After a 32 year hiatus I’m back on the radio again

On Friday (Sept. 15), Corbin High School will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of football which will coincide with a nine million dollar plus upgrade of new facilities and a new field in a game against Frederick-Douglass of Lexington.

Don Estep is publisher of the News Journal.

This is a big occasion and lots of activities are being planned. Since it is all about history, then I get to be part of the event.

I have been around watching and broadcasting Redhound football for 70 years. I go back to the early 1950s when I saw my first game at Campbell Field. Then in 1961 I did a 30 year span of broadcasting the games on WCTT radio.

As part of the celebration, the News Journal will be publishing a 40-page magazine next week that covers all of the 100 year history of CHS football. This will be a limited edition magazine that all Redhound fans will want to have.

At halftime of the game, I am working with Danielle Hardin, Media Arts Teacher at Corbin High, to present coverage of the 100 year history on video to be shown on the new scoreboard at the field. I believe this will be something you’ll enjoy. I’ll have an update on more plans in my column next week.

But the biggest and most exciting thing for me is after 32 years of not broadcasting a game, Derick Eubanks of WCTT, T-107 FM has invited me to join Ron Bowling on the broadcast of the game.

I told Derick “thanks, it will be my last Hurrah.” At my age talking, or for that matter, doing anything for a long period of time takes more energy than I have.

My first Redhound broadcast in 1961 featured Rodger Bird playing. It couldn’t have been better. I had covered his older brother Calvin while doing UK games on WBKY, the University station.

From the time I heard J.B.Faulkner on the Ashland Oil Network broadcasting UK games when I was about 10 years old, I always wanted to be a play-by-play sportscaster. I got my chance while a student at UK.

My best help came from the late and great Claude Sullivan who did the UK broadcasts on the Standard Oil Network. He worked with me and showed me how best to broadcast the games. I later filled in for him on high school games on WVLK in Lexington.

My biggest thrill while at UK came on a night when Cawood Ledford got snowbound in Frankfort and couldn’t make it to a basketball game. I filled in for him on WHAS radio. I still have the tape of the game between UK and Alabama. Later, Cawood and I became good friends.

A good thing for our out of town subscribers who want to keep up with Corbin football, T-107 is available on the Internet for free and for a small fee the telecast of home games are available.

I expect that the Sept. 15 game could have one of the biggest crowds in the history of Corbin football. There will be many former Redhound players coming back to take part in the celebration.

If your ears can take it, bring a headset. After 32 years I’m not sure what will come out of the mike. Really, it will be fun to broadcast a game again.