August 30, 2024
DENHAM SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL IS BACK ON THE AIR!
The 2024 school year marks the 29th season that Jon Fine (Sports) Productions will have the privilege of producing and calling play-by-play for Denham Springs HS Football radio broadcasts. In 2024, the broadcast slate will include the Jamboree, all 10 regular season Denham games, and every playoff game. Broadcasts can be heard on Family Radio-91.9 FM Baton Rouge. All broadcasts can also be heard on the Internet at JonFineProductions.com (click Listen Live on the Denham Springs Football PBP page). Sport-n-Center Jackets Warm-Up gets the broadcasts underway at 6:00 pm. The first broadcast is TONIGHT, Friday, August 30 when the Jackets visit Walker HS in the Walker Jamboree.
Josh Ward returns as the play-by-play announcer of the Jackets. Ward will be joined by Mitch Covington as the color commentator. Producer Jon Fine will contribute to the pre-game, half-time and post-game programming.
“Sport N Center Jackets Warm-Up” will feature an interview with Jackets Football Coach Brett Beard conducted by Josh Ward. Jon Fine will speak with a prominent Denham Springs community and/or sports figure. Ward and Covington will also offer a preview of that night’s game and other pertinent information.
The “Sunshine Cleaners Half-Time Report” will include Fine interviewing another Denham Springs personality. In addition, Ward and Covington will provide a recap of the first half and a look ahead at the second half of action.
During the “Ralph Sellers Chevrolet Post-Game Show”, there will be an extensive game recap, final stats and a look ahead.
When Denham Springs picks up a first down, they’ll achieve a Big Mike’s Sports Bar & Grill First Down. When the Jackets score, the scoring drive will be recapped on the Brandy Robertson State Farm Insurance Scoring Drive. When the Jackets have secured a victory, Ward will indicate such and it will be brought to you by Bank Plus.
Sport-N-Center owner Stacy Phipps (Baseball) and Big Mike O’Neal (Football) were athletes at Denham Springs HS. Ralph Sellers Chevrolet Parts Manager Jim McChristian, a former Jackets color commentator, says he was an athlete at Denham Springs HS, but we have had a difficult time verifying this claim!
Fine expressed that he is especially appreciative of the loyal commercial and name mention sponsors the broadcasts have had on Jon Fine Sports Productions’ Denham Springs HS play-by-play broadcasts throughout the years. Many have been with the broadcasts on a year-in, year-out basis. Fine expressed hope that listeners will have the opportunity to patronize these businesses and let them know they heard about them on DSHS Football radio broadcasts.
Jackets play-by-play announcer Josh Ward, a Denham Springs HS graduate, was a Yellow Jackets assistant basketball coach. He is an executive at Guaranty Broadcasting. Much to the regret of several ladies in the Greater Baton Rouge area and points unknown, he is single.
Mitch Covington, a 3-sport star at Denham Springs HS, would later serve as a Jackets assistant football coach. He is presently the head football coach at Denham Springs Junior High School. He is a graduate of McNeese State, where he played baseball. He is married and has 2 children.
Jon Fine co-hosted and produced daily 2-hour drive-time radio sports-talk programs in the Greater Baton Rouge area for close to 20 years. His programs (first SportsTalk, which changed its name to SportsGumbo), aired, at times, in New Orleans, Lake Charles, Monroe and Alexandria, in addition to the Baton Rouge market. His company, Jon Fine Productions, has produced numerous Denham Springs HS and area HS sports programming on television, radio and internet. Fine presently has an EBay store—ArrestedDevelopmentMediaGuides. He is a native of Valley Stream, New York and a graduate of Penn, where he majored in Marketing. Much to the delight of several ladies in the Greater Baton Rouge area and points unknown, he is single.
For more information on Denham Springs HS Sports programming and Jon Fine Productions, please visit JonFineProductions.com.
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THE WIZARDRY OF OS
When the expectation is low, one would think it would be more likely to meet or exceed expectations. Conversely, when expectations are high, it is very likely that reality will fall short.
As a fan of LSU football, the reality of the post championship, post pandemic season openers has finally put me in a place where I am finding it difficult to get excited about LSU opening the season against USC. In my defense, it has been four years in a row of not just losses, but historically bad or embarrassing football.
Playing a football season in front of nobody against Mississippi State and giving up an SEC record of passing yards was a sign of a long season that was not fun to watch in 2020.
LSU fans were very excited to finally play in the Rose Bowl against UCLA in 2021. Ed Orgeron made news yelling at a Bruin fan on the way in, and the product on the field fell short of what was expected.
The beginning of an era of a new football coach is always exciting. Considering the contract it took to get Brian Kelly coupled with a primetime game against a school like Florida State in the Superdome, it was brutal to watch. The first half, LSU couldn’t get out of its own way. The defense was average and the special teams was deplorable. To then almost come back, and then not be able to execute the simplest part of the game gave a sobering outlook to the season.
While the result of the opener last year was not utterly surprising, it was just as disappointing. The concern for the defense was high entering the game, but nobody could imagine that Harold Perkins would not have an impact. Then we watched the game and Harold Perkins did not have an impact on the game. The one thing we thought we could count on fell very short of expectations. The offense was supposed to be able to keep up, and it could not.
So here we go. Another primetime season opener. Are we set up for more primetime disappointment? I guess that depends on your expectations. I am going to try and be rational in this preview.
In reality, I suspect we should expect the offense to struggle out the gate. There are too many new skill players, and a new center. The hopefull Tiger fan in me would normally expect the offensive line to make it easy on the new skill players. The talent is there at the skill positions, but experience and offensive chemistry take time. The offense will not win this game on their own.
The defense should be better, but let’s be realistic. The defensive line is not up to championship standards. None of the defensive linemen are on the radar of NFL teams to be drafted in the first 3 rounds. The linebackers are a strength, but the secondary is also short on talent. USC is a terrible team to open against with so many new faces in the secondary.
Finally, there is the special teams. Every Tiger fan will be holding their breath on every punt return wondering if LSU will catch the ball. Avoiding disaster in special teams against USC would be a huge win in itself.
The good news is that USC has as many issues as LSU entering the game. The Trojans have a new defensive coordinator after fielding a terrible defense last year. USC also has a new quarterback after losing a Heisman winning quarterback.
Both teams will likely get much better over the course of the season. But, the losing team will be in a very poor position to make the first 12 team playoff and that reality on Monday makes it very difficult to get excited about the season after week one.
I expect the winning team will be the team that doesn’t lose the game. For LSU to be that team, they must be able to run the ball and play action off of that. Use the tight ends that should create easy throws and help convert third downs. Keep USC off the field. I think LSU needs to be old school in this one in order to win and surpass my expectations.
DENHAM SPRINGS HS FOOTBALL RADIO BROADCASTS ARE A JON FINE PRODUCTION ON FAMILY RADIO, 91.9 FM, BATON ROUGE and on the net at JonFineProductions.com.
JON IS THE OWNER OF AN EBAY STORE. ArrestedDevelopmentMediaGuides SELLS SPORTS PUBLICATIONS. YOU CAN LINK TO IT BY VISITING JonFineProductions.com