FOOTBALL IS BACK!

Football begins this week, both high school and college. Thousands of kids will strap on their pads for the first time – or maybe the last time – this season. Thousands more will participate as cheerleaders, dance team members, marching band members, and boosters. Adults will number in the thousands, or hundreds of thousands, as well – coaches and referees to parents, alumni, concession stand workers, and boosters in general. And nerves will be sky high for everyone.

And then, there are the media – print, TV and radio. For our sake, let’s concentrate on the radio aspect of the season. Work has been going on for months in the radio broadcasting game. Radio station contracts had to be firmed up, sponsors had to be courted and signed up, and broadcast teams had to be lined up. And so, we’re ready.

Mid-South Sports is beginning its 30^th year of broadcasting “the best in high school football” with its Game of the Week format. But our history goes back even farther.

Lloyd Foster began broadcasting Fayetteville High School football in 1952 while still serving in the United States Air Force, and except for a two year’s hiatus while serving in Guam, he continued broadcasting until December 11, 2004. His final games were on a double header state championship Saturday in UNC’s Kenan Stadium as Jack Britt took on Greenville Rose in the 4-A finals, and South View battled Charlotte Independence for the 4-AA championship. Lloyd was 86 years old.

Dave Foster joined his father in the press box in 1973, and Charles Koonce joined in 1979. The trio started Mid-South Sports, Inc. in 1989 and began broadcasting the Game of the Week, covering all of the teams in the local city and county. They quickly added a Coaches Show, a sideline reporter, and a post-game Scoreboard. Steve Driggers and Donnie Dees were added to the broadcasting roster to further enhance the broadcasts.

So what’s in store for this 30^th year? Our Friday night lineup looks like this: from 6:00 PM until 7:00 PM listen to “Inside The Huddle”, our Coaches Show hosted by Steve Driggers and Bill McMillan, and brought to you by Fayetteville Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine. At 7:00 it’s time for the Valley Auto World Game of the Week with play-by-play by Charles Koonce; color and highlights with Steve Driggers; on-field commentary by Gaundi Allen; and stats by Tom Holt.

Immediately following the Game of the Week it’s the Better Vision Scoreboard Show hosted by Donnie Dees, and reports from around the conferences by Larry Davis, Russ Adair, Justin Flowers, Jeffrey Smith, and Alex Wickham.

As an added note, in 2017 Mid-South Sports was named the radio voice of the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas – the oldest high school All-Star Game in the nation. This December game pits the top senior high school football players in North Carolina against their South Carolina rivals. For the 3^rd year, Mid-South Sports will be broadcasting this game from the campus of Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

And finally, on five Saturdays this fall beginning on September 14, Mid-South Sports will be broadcasting the Methodist University football home games.

All games – high school, college, and the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas – will be broadcast over our flagship station, Beasley Media Group’s, Sunny 94.3. You can listen over the radio or via live streaming by going to the station website, or www.midsouthsports.net and clicking on the “listen live” button.

The 2019 football season is here. Best of luck to all the teams, players, and supporters! We invite you to join us each week, or, better yet, get out and enjoy the games in person. But bring your radio to listen to the finest coverage around!

FOOTBALL IS BACK!

Sports Flash

The Game of the Week »

Methodist University Football »

INSIDE THE HUDDLE »

Lloyd Foster Extra Effort Award »

AREA COLLEGE SPORTS »