Wildcat football to get live broadcasts

Oak Harbor boys basketball and wrestling will air this winter.

“In a loquacious vocal style that clearly shows he was raised on rock and roll radio, Jon “JJ” Jensen gushes with enthusiasm.“I’m stoked,” he said about his upcoming gig anchoring local high school sports broadcasts over Oak Harbor radio station KWDB. “I’m hardcore sports.”Beginning Sept. 8, Jensen and a team he’s still putting together will bring live broadcasts of Oak Harbor High School football games to local radio. By special arrangement with the Federal Communications Commission, the station — which by law must now sign off at sunset — has been given permission to remain on the air for the broadcasts.“It’s going to be informative and entertaining at the same time. It’s going to be uptempo and it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Jensen said. Then, tempering his hyperbole a bit, he added, “But it won’t be obnoxious.”For the time being, the station plans to air both home and away Oak Harbor High School football games, then move on to Wildcat boys basketball and wrestling in the winter. Jensen said he is only aware of one other radio station in the state that broadcasts prep wresting live.Citing scheduling conflicts, Jensen said that there are currently no plans to put girls basketball or any Coupeville High School games on the air, but he said the station would like to in the future, particularly if the teams reach the playoffs.“We want to start small and build around it,” he said. “If Coupeville goes to the playoffs, we’ll follow the Wolves. That goes for South Whidbey too.”For Jensen, it’s like homecoming already. He is a 1985 graduate of Oak Harbor High School where he participated in football during his sophomore year and spent four years on the wresting team. Since graduation, he served a stint in the Air Force, completed college at Washington State University and worked in the radio industry.“I felt it was time to come back home,” he said. “To call the games for your alma mater — that’s an opportunity that doesn’t happen often.”Jensen will provide the play-by-play and expects to be joined by a reporter on the field and a broadcast partner in the booth providing color commentary. He said the broadcast trio will certainly be partial to the home teams but he hopes they will also bring objectivity and solid credibility to the broadcasts.“Sports fans will not be disappointed,” he said.———–WHAT: Wildcat football broadcastsWHERE: KWDB Radio, 1110 AMWHEN: First game is Sept. 8 versus Anacortes. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. “