Published: April 23, 2009 03:07 pm      

Stelly to broadcast game No. 1,000

ORANGEFIELD — If you have paid any attention to Orange County high school sports since 1984, chances are you have heard Gary Stelly’s voice.

Stelly, owner and play-by-play announcer of KOGT, will call his 1,000th high school game tonight when the Bobcats play host to the West Orange-Stark Mustangs.

“No. 1, that says how old I am because that is a lot of games,” Stelly, a 1984 graduate of Orangefield High School, said. “No. 2, I am glad it is happening at Orangefield, where I went to school and where this all started. It is ironic to be doing No. 1,000 at my old school.”

Stelly first broadcast high school games at KOGT in 1984.

Stelly was part of what he called “the second team.” Stelly would do play-by-play at a game on Friday night, record the game on cassette and air the game on Saturday mornings.

“I have seen a lot over the years,” Stelly added. “I wish I had taken better notes through the years because you seem to forget so much. I am sure there are many games I forget that would crack a Top 10 list.”

Stelly has seen several state championships come through Orange County and also seen several local teams get real close in bringing home a title.

“I always say I wish we could have seen more state champions,” Stelly said. “Going to any championship game or state tournament in Austin is as much fun for us as it is for the kids who play in the games. It’s exciting all through the playoffs as you get closer and you start to realize you might have that chance.

“You get to know the players and coaches and people have become lifelong friends of mine through these sports. I consider myself a pretty lucky guy. I never took lessons in play-by-play but was always involved in sports and started to write sports when I was 15 for the Opportunity Valley News.”

Stelly said his favorite part of sports was always the statistical side of athletics.

“That part of it came real easy,” he said. “I could quote stats and schedules off the top of my head. The play-by-play I worked myself into that. I then tried to create a style everyone could enjoy and keep audiences interested even if the game was not interesting. If the game is good, the play-by-play is easy. If the game is not interesting, that is when you really have to work.”

According to KOGT’s website, Stelly bought KOGT in 1992. KOGT first went on air in 1948.