It’s late afternoon on a Friday in the early fall, and Gary Hess and Gary Criswell are in deep conversation. They’re driving to that week’s Game of the Week that the duo will broadcast on Richmond Sports Radio 910 The Fan, as they’ve now done for 16 years.
What’s interesting about the discussion is that it’s being broadcast on Facebook Live. It’s a tradition that has started over the last few seasons – discussing the night’s game, the keys to victory for both sides and interesting notes from both sidelines. And, it’s highly in demand.
“Literally, it is the first thing people ask now. I get two questions during the off season, ‘are you going to keep doing Facebook Live, and who’s good this year,’” Criswell said.
The social media interaction is a new twist on keeping Central Region football fans intrigued and listening to games. As long as the fans are happy, Hess, a 31-year play-by-play veteran, is happy to keep it going with his cohort.
“The fact that we haven’t shied away from embracing it, it’s really helped us in the past decade,” Hess said.
Just as they’ve seen the methods of reaching fans and listeners evolve, Hess and Criswell have seen the game of football evolve in front of their eyes.
When Hess started calling games and Criswell was in the midst of a coaching career, the power run game was popular across High School Football. As trends have trickled down from the NFL to college and into High School, they’ve witnessed teams begin to move into the shotgun formation almost exclusively and add in run-pass option elements. But, despite the change in game plans, some things have remained the same.
“Football is still on a 100-yard field,” Hess said. “The other thing that has stayed the same is the atmosphere. There’s something about Friday night lights. I love it. I’m drawn to it. I look forward to it every year.”
Over the course of their run together, Hess and Criswell have been able to lean on their natural chemistry with one another to keep broadcasts informative, but also entertaining. Hess, the historian between the two, seamlessly works his knowledge and pre-game research with Criswell’s football knowhow and coaching insights.
“We speak the same language,” Hess said. “We have great chemistry and [Criswell] knows the game, but we have a lot of fun on the air. The fun quotient is high.”
Added Criswell, “we’re 10 years apart, but we’re definitely on the same wavelength.”
So far this season, the play-by-play team has seen the Battle of Chester - between rivals Thomas Dale and L.C. Bird - and taken a close look at state powers Highland Springs and Manchester. They’ll undoubtedly see at least one team that will appear in a State Championship game at season’s end.
As they do it, they’ll continue to engage with fans through Facebook Live and social media, but importantly, in the same way they have done together for nearly two decades.
“The fact that we’re just a part of the fabric of High School Football locally, I don’t take that lightly,” Hess said. “In the age of streaming video, podcasts and social media, radio is not as top of mind for some people. But having said all of that, it still has a very strong place in the fabric of the community.”
