Indianapolis – The Indianapolis Colts and the IHSAA today announced that the high school football officiating crew of Mark Hopper, Derek Carroll, Jay Slater, Lonnie Sapp and Michael Stoffers has been named the High School Officiating Crew of the Month for September 2025.
"Officials are an integral part of the fabric of high school football in Indiana," said Mike Prior, Colts Legend and current Colts Football Development Commissioner. "They have a tough job to do every week, but we wouldn't have the great competition across the state without the passion of officials who dedicate their own time to developing their craft and ultimately teaching and guiding our student-athletes."
This month's winning crew has accumulated more than 100 combined years of officiating football for the IHSAA, working three football state finals and more than 20 years of officiating collegiate football. The crew also has been instrumental in the education and recruitment of younger officials.
Members of the crew are actively involved in coaching, assigning and mentoring within local youth leagues. Head referee Mark Hopper was honored as the NFHS Region 4 Active Official of the Year, a testament to his leadership, dedication and impact on the sport.
This season marks the second year the Colts and IHSAA are recognizing outstanding high school football officials throughout Indiana. Each month, IHSAA will select the honorees based on the crew's experience, community involvement and their ability to remain impartial when officiating games. All high school football officiating crews in the state are eligible to be nominated.
To learn more about becoming an IHSAA official, please visit ihsaa.org/become-official.
For more info, visit Colts.com/HighSchoolFootball.
