Listen Live! // Continuing what Chris Charron Built

Last Friday marked the beginning of the 2016 high school football season across the state. If you had a chance to be at Knights Stadium, it was an electric environment and an entertaining game to watch. We live streamed the game on our new Listen Live! website: Meridix, where you can listen to all of the Knights' football games this season as the official "home and away voice of the Knights."

If you've been a listener to the Knights online, this year will sadly sound different. The Woodward Academy family lost one of its biggest fans and supporters last March, when Chris "Megaphone" Charron, unexpectedly past away. He was the "voice" of the Knights since the beginning of our football program, and is the sole reason why we are able to continue to provide this amazing service this year. In an act generosity, when he passed away, his wife donated much of the audio equipment to Woodward Academy, and it is that equipment that will bring you all of our games.


In 2009, Chris and his announcing partner Mark Taberella, started announcing high school football games, live-streaming on the internet, to allow members of the military who were fighting for our freedom overseas, to stay plugged into their families, friends, and communities playing high school athletics. In 2010, as part of the slate of games that Chris and Mark would stream for military service members, they called the first ever football game in WA history as the Knights beat SE Webster in Burnside, Iowa on 8/27/2010, 62-0. The following year, WA formalized our relationship with Chris and Mark and they became the "voice" of the Knights on Press Box Radio.

Chris believed strongly in the mission of Woodward Academy and his impact will continue to be felt in what he helped establish. Beyond the more than 100 basketball and football games that he is responsible for announcing, and the many friendships he created with staff, Chris' voice was heard by thousands of people who have listened to various WA athletic events over the years. He was an ambassador of the Knights out in the community, using his connections with local media outlets at times to get them behind stories of the Knights doing great things. 

Before Friday night's game, Chris' family was honored on the track and presented a sign football from this year's squad along with a framed "Press Box Radio" image. Chris’ longtime announcing partner, Mark, called the game with Don Teague as a passing of the torch. This year, Don will call games with Nate Merz. Thank you Chris, the megaphone is still live thanks to you.