‘Junior’ in 58th season on sidelines
T. Scott Boatright, Reporter
09-19-2008
The Ruston Bearcats have been gearing up for the 2008 football season for weeks, especially for tonight’s home opener against Captain Shreve.They’re not the only ones.
Plenty of support personnel and other organizations also have been gearing up, and tonight they spring into action too as the 2-0 Bearcats play at T.L. James Field.
The Bearcat band was hard at work Thursday afternoon during their second practice of the day as they prepared for tonight’s contest. Band director Walter Moss looked much like a football coach as he gave last-minute instruction to his charges on the field.
“We’ve been working a long time to get ready for this,” Moss said. “We started in late July just working on the basics. We’ve been working on the show about three weeks now.
Much like the Bearcats football team, the band has been hampered by the storms named Gustav and Ike.
“The weather has made it real tough trying to get ready,” Moss said. “There was nearly one whole week we lost. I guess that over the last four weeks, we’ve been able to get in about two and a half weeks’ worth of work.
“But you still have to love this time of year. It’s the first home game, and that’s always exciting.”
Ruston public address announcer Gary McKinney has also been loosening up his pipes preparing for tonight’s game.
“I’m just like a coach or a guy calling the game on the radio,” McKinney said. “I’m already getting my bag ready with all of the rosters and other announcements I need. It’s always fun getting ready for that first home game, but you have to think about it and make sure you’ve got everything ready, because it is that first home game and you’re working back into a routine.”
McKinney, who said he’s been Ruston’s P.A. announcer for eight-nine years, didn’t expect it to turn into a regular gig when he started.
“I had done one of my son’s junior high games as a one-time thing because they needed someone in a pinch,” McKinney said. “So the Ruston High P.A. personending up quitting, and someone said ‘Hey, the guy that did the junior game last year was pretty good,’ and they asked me if I’d do it. I thought it was going to be a one-time only thing for the jamboree.
“Eight or nine years later, I’m still here.”
That’s a good deal of service, but nothing to compare to down marker carrier Robert “Junior” Roach, 83, of Ruston, who’s marking his 58th football, season working the Bearcats sidelines.
“I just love doing it — it’s a part of me,” said Roach, who’s already worked the Bearcats’ two season-opening road contests this year. “I start getting excited in August. There’s nothing better than the start of football season, except maybe that first home game for the Bearcats.”
Roach will be on the field tonight with a little extra work — he has a new worker to train.
“We have a new lady — Kay Bradford — who’s going to be working the chains with us this season,” Roach said.
“It’s going to fun, and I can’t wait until kickoff.”
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