High above the John Davis Titan Stadium, tucked inside the press box at the top of the bleachers, a team of commentators narrate the play-by-play of a South football game. These unseen voices capture every tackle, pass, and touchdown, bringing the action to life for fans through the loudspeaker and WGBK, a non-commercial radio station operated by the students and faculty advisers of South.
For the past 15 years, Math Teacher Joe Karlovsky has been the voice behind the microphone, announcing plays live at South’s football stadium. Karlovsky jumped at the opportunity of becoming the public address [P.A.] announcer.
“Since high school, I have gotten compliments on my speaking voice,” Karlovsky said. “When I put that all together as an opportunity here at South, I thought [being a] P.A. announcer would be a fun opportunity.”
From correctly pronouncing players’ names to keeping up with the fast-paced action on the field, football announcing requires intense focus, Karlovsky said. Often working alongside the scoreboard operator, English Teacher Phillip Ralston, Karlovsky juggles binoculars and rosters to ensure every player’s name is heard, Karlovsky said.
“I work very hard to make sure I know how to pronounce the players’ names as best as possible [because] kids and their parents like to hear their names called [on the P.A.],” Karlovsky said.
A few rooms down from Karlovsky in the press box, Sports Broadcasting students paint a picture for the WGBK radio broadcast, Karlovsky said.
For radio, there are two announcers: a play-by-play announcer and a color commentator, senior Charlie Kurcz, Sports Broadcasting student, said. They are in charge of the factual descriptions versus the more entertaining comments, respectively, Kurcz said. Knowledge of football is important for a sports broadcaster in this situation, Kurcz added.
“At [South], we have tons of announcers who are super into football,” Kurcz said. “They’ve been watching it their whole life and it comes [naturally] to them.”
In addition to the announcers, a team of engineers, stationed inside the broadcasting room, contribute to the broadcast, Kurcz said. In order to keep the broadcast well-run, the producer communicates between the engineers and the announcers, Kurcz added.
Football announcing is about more than just stating the facts; it’s about adding those little touches that make each game a more memorable experience, Karlovsky said.
“[Adding to the experience] starts with [hearing their names], then all the other flourishes [are added], whether it be the introductions [or saying] ‘that’s a Titan first down’ [or] something that excites the crowd.”
A love for sports and a curiosity about the world of broadcasting propelled senior Alex Ferrara to take the broadcasting class at South all four years of his time at South, he said. Ferrara has commented on two football games at South, bringing his passion to the press box by adding insight and context to each play, he added.
“It’s a fun experience,” Ferrara said. “Being up in the booth, you get to say what’s on your mind about the game.”
