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For long-time followers of small-college football in Arkansas, the notion of watching their favorite team play on live television was far-fetched at best ... until Thursday. For the first time in school history, a University of Arkansas-Monticello football game was televised live as the Gulf South Conference brought its Game-of-the-Week crew to Willis "Convoy" Leslie-Cotton Boll Stadium for the Oct. 13 game with the Harding Bisons. Telecast locally on Monticello cable channel 31, the game was available throughout most of Arkansas and across the Southeast on Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast and the Cox Sports Network. ESPN announcer Bob Valvano provided the play-by-play with help from color commentator Jesse Branch and sideline reporter Jim Cavale. When replays indicated Harding's first touchdown pass actually hit the ground just before halftime, the announcers said such calls tend to go against teams that have only won one game. Commenting that Coach Gwaine Mathews got a late start this year and is trying to find players that fit his system, the announcers noted Mathews practiced the team in full pads this week hoping to instill "mental toughness," and even left some players off the game roster who did not meet his standards. The announcers also complimented the large crowd that stayed to the end of a Thursday night game, though camera angles primarily showed the visiting stands. Valvano is the younger brother of the late Jim Valvano, a basketball coaching legend who won the 1983 national championship at North Carolina State. Like his brother, Bob Valvano also coached basketball, leading programs at St. Francis, Catholic University and Bellarmine before becoming a broadcaster. He currently hosts a weekly show on the Golf Channel, serves as the analyst for University of Louisville basketball games and has broadcast numerous events for ESPN, CSTV, Clear Channel and CSS.
"Anybody who does play-by-play absolutely wants to do football," Valvano said. "This is a wonderful opportunity for me because I'll get my shot with a first-class league that features the defending national champion (Valdosta State), perennial contenders like Delta State and North Alabama, and recent NCAA playoff teams Arkansas Tech, Southern Arkansas and Central Arkansas. The GSC is the best Division II league hands down. I am proud to be associated with it and honored that Commissioner (Nathan) Salant and the member schools' presidents selected me." Branch's football roots in Arkansas go back to the 1950s when he watched his older brother George play tackle for the Arkansas A&M Boll Weevils. Jesse Branch was a two-way star at halfback for the University of Arkansas from 1960 to 1962, leading the Razorbacks to the Cotton Bowl and two Sugar Bowls as well as a pair of Southwest Conference titles. After graduating, Branch played for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League and still holds the CFL record for the longest punt return in league history, 105 yards. He worked as an assistant coach at Arkansas under Frank Broyles, Lou Holtz and Ken Hatfield, won five conference championships as head coach at Southwest Missouri State University and spent four seasons as head coach at Henderson State before turning in his coaching whistle. Cavale interviewed both coaches at halftime and hosted a halftime GSC video-highlight package that spotlights other sports around the league.
The GSC television package includes nine games with six on Thursday nights and three Saturday night telecasts. The remainder of the schedule includes Southern Arkansas at West Georgia Oct. 15 at 6 p.m., North Alabama at Valdosta State Oct. 20 at 7 p.m., West Alabama at Henderson State Oct. 29 at 6 p.m. and Central Arkansas at Arkansas Tech Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. Media Services contributed to this report. Have a comment? Please e-mail us. © The Voice 2005 Revised 09/17/2007 02:16:26 PM — http://www.uamont.edu/Organizations/TheVoice/3_6/tv.htm |
