Voices of the games

In the upcoming weeks of The Lebanon Enterprise, a group of individuals will be featured in stories highlighting their contributions to Marion County sports.  The contributions to each person's respective sport are something that most people take for granted. I know I have from time to time.  
Each time you go to a baseball, basketball, or football game, there may have been one person that played a pivotal role at each game that you may or may not have noticed. The people that handle the announcing duties at each of the games work behind the scenes and rarely get any time in the spotlight. A series of feature stories on them would be a great way to bring what they do to the attention of Marion County residents.  
In my eyes, a good announcer changes the way a game "feels." You know what I mean. An announcer that really gets involved in the play by play keeps the crowd on edge and, when you keep the crowd excited the players on the field or court respond to the energy.
For years, each of the four people I have chosen to feature has gone about their business behind the microphone at nearly every home game, and hasn't expected anything in return. These people should be credited with what they bring to the game because without them there would be a significant difference.
Charles Lancaster Sr., Ham Mattingly, Jerry Reynolds, and Eugene Campbell bring the athletic events to life at Marion County High School. The only difficulty in this process for me is deciding which one of the four to feature first. I still haven't decided, and am not sure how I will decide, but I'll figure it out.
Now, let's change gears just a bit.
I would feel bad if I wrote a column and did not mention the Marion County High School Lady Knights softball team after they made school history. As you may know, I am a bit of a history buff, and have been doing a little research on what the 2012 softball team accomplished this past season.
The team secured a winning season early on, the 10th such season in school history. The 2012 squad set the record for winning the most games in a single season with 25, surpassing the 2010 record of 22.
The Lady Knights wrapped up the first regular season district title in school history, and went on to take the fourth district tournament title in the fast pitch softball era. Oh, and the most impressive record that the 2012 team set was advancing further than any team before them in the postseason. This squad advanced all the way to the regional final game before falling to a team with the best record in the state of Kentucky.
Be on the lookout for the upcoming feature stories about the "voices" of Marion County sports. We hope to bring their behind the scenes work a bit more to the forefront and give them some recognition they deserve. Also, congratulations to the Lady Knights softball team. I know that the loss to Green County felt horrible, but you all have nothing to be ashamed of. With a team of one senior and having to replace seven of nine starters from last year's squad, being able to accomplish what you did it a huge feat; a historical feat to be exact. With the experiences you learned from this season, only good things can come next season.