The Best of 2014 High School Football (Broadcaster Shaded, Of course)

With yesterday’s Deering/Portland game in the books, it was time to relive the best of the 2014 High School Football season, from the broadcaster side of things.

High School football is always interesting to cover each fall, as you never know if you’ll broadcast from a new press box (Bangor) or one with an extension cord run into the bleachers (Spruce Mountain and Fryeburg, for example). Here’s the best of from 2014:

Most Interesting Road Game Set-Up: Sanford High School (Oxford Hills at Sanford, Week Two)

Each week there’s a road game, we e-mail or call or the athletic directors fo the hosting team. Gordon Salls is the athletic director at Sanford, and he did the best with the space he had. First: he responded to the e-mail we sent and let us know we would be set up to broadcast outside. If you’ve ever been to Sanford, the field is kind of down at the bottom of a hill. We had a table set-up for us right by the concession stand and did the game from the hustle and bustle of the crowd. It was a fantastic experience, and added a fun element to the broadcast (minus the people who kept trying to get us to announce things over the PA because they thought we were the PA announcers).

Most interesting entertainment: Sanford (T-Shirt Throwing Robot)

Once again Sanford gets on the list, this time with their in-game entertainment. Apparently a group of students created a robot that shot t-shirts into the crowd. There is nothing more hilarious than watching a middle-aged woman play tug-of-war with a teenager over a free t-shirt. The gun wasn’t super accurate, but that probably just added to the fun.

Best Concessions: Oxford Hills Athletic Boosters

Home games at Oxford Hills are always wonderful. It’s 15 minutes from home, it’s right near the radio station, and there’s always good grilled burgers. They always bring food up to the booth, and the burgers are grilled to perfection (not too dry, not too raw).

Best Road Concessions: Fryeburg Academy

Perfect fries, good burgers, pizza, and pulled pork sandwiches make the drive on a Saturday afternoon to Fryeburg well worth the trip. The Raiders also had a great finish in the game, beating Mt Ararat in the final moments.

Longest Drive: Bangor (in back to back weeks)

One drive to Bangor per football season is expected, but two, on back to back weeks, really made the distance noticeable. Still haven’t seen a moose on my way up or back, though.

That wraps up the 2014 High School Football Season. I’d tell you to enjoy the time off between now and basketball season but there isn’t any.

Matt Boutwell

About Matt Boutwell

Matt Boutwell is a morning radio host for Z105.5 FM in Auburn, the Voice of the Oxford Hills Vikings on WOXO 92.7 in Norway, and the Program Director for MBR Radio. A former high school athlete who realized he was better off talking about sports rather than playing them, he lives in Mechanic Falls with his family.