By LEE BRECHEEN, Louisiana Football Magazine
As I travel around the state watching high school football, when I’m hitting more than one game a night, I always dial up a good local game on the radio.
For 31 years, no matter where I have been, I’ve been able to find 1130 The Tiger, KWKH-AM and its 50,000-watt signal, and listen to Charlie Cavell calling Byrd Yellow Jackets football. As the regular-season ends, I wanted to visit with one of Louisiana’s best play-by-play announcers covering high school football.
What’s your background? “I’m a Lafayette native, and the youngest of nine children. I was born into an athletics-loving family. I graduated from St. Thomas More in 1987, then went to LSU and worked in sports information.
“After spending some time in the Army, I transferred to Nicholls State and earned a mass communications degree in 1994. I worked in sports information at Nicholls like my brothers Danny and Phil before me. After graduation, I went back home to Lafayette to work for CoSIDA Hall of Famer Dan McDonald at then USL. I was the late Tony Robichaux’s first baseball SID.”
What college and pro teams do you follow? “The LSU Fighting Tigers and the New Orleans Saints. I grew up listening to John Ferguson and Jim Hawthorne call LSU games. Pretending I was playing in those games I was listening to. I can’t say enough about how incredible Jim Henderson’s calls were of Saints’ games. I’m a Louisianan through and through, so I pull for Louisiana teams.
How long have you been part of Byrd broadcasts? “I started helping the late, great Dave Nitz on the Byrd broadcasts in 1996. Dave and I worked together with the Shreveport Captains. He was a great influence on my career. In 1998, I took over doing the play-by-play the same year Mike Suggs became the head coach. I’m fortunate and blessed to say this is my 28th season as the ‘Voice of the Byrd Yellow Jackets.’”
What about your own athletic career? “I’ve played team sports from the time I was about four or five years old until just a couple of years ago I had to stop playing baseball. I need shoulder surgery but have been putting it off, so that ended my baseball playing days. I still try to play golf and occasionally play pickleball.”
Where did you start covering football as a broadcaster? “I started calling games on the radio while I was attending Nicholls. We would do a game of the week, usually either E.D. White or Thibodaux High. I think I was 19 or 20.”
What are some of the favorite Byrd games you’ve broadcast? “Like many competitors will tell you, you remember the losses more than the wins. I can vividly remember some of the excruciating losses more than the great victories.
“However, one of my favorites was in 2020, a 14-13 semifinal win over John Curtis in Shreveport. Fullback Jason Little, who I coached in baseball and who is now a color commentator on broadcasts with me, came off the bench and energized the Jackets to that thrilling victory.
“One of the most rewarding wins for Byrd came in the 2015 Battle on the Border at Independence Stadium when the Jackets beat east Texas powerhouse Longview 22-15. The Lobos were huge, particularly along the offensive line, and they believed they were just going to come in and run over the Jackets. After Byrd had taken the lead, Longview was faced with fourth down and about four or five. They opted to punt, thinking they’d get the ball back. Well, the Jackets never gave them that opportunity. Byrd drove deep into Longview territory and ran out the clock to preserve the win.”
What’s your take on this year’s Yellow Jackets? “Byrd is 2-7 heading into the regular season finale, the ‘Backyard Brawl’ Thursday night with arch-rival Captain Shreve. It’s been a tough year for the Yellow Jackets.
“I knew going into the season that the team was inexperienced and that they would have to grow up in a hurry to compete for the district title – and depth could be an issue. I believed Byrd would have to stay healthy and catch some breaks to make the playoffs. Unfortunately, the exact opposite happened.
“The team has been decimated by injuries. Byrd has not and will not play one game this season with the 22 preseason projected starters.”
Any closing thoughts? “I’ve been truly blessed to be affiliated with Byrd High School. I do what I do, not for recognition, but for the love of the school, coaches and players. I try to give back a little something to a place and to the people that have given me so much.
“My beautiful wife, Deniece, will jokingly tease me that I love Byrd more than her, which of course is not true.
“Last year’s regular-season finale against Shreve was my 300th broadcast. In all my years of calling Byrd football, I’ve only missed one game.”
Contact Lee at lbrecheen@aol.com
(Lee Brecheen is the longtime publisher of Louisiana Football Magazine, covering all of the state’s high school teams each year since 1997. He’s been tracking high school recruits since 1992. Free content can be found at the website lafootballmagazine.com. Lee hosts a podcast with guests from around the state — The Sports Scouting Report with Lee Brecheen, available on YouTube.)