Powers Catholic varsity football coach, Jerry Todd, will be making his way over from the practice field at Atwood stadium on Wednesdays to join veteran sports caster, Will McNeal, for the Powers Coaches Show, on Flint’s News Talk 1470, broadcast live from 7 to 8pm at Blackstone’s Smokehouse, in downtown Flint.

Coach Todd asks, “Please be sure to tune in on Wednesday evenings with Will McNeal and myself as we discuss all things Powers Catholic Chargers Football! Better yet, come out and join us for the live broadcast of the show, Wednesdays at Blackstone’s Smoke House!”

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Will “The Thrill” McNeal has been broadcasting Powers football and basketball on Flint’s Newstalk for 19 years. For 13 years seasons, he worked with play-by-play man extraordinaire, and legendary Auto City Speedway track announcer, Larry Loynes. We weren’t sure how we could go on when Larry passed, in 2016. And if it hadn’t been for Pat Daly, we might not have. Will worked with Pat on Comcast’s high school game of the week before broadcasting Powers sports on WFNT. Now in their sixth season as our Powes play-by play announcer, Pat and Will are and remain smooth as silk, providing a broadcast quality uncommon for high school sports. This season, they are the voice of the Pixalot video feed for Powers home games, which takes the feed from the WFNT broadcast.

Will is excited about the new coaches show, and wondered why it took so long for us to come up with the idea! He said he especially loves the opportunity “the public will have the opportunity to get to know Coach Todd and his staff, and support the team and players.” He added, “This is truly a fine organization and a great group of people! Hope you’ll join us Wednesdays downtown at Blackstone’s for the Powers football coaches show!”

Jerrid Heidel, owner of Blackstone’s Smokehouse agrees! Jerry said,

We are excited to bring two Flint traditions together! Blackstone’s and Powers football both represent a pursuit of excellence. We are proud to bring the two together and we hope you will come out to support the live coaches show every Wednesday night. Flint, football and BBQ!! That’s a perfect match.

And we have to thank Powers Athletic Director, Mike Watson, who embraced the idea of a Powers Coaches Show with great enthusiasm! As a former professional football player, and the former Athletic Director for Saginaw Valley State University, he knows the importance of this sort of community programming. He loved SVSU’s coaches program, and encouraged us when we brought the idea to him.

It definitely fits in with the 4 Cornerstones of Powers Athletics, which he shared with me:

1) Academic Success. This is by far number 1. Most of our kids won’t go on to play professionally. For all of our students, even those who do go on to the next level in sports, it’s crucial for them to succeed academically. That is job 1 at Powers Catholic High School.

2) Competitive Success. At Powers, we want to compete for championships in all of athletic programs. That doesn’t mean we will win every year in every sport, but we always want to be compete, to have a shot at a championship season.

3) Positive Experience. This is another very important part of the mission for Powers Athletics, that our kids to have a positive experience. Ten, twenty years after they’ve graduated, and they’re having a meal and beverage at Blackstone’s, or at a gathering,

talking with friends, we want them to remember the good times they had playing sports at Powers.

4) Community Engagement & Service. And finally, it is important that our kids get involved in the broader community. It doesn’t matter what it is, but get involved and give something back to the community.

Stop by Blackstone’s Smokehouse Wednesdays at 7p for the Powers Coaches Show! And if you can’t stop in, tune in, Wednesdays from 7p—8pm on Flint’s News Talk 1470 WFNT, your home for the broadcast of Powers High School sports!

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