When I was a high school football statistician for the Texas Sports Radio Network, I worked a lot of games with Kusenberger, and for those games, I always knew the broadcast would be flawless and my stats would be appreciated constantly.
When we got married in 2010, Nina and I had a very small affair. Besides family, a few co-workers from Chase, I invited three people (and their spouses) from my high school football world. Mark was one of them and the other one was another Marc. That Marc is the one who got me started doing stats.
How did you get started as a broadcaster?
In the summer of 2000, a certain hamburger chain that emphasizes orange in its color scheme sponsored a Voice of the San Antonio Missions contest (a AA minor league baseball franchise). Contestants were invited to write a 300 word essay about why you’d make a good voice for the Missions. I entered and Jeff Long selected my essay, so I got to do a couple of innings of a game against the Round Rock Express. One inning I did color with Brian Anderson (now the television voice of the Milwaukee Brewers); the next I did an inning of play-by-play with Roy Acuff. I know my baseball, and I did some homework so I’d know who the players were, and Roy praised me to the skies at the end of my inning.
Part of the prize was a cassette recording of my time on the air.
I made copies of the cassette for friends and family, and honestly figured that was the extent of things. Then about a year later, Bill Myers, a high school friend of my wife Brenda, called her up. Myers was a D.J. and Program Director at KBUC in Pleasanton, which at the time was an affiliate of the Texas Sports Radio Network. Bill explained that Bobby Stautzenberger, the man behind the San Antonio chapter of TSRN, was picking up the San Marcos Rattler football schedule to broadcast, and needed a broadcast crew RIGHT AWAY. Did she know anyone she thought could help? To her occasional regret, Brenda suggested me.
I ended up paired with De Hansen, doing color for him, as San Marcos made the 4A Division I playoffs, winning in the first round against Pflugerville Connally before losing to Smithson Valley in the second round. The following season, I was assigned to Central Catholic, doing color the first couple of games, then taking over play-by-play beginning with their game against Fox Tech.
In retrospect, it was a pretty quick rise.
When I worked games with you, you always had a very detailed line-up sheet with a lot of interesting facts. How did that come to be and how do you keep it updated?
The short answer is I save everything. My flash drive died on me in 2008, but I’ve kept pretty much all my game notes since then.
So, for example, when I work on a Reagan game this year, I’ll start from last year’s notes, save a new version for the new season, delete all the graduated seniors, and start filling in gaps based on preview publications and online information. Just from last year’s notes, I already know Cole Pryor had about 1500 yards rushing, and Caleb Cappuccio had about 1000 yards receiving in 2023. Plus, I’ll have their playoff history and I can see if a player has moved from offense to defense, or if a team is using a different base defense than last year.
Talking with coaches is extremely valuable also. I do this for several reasons. One, I want to have notes handy and minimize the chances that I’ll forget something cool in the heat of the broadcast. Two, notes can be shared. Some people are intimidated by the volume of information I might give them, but at least it’s there. Three, why settle for ambiguous guesses when the truth is readily available if you’re willing to do a little work?
I want to know what memorable games, players, coaches stand out for high school football, baseball, and basketball?
Wow, Liebs. You know as well as anyone how much ground this could cover. I’ve broadcast over 2,000 games in my career. I am working on a book about all this.
I could have filled this part up just with Reagan-Smithson Valley baseball playoff games.
Anyway, since you asked…..
October 6, 2006 – Madison 48, Reagan 43 (Comalander Stadium)
In a losing effort, Reagan’s Derrick Walls had 18 carries for 186 yards and a touchdown.
In a losing effort, Reagan’s Marcus Wright had 22 carries for 290 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Reagan lost primarily because Madison’s Devin Thomas had 26 carries for 487 yards and 6 touchdowns. 487 yards is still the highest single game total ever within a 60 miles radius of San Antonio.
Madison’s Josh Miles returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, and that ended being an afterthought.
December 8, 2007 6A-II Region 4 Finals: Madison 38, Smithson Valley 35 (overtime) (Alamodome)
Madison, having lost in the region finals 3 of the previous 6 seasons, including twice to Smithson Valley, trailed 35-14 going into the 4th quarter. Wide receiver Nate Askew caught 4 touchdown passes from Brian Ehrlich for the game to lead the Madison comeback.
