Kudos to Heater Lewis — again.

While covering a home Seneca Valley basketball game last season, I was impressed by the Raiders’ athletic director’s pre-game comments. She took the microphone at the scorer’s table and pointed out to the crowd that the game’s officiating crrew should be appreciated, that the game could not take place without officials.

She asked the gathering to not taunt or abuse the officials during the contest. And no one did.

Fast-forward to last weekend. I was again at Seneca Valley, getting ready to cover its boys basketball game against North Catholic. Lewis grabbed the microphone again and spoke to the fans.

“Let’s give these three officials something they’ve never had before,” Lewis said in addressing the crowd. “A game in which not one parent yelled at them.”

Her comments caused a few chuckles through the stands. But as the game went on, start to finish, no discouraging word was heard from anyone in attendance.

Lewis makes these comments to the crowd before every Raider home game, right before the national anthem is played, when she has everybody’s attention. In terms of deflecting any negative words toward the officiating crew, she is proactive rather than reactive.

And it seems to work.

Wouldn’t it be great if every athletic director or game manager took a similar stance before the start of every high school basketball game? It’s not scolding the crowd beforehand, it’s simply reminding them of the importance of game officials on the court.

Without them, there is no high school basketball.

So hat’s off to Heather. Others should follow her lead.

Strike 10, you’re out?

For the 10th and final time they appeared on the sports writer’s Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens fell short of the necessary 75 percent of the votes for enshrinement in Cooperstown.

Baseball’s all-time home run leader and the only pitcher to ever win seven Cy Young Awards remain on the outside looking in. That will never change unless the Veterans Committee chooses to induct them some year.

Yeah, I know ... steroids, steroids, steroids.

I also know that Bonds was the most feared hitter I’ve seen in my lifetime. Was he the best I’ve seen? Not sure on that, though he’s up there, but definitely the most feared. He was intentionally walked with no one on base and with the bases loaded, for goodness sake.

Clemens was one of the most dominant pitchers over a long period of years in the game’s history.

Yet neither is good enough for Cooperstown. Nor, for that matter, is baseball’s all-time hits leader, Pete Rose. As a player, that guy did nothing wrong.

David Ortiz was suspected of steroid use. He’s going into the Hall in his first year of eligibility.

The Hall of Fame and its voters need to get this right. Who’s being hurt by it? Not Bonds, Clemens or Rose.

The Hall of Fame itself.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle