The Buffalo Bills, in partnership with the National Football League, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), and the New York State Association of Certified Football Officials (NYSACFO), wish to honor five football officials from the Western Chapter as the "Crew of the Month" for September 26 for enhancing the student-athlete experience for high school football players in the region.
The men include Michael Binkowski of Cheektowaga (Referee), Joe Argentieri of Lancaster (Umpire), Paul Gugino of Amherst (Head Linesman), Tony Scanzuso of Williamsville (Line Judge), and Josh Huber of Cheektowaga (Back Judge). Each member of this crew has displayed versatility, deep knowledge of the game, and leadership throughout their careers. They spearhead the development of football officials and maintain the Western Chapter's high levels of professionalism. Off the field, their lifelong dedication to community service and career professions speaks volumes about their character and commitment to giving back.
Michael Binkowski (Referee) has been a high school football official for a remarkable 55 seasons. He has officiated the NYSPHSAA state finals in Syracuse six times, including the inaugural game. He continues to officiate high school lacrosse and has had a 47-year career as a high school basketball official, as well as several years officiating soccer and field hockey. He is currently president of the WNY Certified Football Officials and has served on the board of directors for more than 25 years. He and his wife, Michelle, have been married for 54 years, and they have two adult children, Lauren and Erik. Binkowski served as the science department chair at Cheektowaga Central High School for 23 years and the night school principal for five years.
Mike has been recognized and presented with numerous awards over the years in various sports by the state, Section VI, and his officiating chapters, including 2009 Section VI Official of the Year, 2016 Harvard Cup Hall of Fame, 1993 NYS Association of Certified Football Officials Merit Award, 2025 John D. Burns Award, 2010 Richard Leous Award for devotion and dedication to high school football, and 2007 Mike Perry Award presented by WNYHS Sports for Referee of the Year. He officiated a preseason game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cleveland Browns at Edinboro State in the mid-90s and worked Bills training camp at Fredonia from 1986-88.
Joe Argentieri (Umpire) has been an official for seventeen years and a lacrosse official for 16 seasons. He's served as a board member of the WNYCFO and vice president of the NFLOA lacrosse association.
Joe has worked four Section VI football championships and officiated one NYSPHSAA Class AA championship game at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse. Previously a Buffalo Bills practice official for 5 years, Joe is also a competitive ultramarathon runner. He has completed four 50-mile races.
He and his wife, Lynne, have three children: Nick, Angelo, and Vinny, and two stepchildren: Ethan and Cassie. The couple has two grandchildren.
Paul Gugino (Head Linesman) is in his 19th year with the Western New York Certified Football Officials. He coached high school football for more than 20 years at Williamsville North & St. Joe's. He played multiple sports throughout high school at Williamsville East, where he was class president. He earned a scholarship to play tight end at Miami (Ohio), where he was a member of their 1986 MAC Championship team.
Paul and his wife, Kelly, have been married for 32 years and have four children: Samantha, Francesca, Daniella, and Jack. He has worked at Gugino Insurance since 1991 and, since 2005, has owned the family company that began operations in 1967.
Tony Scanzuso (Line Judge) has been a member of the Western New York Certified Football Officials for 22 years. He has officiated six Section VI Championships, two Regional Championships, one state semifinal, and a state championship game as a line judge. He has been an NFL game-day assistant (Field Communicator) during Buffalo Bills games for 18 years and has been selected to work two NFL International games at London's Tottenham Stadium.
Assistant Superintendent for Operations & Student Services for the Williamsville Central School District, Scanzuso, has been an educator for 32 years and, for the past 17 years, an advocate for students with disabilities.
Tony has been married to Andrea for 33 years, and together they have two adult sons, Anthony and Andrew.
Josh Huber (Back Judge) has officiated high school football for the past 24 years, college football for eight years, high school lacrosse for 15 years, college lacrosse for five years, and high school flag football for the past three years. Josh is a WNYCFO classroom instructor, a volunteer official for the Special Olympics Buffalo Bowl and is a Move United USA Wheelchair football official.
Huber works in product management for Liaison International and has been with the company for 15 years.
He's a member and volunteer at Infant of Prague Church in Cheektowaga. He and his wife, Kathleen, live in Cheektowaga with their two young children, Sam and Josephine.
The Buffalo Bills join every NFL team in recognizing high school football officials for their contributions to their communities. Each month of the high school football season, the Bills work with NYSACFO to identify officials who deserve the honor. The state association comprises 19 chapters across New York and 1,500 members who support high school football.
For additional information on the Crew of the Month program, please visit https://playfootball.nfl.com/resources/officiating/.
Anyone interested in becoming an official, please visit https://nysacfo.com/signupform/.
