Over the years, the same commercial radio station (1260 AM) in McMinnville, Oregon, KMCM , which later became KCYX and later became KLYC (as it is now) has carried Linfield Wildcat football. This is a list of those who did football play-by-play, not color. In some cases, if the color person did play-by-play during part of the broadcast, they are listed. Linfield's student radio station, KSLC (90.3 FM), has also carried Linfield football. If you have a complete/definitive/accurate list of those who did football play-by-play for the student station or have a correction for the list below, please contact wildcatville@gmail.com
1956 Craig Singletary
1957 Craig Singletary
1958 Craig Singletary
1959 Craig Singletary
1960 Craig Singletary
1961 Craig Singletary
1962 Craig Singletary
1963 Craig Singletary
1964 Craig Singletary
1965 Craig Singletary
1966 Dick Bacon
1967 Dick Bacon
*1968 Dick Bacon
*1969 Dick Bacon
1970 Chuck McKeen
1971 Dick Bacon
1972 Dick Bacon
1973 Larry Ward
1974 Larry Ward
*1975 Larry Ward
1976 Larry Ward
1977 Larry Ward
1978 Dave Hansen
1979 Dave Hansen
1980 Dave Hansen
1981 Dave Hansen
1982 Dave Hansen
1983 Dave Hansen
1984 Dave Hansen
1985 Dave Hansen
1986 Dave Hansen
1987 Dave Hansen
1988 Dave Hansen
1989 Dave Hansen
1990 Dave Hansen
1991 Dave Hansen
1992 Dave Hansen
1993 Dave Hansen
1994 Steve Lindsley
1995 Mark Marshall/Joe Dominey
1996 Mark Marshall/Joe Dominey
1997 Mark Marshall/Joe Dominey
1998 Marty Hough
1999 Marty Hough
2000 Darrell Aune
2001 Darrell Aune
2002 Darrell Aune
2003 Darrell Aune
2004 Darrell Aune
2005 Darrell Aune
2006 Darrell Aune
2007 Darrell Aune
2008 Darrell Aune
2009 Dave Hansen
2010 Bill Johnson
2011 Bill Johnson
2012 Bill Johnson
2013 Bill Johnson
2014 Bill Johnson
2015 Bill Johnson/Kevin Nelson
2016 Kevin Nelson
2017 Kevin Nelson
2018 Kevin Nelson
2019 Graeme Fineman
2021 Joe Stuart
2022 Joe Stuart
2023 Joe Stuart
*Footnotes:
-Printed program from Dec. 3, 1968, UPS at Linfield men's basketball game says, Dick Bacon and Chuck McKeen, KMCM news director, will "broadcast 24 Wildcat games this season. KMCM will carry every Wildcat game live except this week-end's pair on tilts at the University of Alaska."
-At the end of the 1969 season, Linfield football traveled to Honolulu and played the University of Hawaii. According to an article in the Nov. 11, 1969, McMinnville News-Register, "...The Wildcat game will be broadcast live from Hawaii via the Early Bird satellite and radio KMCM. It will begin at 8 p.m. Hawaii which corresponds to 10 p.m. Linfield time.” Article also says, "Dick Bacon will do the chores from the booth. This is the first time the early bird satellite has been used for the broadcast of a small college game." For the record, Early Bird, the world's first commercial communications satellite, was launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., into synchronous orbit on April 6, 1965, and placed in commercial service on June 28 of that year.
-From Nov. 10, 1969, Linfield Athletics Newsletter: "For the first time in Linfield sports history, radio KMCM is broadcasting all home and away football games. Dick Bacon, local businessman, and Frank Molek, Linfield grad and former student body president, are handling the coverage for KMCM. Dick has already left for the Hawaii game as he is combining both business and pleasure on this one! In July 2009, Molek told Wildatville,"Dick and I had great fun, and we got to see the games first hand. We were a (broadcasting) team for only (one) season. I left for Georgetown (and graduate school) the following year."
--Story ‘Linfield, McMinnville coach, administrator Perry Stubberfield dies’ by Rusty Rae, Sport Editor, McMinnville N-R/News-Register, Dec 4, 2016. Updated 12/5/16 at 5 p.m, includes “For a short time, he teamed with Dave Hansen in the broadcast booth, calling Wildcat football games on the radio. “I loved working with Perry,” Hansen said of his former broadcast partner. “He always had an interesting perspective on the game and he was just a fun guy to be around, always very upbeat.” However, Wildcatville contacted Dave Hansen. On 12/6/2016, he told Wildcatville he was misquoted. “I said I enjoyed WATCHING games (baseball) with Perry,” Dave explained. Thus, this confirmed Perry never worked in a radio booth with Dave doing Linfield Wildcat football play-by-play and Perry doing color commentary.
