That’s me taking a selfie!
Not only am I a writer and photographer for TexasHSFootball.com, I am also a television statistician for High School Football games in San Antonio. I am famous and yes, you can have my autograph!
I started as a statistician for the Texas Sports Radio Network in 1997 (internet and radio). Television was never on my radar but that changed when I read a press release in 2009 that KMYS in San Antonio was going to be broadcasting Thursday night High School football games on television. I knew immediately that I had to be a part of it.
How should I contact the station? I didn’t know anybody at the station or know anyone who knew someone at the station. Should I send an email, make a phone call, mail a letter or just drop in? Well, I chose to mail a letter and resume to the General Manager and the Director of Sales outlining my 12 years of experience as a radio statistician with TSRN.
I didn’t know what to expect after I mailed the letter. They could’ve very easily trashed it and to be honest, I am not even sure if I would’ve pursued it further. Luckily, that didn’t happen because the Director of Sales, Dean Radla, forwarded my letter and resume to the Director of Operations, David Ostmo.
Dave was the producer for the Thursday Night Lights football games for the first five years. I didn’t know it at the time, but Dean previously worked for the Texas Sports Radio Network.
When I spoke to Dave, he was impressed with my background. Well, who wouldn’t be? We talked about high school football and during our conversation, he offered me the job! I was super excited and accepted immediately.
See, I really am a TV stat man. I am very official looking.
Usually when it comes to jobs, it is who you know but in this case, it was my experience. In case you’re wondering, it was who I knew that got me started as a statistician a few years before the Texas Sports Radio Network.
In 2012 (my 4th year of doing stats), we had a former Texas high school football player in the TV booth providing color commentary. He also played for the Texas Longhorns and had a short stint in the NFL (Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints) and CFL (Calgary Stampeders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers). Oh, I guess I should tell you his name…Wane McGarity.
Wane and I have something on common. No, it isn’t football. We both graduated from Clark high school; I was class of 1995 (my 20th reunion is happening this October) and Wane was class of 1994. Although I didn’t see Wane on the football field, I did see him play on the basketball team since I was the manager of the team. He was a superb all-around athlete at Clark but was plagued by injuries throughout his entire career.
I remember talking to Wane in a class we had together. I was kinda making fun of him cause I had never seen him dunk the basketball. Well, when Wane dunked in a game, I bowed down to him in class the next day and did the classic Wayne’s World, “I’m not worthy!”
When I introduced myself and told Wane who I was at the first TV game in 2012, I wasn’t upset that he didn’t remember me; it was 19 years ago. But he did remember that dunk ’cause he said that was the only time he did that in a game and nobody believes that it happened. It did happen and I was there!
Wane on left, Ernie Zuniga in middle, and me on the right.
This year marks my seventh as a TV statistician. The broadcasters, Don Harris (play-by-play) and David Chancellor (sideline) from News 4 San Antonio, and Chuck Miketinec (color) from Fox 29 San Antonio, will be in their third year. All three are the sports guys for their station.
You can check out our TV schedule here. I will have recaps and pictures for each game published on TexasHSFootball.com. You can also follow me on twitter @statmanspeaks for game-day updates.
