Murphy High School Press Box Named for Public Address Announcer J.R. Carroll

“FIRST AND TEEEEN BULLDOGS” Has Filled the Stadium Air Four Decades

 

By Brandon Stephens

 

 

(Murphy) – – Through four decades, Jack Raymond Carroll is the iconic voice you hear through the loud speakers at Murphy High Schools Bob Hendrix Stadium/David Gentry Field at home football games in the fall.  Commonly known to most people, he is J.R..  The many years of service as the public address (PA) announcer that lifts the spirits of Murphy Bulldog fans and stirs the opposing fans, players, and coaches to a rage, sometimes, is the major reason the High School named its press box facilities after J.R..

The press box is now officially known as the “JR CARROLL PRESS BOX” after a presentation by Murphy Head Football Coach Joseph Watson and legendary coach David Gentry.  Prior to the Murphy versus Swain home football game (October 18, 2024) the press box naming was made official to the public with a presentation of a Bulldog logo to J.R.. He was also accompanied by his family – From Left In Our Feature Photo: Ray Carroll, Jena Carroll, DJ Carroll, J.R. Caroll, Sandra Carroll, Haizley Hill, Kimberlyn Hill. (Photo Credit Carroll Family)

 

FIRST AND TEEEEN BULLDOGS

 

Have you ever been to a Murphy football game and heard the echoing tones of J.R. announce the positive offensive movement of the ball by the Bulldogs past the first down marker?  Sweet is the sound to Murphy fans and like fingernails on a chalk board to the opposing fans.  The announcement of the first down in J.R.-style is something he made his own.  There are announcements he makes at the beginning of the game letting fans on both sides of the field know “THIS IS BULLDOG COUNTRY.”  That phrase is something his predecessor, Paul Riddenour (former WKRK-AM owner) coined when doing the announcing in the 1970’s that gained popularity after the 1974 State Championship.  The rest of the announcing is derivative of the past with lots of color and drama only J.R. can deliver.

What?!  You have never heard him announce a first down. Allow us to give you that experience…

 

 

How did JR Become the Announcer?

 

The previous PA announcer for Murphy High School football was Gene Farmer leading up to the 1983 season according to J.R..  During this time, Mitch Myers was released as the Head Football Coach.  Loyal supporters to Coach Myers, like Farmer, left their duties.  J.R. was working at WCVP-AM in Murphy and was consulted about filling in for the season.  J.R. never left the microphone.

J.R. has been a radio announcer, radio ad salesman, sold cars, sold phone book and cable television insert ads, and in retirement sells some produce.  His paying career did take him from Murphy for three seasons from 1990-through-1992.  The itch to get back to the “Hill,” the name known to fans and players as the Murphy High School football stadium and field, wore on him in 1993.  Since that time, J.R. has opened the football games on the PA and sometimes on a travel date, he and Maurice Kincaid would announce the games on WCNG-FM.

What is his story and why does he like doing PA work?  J.R. is not camera shy.  So let him tell you.

 

 

JR the 12^th Bulldog

 

There are expressions in football that someone or something is the 12^th man on the football team.  Usually a mascot, set of cheerleaders, or a PA announcer.  J.R. had made comment he would probably leave the PA duties when Coach Gentry retired.  Coach Joseph Watson, assuming the leadership role as Head Coach, sees J.R. as his 12^th “Dawg.”

 

 

JR on the PA…stories of the PA Bulldog Voice

 

There are other announcers in the mountains that seem to emulate J.R. to get the fans up for the game.  It’s just not the same.  I have worked with J.R. for many years and became co-workers at the Sylva radio station.  There are dozens of stories we could lay out here and have you laughing and even amazed.  The announcing sometimes does not translate.  Sometimes a name is mismatched liked J.R. announcing a pass being made to Ryan Payne.  Instead he announced Andrew Skogen caught the pass.  Translate that, J.R. had Andrew’s son Zach in mind.  You can do the math on that.  Or I can tell you about the night I had to drive J.R. to Murphy when he had no vehicle.  We made a stop for cigarettes and he wouldn’t stop telling stories at the counter and made us late for the game.  We arrived to the game on time and on two wheels.  It’s at the convenience store where he bought coffee and cigarettes that he ran into Boyce Deitz, then coach of Swain County High football.  Here is that story, which J.R. told in his video interview.

There is not a single season when you go through Bryson City and the Friday night game between Swain County and Murphy approaches and some says, “I hate that PA announcer in Murphy.”  That public address announcer is J.R. Carroll in case you don’t know.  He has been on the PA microphone for a number of decades and has an annoying delivery of announcing when the Murphy Bulldogs have achieved a first down.  Usually it is “FIRST AND TEN BULLDOGS!”  During the 1990’s J.R. went to work with me at WRGC in Sylva.  Still dedicated to the Bulldogs, he would drive to Murphy and announce the home games.

One of the gathering spots for armchair quarterbacks and sports enthusiasts in Sylva is PJ’s Fast Food Mart convenience store.  One morning just after the most recent Murphy versus Swain games, Coach Deitz ran into J.R. at PJ’s.  Coach Deitz told J.R., “You know all that yelling about FIRST AND TEN BULLDOGS doesn’t hurt my team at all.  In fact, you can announce it louder and it just gets my kids fired up all to pieces.”  J.R. looked at Coach Deitz and retorted, “You might be reminded that we’ve made a first down on Swain County.  It’s not how loud I say it, it’s how often.  Last Friday I said it about every other time I opened the microphone, which tells me Swain is suffering.”  It’s one of the few times you could see a speechless Boyce Deitz.

 

Salute to JR

 

We don’t know how long J.R. will be on the PA for the Murphy Bulldogs.  One can only hope there will be someone as iconic and recognizable as him to fill his shoes.  I am glad he is there.  To some of us he is a brother, uncle, or best-good friend.  Regardless of the meeting of teams before him, he gives comfort to those who are afflicted and recognizes the accomplishments of the best of us.  He has taken some inspiration from older generations of Murphy fans and received some inspiration from legendary Georgia Bulldog radio voice Larry Munson.  He is a handful to work with sometimes, but you always have a cool story to tell when you leave.

In closing I like the words former Sylva Football Coach Lionel Brooks told J.R..  “Son when you die you’re not going to heaven.  You’re going to the Murphy High School Football field,” Brooks said.