--From the 1975 Linfield football media guide, edited by Craig Allen, Linfield’s sports information director:
KMCM, KSLC to Air ‘Cats -- For the third straight year, Larry Ward and Dave Hansen will head up Linfield Wildcat radio coverage on KMCM (1260). Larry, who will handle play-by-play, was a Shrine football all-star at Maupin. He has been in broadcasting six years, having called action for 800 different sports events. He and his wife Mary Lynn have one son and are expecting another. Colorman Hansen, professor in Linfield’s Economic-Business department, was valedictorian of his Jefferson High class and attended Willamette, Carnegie Tech and Portland State. He has coached tennis at Linfield and is an expert bridge player. KMCM will once again originate coverage on the Northwest Sports Network, which carried Linfield’s NAIA playoff game from Sequin, Tex. in 1974. Ted Desel, a Linfield drama professor, will anchor ‘Cat football coverage on KSLC-FM (90.3)
Photo by McMinnville News-Register's Tom Ballard courtesy of the N-R. Appeared (or was supposed to appear) in the 12/31/1975 N-R. Larry Ward (right) and Dave Hansen of McMinnville's KMCM-AM radio broadcasting a Linfield men's home basketball game in Riley Gym.
--A story in the July 15, 2008, Chattanooga, Tenn., Times Free Press is about Larry Ward, a former radio play-by-play “voice” for Linfield Wildcat football. While it focuses on the many years Larry has broadcast baseball, it does touch ever so lightly on Linfield. He is quoted in the story saying, “That led to going to work at a full-time station and doing high-school sports and some small college.” The "small college" was Linfield.
--On July 1, 2012, Linfield Athletics announced that for the "first time in school history, radio play-by-play coverage of Linfield ... football games will originate in the Portland Metro-area broadcast market" through a one-year agreement with KPDQ-AM radio (800). Games continued to be carried on McMinnville's KLYC-AM radio (1260) and simulcast live on the internet. In addition, simulcast provides narration of “CatsEyeView” video webcasts. On March 22, 2013, KYLC went off the air. At that time, Linfield Athletics officials said football play-by-play would continue on KPDQ and the internet.
--Starting with the 2015 season, Linfield football no longer carried on McMinnville's commercial AM radio station, KLYC. An April 9, 2015, news release (first link below) from Linfield Sports Info explained that "...Wildcats football will be carried on KSLC 90.3 FM, Linfield's own radio station. Linfield games will continue to be aired throughout Portland on True Talk 800 AM KPDQ." A Linfield Sports Info news release (second link below) of July 1, 2012, said, "For the first time in school history, radio play-by-play coverage of Linfield College football games will originate in the Portland Metro-area broadcast market.... Games will continue to be aired within Yamhill County on McMinnville station 1260 KLYC-AM and simulcast live on the internet."
-In the 2018 season, Linfield football was not carried on "over the air radio," neither in McMinnville nor Portland. It was heard via the Internet with Kevin Nelson doing play-by-play and Dave Hansen doing color commentary.
...on 11/21/2015, prior to the Whitworth at Linfield NCAAD3 football playoff game on same date at Maxwell Field, Bill was involved in an automobile accident. Because of the accident, he was unable to work the game. Kevin did play-by-play and Dave did color. Bill returned and did play-by-play on 11/28/2015 for the SUNY-Cortland (New York) at Linfield playoff game.
On 11/29/2015, Bill Johnson died of heart failure.
Concerning Bill’s death:
--Kevin Nelson is new 'voice' of the Wildcats from Linfield Sports Info 5/5/2016
http://wildcatville.blogspot.com/2016/05/kevin-nelson-is-new-voice-of-wildcats.html
--Students enhance sports broadcasts story and photo from Wildcat Linfield Athletics magazine Fall 2015 edition story and photo
http://wildcatville.blogspot.com/2015/09/students-enhance-sports-broadcasts.html
--50 years as ‘voice of the Wildcats’ by Mardi Mileham in Linfield Magazine, fall 2005 edition
http://wildcatville.blogspot.com/2005/09/50-years-as-voice-of-wildcats.html
A 2016 Linfield graduate, Nelson assists with story writing and sports information needs for golinfieldwildcats.com, maintains the athletic department’s social media accounts and graphics, and serves as the primary sponsorship sales representative in the community.
