Alum serves as ‘voice of the lumberjacks’ for Minnesota

More than 1,300 miles from where he grew up in Paradise, Pennsylvania, journalism graduate Joel Hoover ’15 works as the sports director for Paul Bunyan Broadcasting in Bemidji, Minnesota. Part of his duties include working as the play-by-play announcer for the Lumberjack Radio Network for the Bemidji High School games.

Since radio is a competitive field, Hoover says he wondered if he could compete with more experienced candidates. “When I applied to Paul Bunyan Broadcasting to cover the Lumberjacks … I later found out that they just loved my energy and what I brought to the table,” he said.

He’d honed his radio play-by-play skills as a student under the tutelage of Messiah College soccer announcers Patrick Wolfkill and Todd Suessmuth ’90.

They showed me what it is like to have a love for the team that you cover,” said Hoover. “I prepare my broadcasts to be just as informative as theirs.

Because he covers high school sports year-round, Hoover prepares for games a few days in advance, updating stats and overall records. On game days, he arrives at the field an hour before the show goes live. For away games, he travels with the team on the bus.

“There are times when I don’t get home until 1 a.m. if I have a road game,” he explained.

Wolfkill says he’s not surprised by Hoover’s commitment to excellence on the job.

“Joel is always prepared and professional, and his enthusiasm in unparalleled,” said Wolfkill. “I always would say, ‘We need to get this kid out of here, or I am going to be out of a job.’”

— Daulton J. Leonard ’18 and Anna Seip