Askew went on to play for Texas A&M and for the Tennessee Titans.
December 10, 2021 2A-II State Semifinals: Falls City 24, Mart 20 (Elgin)
The Mart Panthers had been to the state championship game 4 years in a row, eliminating Falls City in the state semifinals 3 consecutive years. After turning away a Mart drive that got as deep as the Falls City 6 yard line, the Beavers, trailing 20-17, took possession at their own 20 with 7:39 left. The Beavers converted 2 third downs and 2 fourth downs in grinding out a 16 play, 80 yard, 7 minute drive, finished by a 17 yard touchdown pass from Luke Shaffer to Grant Jendrusch with 39 seconds left.
Falls City held on for a 24-20 victory and played in the state champion game. (They lost to Stratford, Texas.)
November 9, 2007 – Steele 35, Buda Hays 29 (double overtime)
Steele needed a win in this regular season finale to secure their first playoff berth in school history. Hays needed to win by 4 points to make the playoffs. A freshman running back named Malcolm Brown scored a 59-yard touchdown on the first play of the second half, then added a touchdown in overtime. (A couple of newspapers got Brown’s name wrong because out of date rosters were floating around the pressbox. They put the FORMER #30’s name in the newspaper, who had been kicked off the team.)
Brown would lead Steele to the 2010 5A-I State Championship, then play for the Texas Longhorns, Los Angeles Rams, and Miami Dolphins. I saw him first.
November 7, 2008 – Kerrville Tivy 31, Clemens 30 (SCUCISD Stadium)
Future Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel caught one pass for 12 yards. Then after starter Colton Palmer struggled, Manziel took over at quarterback.
Clemens kicked off with about 1:30 left in the game, leading 30-20. Manziel led a touchdown drive, then Tivy recovered an onside kick. With seconds left, Manziel threw the winning touchdown pass.
The receiver? Colton Palmer.
I got to call the game with Tony Franklin. Franklin was an All-American place kicker at Texas A&M; I graduated from A&M also.
BASKETBALL
March 1, 2014 – 4A Region IV boys final – Clemens 69, Buda Hays 66 (overtime) (Littleton Gymnasium)
Buda Hays had won one playoff game in school history, but had overcome a 42-30 third quarter deficit to lead 59-57 with 2.4 seconds left. Clemens coach Cliff Ellis, after a timeout, ran a brilliantly designed inbound play to Cayne Edwards, who got wide open on the right side of the basket, accepted the inbound pass, then shot the tying laptop as time expired.
Late in the overtime, Hays’ Stephen Ayala scored a layup to the game at 66-66. This time, Ellis didn’t call timeout, and Devin Kearns sank a three-pointer from the left corner as overtime expired to send Clemens to their first state tournament with a 69-66 victory.
March 2, 2013 – 4A Region IV boys final – Brennan 59, Alamo Heights 45 (overtime) (Littleton Gymnasium)
Brennan led 47-44 when Alamo Heights advanced the front court, then called timeout with 15.1 seconds left. The Mules inbounded to Zach Ford, who drove for the right corner, and missed a three point attempt with about six seconds left. The ball wasn’t rebounded cleanly, and was batted along the floor for about 10 seconds until David Favorite recovered it at the left wing. Favorite sank a three at the buzzer to send the game to overtime.
Brennan converted 8 free throws in a row to start overtime on their way to victory.
BASEBALL
May 10, 2003 – TAPPS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – Houston St Pius 7, Central Catholic 6 (9 innings) (Baylor Ballpark)
We’ll never see a game like this again.
Houston St Pius built a three run lead in the first inning with a rally including a 2-run strikeout. (Two errors were involved in the strike three.)
With St Pius leading 3-1 in the second inning, Button starter David Vaio gave up leadoff single, then Coach Polo Botello put Leo Perez on the mound. Perez had thrown a complete game against Houston St Thomas in the state semifinals THE PREVIOUS DAY. Perez got out of that jam, but St Pius built the lead to 6-1 with 1 run in the 4th and 2 in the 5th (on a 2-RBI fielder’s choice grounder.) The Buttons loaded the bases in the 7th, but a strikeout put the Panthers within one out of the state championship.