As the lead play-by-play announcer on the Linfield Sports Network, Nelson has called more than 200 games and is entering his fourth professional season with the Wildcats. The Voice of Linfield Football, Nelson broadcasts all home and away games with color analysts, Dave Hansen.
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“In his new position, he'll manage Linfield's sports webcasting coverage, handling the play-by-play on Linfield football videocasts together with longtime color analyst Dave Hansen.
“Fineman's broadcasting influences include Washington Nationals radio announcers Dave Jageler and Charlie Slowes, as well as broadcasting legends Vin Scully and Kevin Harlan.
“In addition to his broadcasting responsibilities, Fineman will take on an increasing role with procurement and stewardship of corporate sponsorships as well as athletics marketing and game-day promotional activities. He'll provide general support in the sports information office as well.”
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Linfield grad Joe Stuart, whose hometown is McMinnville, becomes broadcast 'voice' of the Linfield Wildcats
NO AVERAGE JOE: McMinnville's Joe Stuart becomes voice of the Wildcats
By Linfielder Rusty Rae, McMinnville N-R/News-Register 8/20/2021
When his dream of playing Major League Baseball soured as an 11-year-old little leaguer, McMinnvillian Joe Stuart turned lemons into lemonade in the form of a career in broadcasting. This summer the 24-year old Linfield University graduate took the first step toward his ultimate dream job, becoming the play-by-play announcer of an NBA team, when he was named the voice of his alma mater’s sports broadcasting team.
Stuart will partner with longtime Linfield analyst and color commentator Dave Hansen to bring fans the action on the Linfield Sports Network beginning this fall. The Wildcats’ first football game in more than a year against Simon Fraser University is September 11. Stuart will also continue play-by-play announcing for basketball and other sports.
It wasn’t long after his baseball career ended that Stuart found his new love in broadcasting. “I think I’ve always known I wanted to go into sports casting. You may find you’re not good at one thing (baseball) but you also find what you’re good at.
“I was always good at writing and at making presentations in school, so it was really natural to gravitate toward broadcasting,” he said. That allowed him to stay involved with athletics while also giving him an outlet for his story-telling passion.
Once Stuart entered high school, he took full advantage of the opportunity to venture toward his chosen profession. That journey began with a weekly sports program as part of the MHS SOAR program featuring other McMinnville High athletes – Tanner Autencio, Garrett Scales, and Kade Mechals. Stuart anchored of the program.
That led to play-by-play announcing of McMinnville football and basketball games on MCM 11, the local access television station during his junior and senior years. He did two or three football games, but was a regular broadcaster of Grizzly basketball.
When it was time for college, Linfield was the last place Stuart considered. His initial choices were of the University of Oregon and Gonzaga, but his mother pestered him into going through the application process at his now alma mater.
“My mom thought it would be a good fit for me if it wasn’t in McMinnville. She was like ‘You might as well as apply.’ I applied, begrudgingly. She got me to go to Discovery Day and there was a lot I liked right away.
“One of my predecessors, Kevin Nelson (now a former Wildcat play-by-play announcer), who was still a student happened to be in the studio when we were getting the tour. The tour guide knew I was interested in broadcasting and called Nelson over and we had a great conversation about the program,” he said.
Nelson believed Stuart’s experience could propel him on air as soon as he arrived on campus. Notes Stuart, “That was a huge selling point to me, and I was really impressed by the mass communication department. That was a big draw for me – knowing I’d get to do on-air work with an athletics program with people who care about a standard of excellence,” he said.
Stuart knew if he attended Gonzaga or U of O, he would have to wait until he was a junior or senior before he’d get a chance at real on-air work, whereas as a freshman at Linfield, he was in the rotation of soccer broadcasters his first year. During his freshman year he also worked as camera operator for football games, and assisted in engineering on volleyball broadcasts, gaining valuable experience.
Stuart’s talent was recognized immediately at Linfield. He became Nelson’s color commentator for basketball games his freshman year. The following year he became the number one broadcaster for soccer, and then they offered him the number one play-by-play slot for basketball.
“I think that’s where things really started to take off, and also where I started to realize that this was really what I wanted to do and what I loved doing,” he said.
As Stuart has progressed through various assignments, he’s found watching sporting games has become an enjoyable academic endeavor. “I’ll watch the game like a fan – but I’m also thinking about how the various guys or gals are telling the story. I’m thinking, I like the set-up for this play, or I like the transition here. Or I like what he said – or how little was said,” Stuart noted.
