PEMBROKE — Anthony Maynor is a familiar face to Robeson County sports fans after working as a high school athletics official over the last 25 years. Now that face will be seen watching Atlantic Coast Conference games on television, or in person at Kenan or Carter-Finley stadiums.

Maynor, a Pembroke native, was recently hired by the ACC as a full-time football official and will work games in the conference each week this fall.

“Since ’21, I’ve had an opportunity to work a couple games a year (in the ACC),” Maynor said. “I’ve had an opportunity to work with the on-field staff, and just continuing to work hard, working games, working scrimmages, working spring games, trying to get in front of the supervisor (Alberto Riveron) as much as I could, and hopefully do something where the supervisor have the trust to hire me onto the full-time staff.”

Maynor has officiated college football since 2009, including at the NCAA Division-I Football Championship Subdivision level since 2015, working games in the Colonial Athletic Association, Ivy League and Patriot League as part of an officiating alliance between those conferences.

Maynor will work as a head line judge in the ACC, the same on-field position he has held throughout his collegiate officiating career.

“In the nine years of working at the FCS level, you learn something every week, every game,” Maynor said. “Moving up to the (NCAA Division-I Football Bowl Subdivision) level and working with the ACC, it’s still football; the kids are quicker, there are more coaches, there are more cameras. The expectation is, dealing with the human eye, it’s the only profession that everyone expects you to be perfect, they don’t expect you to make mistakes. That’s why you have to put more time and effort into film study, rules study. I learned that in working FCS, you have to put the time into the rules, into watching film, and you have to be your biggest critic.

He also just completed his 25th year of officiating high school sports locally; he has worked eight state championships across football, basketball and baseball, and was recognized as a Golden Whistle Award recipient in 2022, the highest officiating honor in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.

Maynor was also recently hired as the supervisor of basketball officials for the Southeastern Sports Officials Association, which oversees high school officiating in nine counties including Robeson. He is replacing Errol Daniels, who will continue as supervisor in other sports.

“A lot of people have helped me, have showed me the way,” Maynor said. “Leon Maynor, who’s no longer with us, he gave me an opportunity to start off doing some middle school sports, and it just continued to grow with that. He was very supportive of me. And Brad (Allen) has always been very supportive of me, and I’ve just kind of followed their guidance. Thanks to Leon for giving me an opportunity, thanks to Brad for his guidance and support, and that’s how I got where I am today.”

Allen, a friend and mentor of Maynor, has officiated NFL games since 2014 following his own stint as an ACC official.

The phrase full-time official, which Maynor used to describe his role in the ACC, does not necessarily entail a traditional full-time, 40-hour job. It is, however, a year-round commitment, he said.

“(It’s) a commitment to, during the offseason, you’re doing scrimmages, you’re doing rules study; you’re getting mentally and physically prepared for the clinic, and then once the season starts there’s preseason scrimmages in August, and then the season starts usually around Labor Day weekend, and at the FBS level it’s a 14-week season,” Maynor said. “The supervisors at this level are very understanding, they are people persons, they’re family-oriented, and the group of officials you work with, the ACC is just a great class of officials.”

Maynor retired from his non-officiating career as a social services supervisor in 2020.

His other new role, as supervisor of basketball officials in the SSOA, will focus on booking officials for games and recruiting new officials to the association.

“After being on the court for 25 years, I still feel like I had a lot to offer as far as working on the court, but it’s also an opportunity to give back,” Maynor said. “One of the things I’ve always wanted to do is give back to the association. And this is a way to give back; recruiting, retention, and trying to get more people involved. And, we have quality officials, but putting great qualify officials out on the court.”

Maynor has done booking for local middle school officials since 2018, taking over on the role after Leon Maynor’s death.

As supervisor, he will no longer be an on-court official for basketball; his football job in the ACC, just as it has in previous years, will prevent him from working high school games on Friday nights. He said he plans to continue as an on-field official in baseball and softball.

Maynor said he hopes to encourage a new generation of officials to become involved, with the need for officials seemingly increasing more and more each year.

“We’re always looking for younger officials to get into officiating, not only football, not only basketball, but the many sports that we have in the Southeastern,” Maynor said. “Because a lot of our officials today, we’re getting older, we’re not always going to be around. … If there’s anyone that’s interested in officiating, reach out to your local recreation department, and I’m sure they can all link you to where you need to be to get you on the right track. It’s a commitment, and you have to be willing to put forth the time and the effort.”