An error scored Eric Repp to make it 6-2, an infield single by Jake Stephens drove in Dan Garcia to make it 6-3, a single by Perez drove in Chris Aleman and Jon Klug to make in 6-5.
St Pius then put Craig Rodriguez (who’d thrown a complete game shutout in the Panthers’ state semifinal the previous day) on the mound. He walked Vaio (now the first baseman) to load the bases, and Will Thomas (batting for the second time that inning) reached on an error which scored Stephens to tie the game.
St Pius won on a walkoff bunt single in the bottom of the 9th by Blaze Hinojosa.
May 31, 2013 – Region IV-6A Championship game – O’Connor 3, Eagle Pass 2 (Blossom)
With A&M bound pitcher Mark Ecker limited to designated hitter duties, O’Connor turned to Justin Garcia to lead the remainder of their historic playoff run. The Panthers took a 3-0 lead in the 3rd with a rallied highlighted by RBI singles by Ecker and Kent Corso.
Garcia had a shutout through 5 innings, but a solo homer by Diego Gaona pulled the Eagles within 3-1. Then Garcia began to tire. An RBI single by pinch hitter Gilbert Villalobos with one out in the seventh made it 3-2. One out later, a walk to Devon Torres loaded the bases.
A base hit could send Eagle Pass to the State Tournament.
O’Connor coach David Collenback moved Garcia to third base, sent Dillon Stumpf from third to shortstop, and put shortstop Jose Rodriguez on the mound. Garcia had thrown as many innings in the playoffs at Rodriguez had all season, but a berth in state tournament depended on Rodriguez.
Facing Gaona, who’d homered the previous inning, Rodriguez induced three straight foul balls, the third of which was hit behind third base.
Garcia, falling backwards like he was taking the Nestea plunge, caught the ball for the victory.
O’Connor became the first team from San Antonio to go the state tournament since South San in 1992.
May 30, 2014 – Region IV-6A Championship Game – Reagan 2, Eagle Pass 1 (Laredo Veterans Stadium)
Reagan ace Troy Montemayor had taken on an astonishing workload during the 2014 playoffs. In the other dugout, Eagle Pass coach Reynol Mendoza, with ace Chris Perez unavailable, turned to sophomore Tony Galvan on the mound.
The two each had shutouts through 6 innings.
Eagle Pass broke through against Montemayor in the top of the 7th when Eric Gonzalez scored an unearned run.
Galvan retired the first Rattler in the bottom of the 7th, putting Eagle Pass within 2 outs of the state tournament. But fourth time through the Reagan order, Galvan finally struggled. Zach Morrow was hit by a pitch, Jack Thompson singled, then Ben Brookover doubled to left; Morrow scored to tie the game, and Thompson went to third as the winning run.
Mendoza then put Diego Gaona on the mound (yep, same guy from the previous year’s team.) Gaona, who had just been catcher for 108 Galvan pitches, intentionally walked Drew Brooks to load the bases, setting up a potential double play that could send the game to extra innings.
Cade Bormet singled over the right fielder Isaac Ramirez’s head, scoring Jack Thompson and sending Reagan to the state tournament.
OTHER NOTABLE PLAYERS I’VE SEEN IN HIGH SCHOOL
Josh Jung, MacArthur – Texas Tech, current Texas Ranger, 2023 All-Star and World Series Champion
Jace Jung, MacArthur – Texas Tech, current in the Detroit Tiger farm system
David Hamilton, San Marcos – University of Texas, Boston Red Sox
Boone Logan, O’Connor – White Sox, Braves, Yankees, Rockies, Indians, Brewers
Jeff Manship, Reagan – Twins, Rockies, Phillies, Indians
Brooks Raley, Uvalde – Texas A&M, Cubs, Reds, Astros, Rays, Mets
DeMarvin Leal, Judson – later of Texas A&M, now with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Andrew Sendejo, Smithson Valley – Cowboys, Jets, Vikings, Eagles, Browns, Colts
Garrett Wilson, Lake Travis – later of Ohio State, now with the New York Jets
Jordan Clarkson, Wagner – later of Tulsa, Missouri, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now with the Utah Jazz
Andre Roberson, Wagner – Colorado, Oklahoma City Thunder, Brooklyn Nets
Ben Uzoh, Warren – future New Jersey Net and Toronto Raptor