Throughout his formative years Stuart learned to be the consummate team player. He finds joy working with the broadcast team and says, “Any kind role – whether it’s play-by-play or hosting is like being a point guard or a quarterback. You’ve got to keep things in control – you’ve got to set everybody up, make sure everybody is getting their turn. And you’ve got to got to be able to read things as they come and be able to adjust on the fly.”
Stuart calls Blazer broadcaster Brian Wheeler one of his broadcast heroes. “Growing up here I listened to ‘Wheels’ do Blazer games regularly, and he’s someone who’s helped shape me,” he said. But he also lists Kevin Harlan, Jim Nance, and Joe Buck as voices that taught him.
“I know many people don’t like Buck, but I think he’s a really good broadcaster,” Stuart said.
As he heads into his first full football season as play-by-play announcer for the Wildcats, Stuart admits to some anxiety. He notes, “We all know that the following for Linfield football is really special. Knowing that I’m going to be able to reach out to all those people who love Linfield football, be the go-between between the program and them watching at home – it really means a lot.”
Stuart, however, has always felt comfortable behind the microphone and says, “I’ve taken to it pretty naturally. I’ve never felt awkward or clunky – not that I’m not nervous before the game. But once we’re on, that all falls away and the focus is on doing the best job of calling the game – I kinda get into the zone,” he said.
This is what he’s been working for since his freshman year. He adds, “I love the energy of a live broadcast. It’s the most ad-libbed of any type of media – even news reporters stick to a series of talking points.”
The frenetic job of relaying the story to listeners and TV viewers back home energizes Stuart.
“In play-by-play broadcasting, you never know where the story is going to go. I love telling the story while it’s happening – twirling a nice phrase that captures the moment,” he said.
But the genuine payoff for Stuart happens when a grandparent or parent -- someone unable to attend games regularly approaches to him after a game and tells him they love watching the broadcast.
“Between the excitement of doing a live broadcast and knowing that people at home are enjoying it as it is happening – that’s always been a really great feeling for me.”
Whether at Linfield, or with an NBA team in the future, those feelings of camaraderie with the audience at home lie at the heart of Stuart’s on-air artistry.
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Dave Hansen, long-time Linfield football broadcaster retiring from microphone, to be succeeded by Gary McGarvie, award winning Linfield running back (1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992) who became a successful high school football coach
Both are members of the Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame: Hansen 2005 (meritorious service) and McGarvie 1993 (football and track & field)
News
release headline: ‘Hansen hands off the broadcast microphone to McGarvie’
8/5/2022
news release and photo from Kelly Bird of Linfield Sports Info
Wrapping up nearly a half-century of broadcasting Wildcat
sports on the radio and internet, Dave Hansen has announced he is hanging up
his microphone. Hansen, a longtime Linfield economics professor and Dean of
Students, is retiring from his role as football color analyst on the Linfield
Sports Network.
Sliding into Hansen's seat as new football analyst is Gary
McGarvie, a former NAIA All-America running back and Linfield Athletics Hall of
Fame inductee. McGarvie will team with fellow Linfield alumnus Joe Stuart, who
returns as the football play-by-play voice for a second season.
"It has been my great honor and privilege to have
broadcast Linfield athletic events, across multiple sports, for almost 50
years," said Hansen. "This seems to be a good time to move on, for
both LSN and me. I have cherished being involved in these programs and wish to
thank the coaches, teams, support personnel, and the athletics media teams with
whom I have been associated. I will remain an avid fan and I expect to attend
most events as I have done for years, but now as a spectator."
Stuart, a recent Linfield graduate who paired with Hansen to
call Wildcat football games last fall said his broadcast partner "brought
a sense of gravitas to the airwaves that only comes with decades of experience,
yet he always worked with the enthusiasm of a broadcaster just starting out.
He's an encyclopedia of Linfield knowledge. I know that along with our viewers,
I will miss hearing his stories of moments big and small throughout Wildcat
history.
What always stood out about Hansen, Stuart said, was "his
ability to connect with people, on and off the air. Seemingly every week, even
on the road, somebody always stopped by the broadcast booth to say hello to
Dave and to tell them how much it meant to them to still hear his voice when
they tuned into a Linfield game."
With less than a month remaining before the start of the
2022 season, Stuart said "We're going to miss Dave in the press box. Gary
and I will work hard to make him proud every Saturday as we carry on his legacy
of covering this program. A man who has been witness to hundreds of historic
moments and has spent the last half-century narrating the accomplishments of
one of the greatest dynasties in college sports, it is my opinion that the name
'Dave Hansen' will be one that is forever synonymous with Linfield
Football."
