Ethan handy with ball and whistle on the floor

Ethan Ngarangione-Pearson.

Ethan Ngarangione-Pearson can do it all.

The Year 11 student opened the scoring, sank free-throws, made a driving lay-up and dropped two three-point shots in the first semifinal for Gisborne Boys' High School against SE Systems on his 16th birthday. He is also a BOAHB (Basketball Officials Association of Hawke's Bay) 3A referee set to become — tonight and tomorrow — the youngest person to blow the whistle in a Gisborne Basketball Association women's A Grade club final and men's A Grade grand final.

He will referee the women's final between Ngati Porou and Lytton High School at the YMCA with Reggie Namana at 7.30pm tonight. His colleague in the men's grand final between SE Systems and Green Up, at 8.25pm tomorrow, will be former National Basketball League official Clifton Blumfield.

The youngster has impressed Blumfield.

Officials from small places like Gisborne needed to be seen at tournaments if they were to progress, he said. If Ethan was up for the travelling required, he was “certainly capable enough”.

And he has staying power: before the Ngati Porou-Lytton clash, Ethan and 13-year-old Campion College Year 8 student Felix Sparks will officiate the women's B Grade final between SE Systems and Manu Toa at 6.30pm. And tomorrow at 7.30pm, he and Blumfield will referee the B Grade top-tier final between Massive Marauders and Big Baller Brand.

Of badged referees in either the old Poverty Bay Basketball Association or the modern GBA, only Blumfield has stood in all four club finals in a season.

Ethan, of Ngai Tamanuhiri descent, came to Gisborne Boys' High this year from Taradale High. The former NZ under-14 representative is a skilful, fearless left-handed guard who takes the ball to the basket. He took his show on the road stamina-wise by scoring 21 points in a 48-point loss to Hastings in Game 5 at the Super 8 tournament in Tauranga.

A rugby first five-eighth good enough to represent Napier through ages 9 to 12, Ethan also represented Hawke's Bay as a cricketer from u11s to u14s and played premier grade for Napier-Tech.

He began refereeing mini-ball as a nine-year-old at Pettigrew Arena and has officiated at Zone 3, national u13 and u15 and senior qualifying tournaments. Two years ago, he refereed the Y9-10 national secondary schools' final at Pettigrew, and he was the BOAHB referee of the year for 2018.

Former international basketball official Donnette Daly has been a big influence, but not the only one.

“My dad, Wiremu Pearson, was a good sportsman and rugby referee — I was one of his ARs — he's been a big influence on my sporting life,” said Ethan, whose mum Vanya Ngarangione played representative netball for Wairoa. Elder brother Bailey, 20, played hooker for local Senior 1 rugby champions the YMP Bumbles and younger brother JC Ngarangione, 10, is a budding 'baller at Muriwai School.