It’s 5:30 on a Friday night, but instead of heading to a fish fry or home for a homemade pizza, Jim Lawless is sneaking into a high school football game.

There’s no pep band or cheerleaders to greet him. He’s not a coach, or even one of the players’ parents. Lawless is headed down a dimly-lit hallway to a room reserved for what’s fast becoming an endangered species.

“One side’s going to love you, one side’s going to hate you this play," says Joe Nicoletti, a 41-year veteran high school football official. “That’s just the nature of how we are.”

Nicoletti’s been experiencing that love-hate relationship as an official for 41 years, because, he says, for the love of the game.

“Our job is to call the game like we see it," adds Nicoletti, "not how they see it.”

Between them, Nicoletti and Lawless have been calling high school football games for 60 years, making them part of a dying breed —part of a population whose numbers are dwindling.

“When I started, Mark, we had 135 officials," said Lawless, a 19-year veteran and membership recruiting chairman. “Now, we’re down to around 90.”

He said two out of every three officials do not make it past their third season, which is causing a workload of ‘necessary roughness.’

“I’ve actually had six games [scheduled in one week]," Lawless said. "Two of them were cancelled. But, to have six games in a row takes a toll at a certain age.”

It’s not just criticism from coaches that’s keeping new officials away. Dwayne Ford should know — he used to be a coach, which has given him a unique perspective on that love-hate relationship.

"I had a bad reputation when I was coaching because of my temper," said Ford, an ex-Nottingham High School basketball and football coach who's become 'one of them.' “But, things changed when I became an official.”

Now, instead of coaching sports, Ford coaches sportsmanship, which includes making sure the footballs are inflated.

“No deflated balls, not a Tom Brady situation here," chuckled Ford after checking the game balls for proper inflation. "We’ll keep them moving.”

They’re not getting rich, and they’ll always hear more jeers than cheers. But, for Lawless and the rest of the crew, no place they’d rather be.

“It’s the best thing in the world on a Friday night to be here on the field," said Lawless with a wide smile. "The game of football is the best game going, and there’s just a great bunch of guys I work with here. No better place to be on a Friday night. Best seat in the house, absolutely.”

Yes, Fridays and fish fries will always go together.

But for some, Fridays, field goals and first downs also go together.

And you’re officially invited to join the club.