Kilgore-Marshall Playoff Game

When I was growing up in Abilene, Texas during my fourth and eighth grade years, I was into sports. I followed the Texas Rangers, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, the World Football League, you name it. I read Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News from cover to cover each week. I enjoyed taking my AM radio and spinning the dial at night to see what game I could pick up. Many times I would stop at clear channel WOAI 1200 AM to listen to Terry Stembridge call the games of the San Antonio Spurs.

As I listened to play-by-play guys like Stembridge, Verne Lundquist (Cowboys), Dick Risenhover (Rangers) and others, I said to myself, "I want to do that one day."

Here we are 35 to 40 years later I am the play-by-play voice of the Marshall Mavericks heard on KMHT as well as www.kmhtradio.com. I started my broadcasting career at 1240 AM KOCA in Kilgore as a sophmore in High School. Eventually I found my way into the sports broadcast booth doing Kilgore football, basketball, and baseball.

Some 30 years ago, after Stembridge retired from calling the Spurs, after over 1,200 consectutive broadcasts, he moved to Kilgore to start his on Oil/Gas lease business. I spotted him one night at Kilgore football game and asked him if I could interview him at halftime. I still have a tape of that interview today.

On Friday night, November 13, sitting in the visitor's radio booth, I interviewed Stembridge again during the halftime of the Marshall-Kilgore Bi-District playoff game. He talked about calling games in which Dr. J and George Gervin played in, he talked about his days when he started out at KOCA calling Kilgore College basketball, football as well as Kilgore High sports in the 60's.

I asked him about an American Basketball Assoiciaton exhibition game that the Chapparals played in Masters Gym at Kilgore College. It was the very first ABA exhibition game and Stembride was mic side. He said the basketball's, remember the red, white, and blue basketballs of the ABA, were right off the press and so slick. Nobody scored any points in the game until the 10 minute mark. Of course, the ABA had the 3-point line. Stembridge along with the GM of the Chapparals, had to go to the gym that day, and put tape down on the court to have a 3 point line for the game.

My hat is off to Stembridge, for once again, giving the time to visit with me and the listerners. He was a class act back then and still is today.

I am very thankful to the Lord Jesus Christ for blessing me with a hobby of calling high school sports on the radio.

God Is Amazing

Tonight in Marshall the Marshall Camp of Gideon's International held a pastor's appreciation banquet. Wow, was I blessed. I was blessed because I heard the amazing stories of how God is at work when His word, the Bible, is placed in schools, hospitals, prisons, etc.. by the Gideons.

The ministry of the Gideons must be supported by the local church. The word of God will not return void.

One the gifts the Gideons gave the pastors in attendance is a slim line New Testament. The Gideons want the pastors to use it sharing the Gospel. And if the person ask Christ to be their Savior, then give them the Bible. The Gideon's will be glad to give the pastor another one to give away.

Folks, we are to give away the good news that Jesus saves.