing high school sports.

“I’ve always said the basketball court is a classroom with a scoreboard,” Westmoreland said. He said he encourages players to communicate with him if they don’t like a call he made. “There’s a lot of lessons to be learned and it’s just cool to be part of teaching the lessons — self-control, discipline, communication, that’s always the message.”

Westmoreland, 42, also believes there is a role to play as a positive male role model. He endorses becoming referees.

“I don’t look at officiating as just blowing the whistle,” he said.

St. Catherine’s defeated Lake Mills 72-66 in the semifinal matchup and then won the state championship two nights later.