In Hansen's place, McGarvie brings 21 years of football
coaching experience to his new role, including stints as head coach at Fort
Vancouver, Evergreen and Union high schools. Most recently, he has served as
athletic director and assistant principal at Washougal High School. For the
past three years, McGarvie was the Class 2A Greater St. Helens League president
and in 2020 was named the GSHL Athletic Director of the Year.
"Being a part of the Linfield family is truly special,"
said McGarvie, who grew up on the Olympic Peninsula and played 8-man football
in the mid-1980s at Crescent High School. "If Linfield had not taken a
chance on a kid from a tiny town in Washington, I would not be where I am today
professionally. I am very excited to once again be a part of the Linfield
football community."
Stuart said he's excited to begin working side-by-side with
another Linfield Athletics Hall of Famer.
"Gary's resume as one of the program's all-time greats
speaks for itself," Stuart said. "I have no doubt he will seamlessly
fit right back into the 'culture of excellence' that surrounds every aspect of
Linfield Football. I look forward to hitting the air with him to bring Wildcat
Nation another great season this fall."
McGarvie will don the headset for the first time in
Montgomery, Alabama, on Sept. 3 when the Wildcats football team takes on
Huntingdon College at 6 p.m. Central (4 p.m. Pacific). Linfield enters the 2022
season ranked No. 7 in the D3football.com preseason Top 25 poll.
Source:
Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame bios:
Gary McGarvie: https://golinfieldwildcats.com/honors/linfield-athletics-hall-of-fame?hof=142
Dave Hansen: https://golinfieldwildcats.com/honors/linfield-athletics-hall-of-fame/dave-hansen/73
LINFIELD AUDIOCAST of LINFIELD 2022 season-opening football game at HUNTINGDON
9/3/2022 (6pm CDT) in MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA
According to Kelly Bird, Linfield sports info director: “Our
audiocast will feature two new voices as Chris Clayton is filling in for Joe
Stuart, who is attending a wedding back home today, and of course Gary McGarvie
making his debut in Dave Hansen’s seat.”
Helena, Mont., Sept. 8, 2018, Linfield and Carroll. Linfield Football ‘voice’ Kevin Nelson and Dave Hansen, color commentator, of Linfield Sports Network, at Nelson Stadium.
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Sept. 17, 2022, info/photo from Wildcatville:
Making their debut 9/17/2022 as the Linfield Sports Network team were analyst Gary McGarvie (left) and play-by-play ‘voice’ Joe Stuart
https://www.facebook.com/joe.stuart.1044
They broadcast the Redlands at Linfield (Homecoming) football game played on Maxwell Field at Memorial Stadium/Catdome.
Gary worked the season-opening Linfield at
Huntingdon game in Alabama on 9/3/2022. But Chris Clayton did play-by-play as a
fill-in for Joe, who stayed in McMinnville to attend a wedding.
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Game Time printed program, PLU at Linfield football,
Oct. 22, 2022, page 3
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=During 2023 football season, KLYC pulled Linfield Sports Network internet audio stream and simulcasted Wildcat games. KLYC is a community partner of Linfield Athletics. The Maxwell Field jumbo scoreboard KLYC animated banner and KLYC ad in the Linfield home game printed programs are part of the sponsorship package.=
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In a sports column (Page E1) by Steve Duin, Oregonian, Sun. Dec. 7, 1986, “The reign on the roof” about Coach Ad Rutschman in the Carroll (Montana) at Linfield NAIA Div II football playoff game on Dec 6, 1986, Steve Kenyon, radio “Voice of the Wildcats” is quoted: “When Oregon Tech was ahead of us 14-3 at Oregon Tech, I thought the wall was going to come down.” Rutschman – in a top of the stadium booth calling offensive plays and dealing with all parts of the game -- was being loud on the other side of the wall talking on a headset to coaches on the Linfield sideline. “I remember several times when he’s stuck his head in the door,” said Kenyon, “and asked us if we’re picking up everything he’s doing. He’ll get upset and wonder if it’s all being picked up by all of Yamhill County.”
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March 9, 1955 McMinnville N-R -- "The console at radio station KMCM forms a background as Craig Singletary, station program director, prepares a small, portable amplifier which he will use to broadcast the Linfield-Los Angeles State college game from Los Angeles tonight. All equipment except the light amplifier was eliminated for the flight to California where the Wildcats will participate in the Pacific Coast NCAA small college (men's basketball) championship tilt.
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