(Waters pictured above preparing game notes for a District 4 Basketball Championship broadcast)
WCBL Sports Director and longtime play-by-play voice of Marshall County boys basketball and football, Jeff Waters, has been selected as the 2017 recipient of the Lifetime Media Award by the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches.
Jeff began his career at WCBL Radio in 1993 and became the play-by-play announcer of Marshall County boys basketball in 1994.
Since that time, Jeff has been an integral part of Marshals sports history being behind the microphone for three Region 1 Boys Basketball Championships, three District and one Regional Football Championship.
Jeff also broadcast the entire KHSAA Boys Sweet 16 Basketball tournament with Dave Rowton on WCBL Radio for nine consecutive years from 1996-2004.
Additionally, Jeff was the play-by-play voice for the Racer TV Network with color analyst Dave Winder broadcasting Murray State University Basketball and Football from 2008-2012.
When asked about this prestigious honor, Jeff was both very flattered and humbled. “I’m not sure I deserve this award. I feel there are many individuals across the state that are very deserving of this honor, but I am very thankful.” Waters said.
“I have been blessed with a very loving and supportive family, wise mentors, great teams and coaches to work with, wonderful co-workers and friends that I have made along this 23-year journey…and I could not have asked for a better school system than Marshall County to be a part of as well.”
One note that Jeff, a 2013 inductee into the Marshall County Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame, is especially proud of are his efforts in compiling hundreds of hours of oral history interviews with some of the greatest coaches and athletes, particularly from Region 1 and 2, in Kentucky high school sports history.
“From individuals such as Bob Warren, Bennie Purcell, Barry Goheen, Jack Givens, Frank Ramsey, Coach Howard Beth, Barney Thweatt and countless others, these conversations have opened up a world of history that not only I got to learn and enjoy, but was able to share with others.” Waters said.
Jeff is a native of Lyon County and a 1989 graduate of Lyon County High School, where he was the radio play-by-play voice of the Lyons and Lady Lyons basketball teams from 1989 to 1993. Jeff earned an Associate’s Degree in Communications from Paducah Community College in 1993.
Jeff served two separate terms as president of the Marshall County Rotary Club, is a past president of the Marshall County Athletic Foundation and is the current representative of District 1 on the Marshall County Board of Education.
Jeff resides in Benton, Ky. with his wife, Jenny, who is a Nurse Practitioner at Baptist Health Paducah, and their two children, Reed, 12, and Anna, 9.
The KABC Court of Honor Award Program is designed to honor those whose careers have brought great honor to our profession. The award will be formally presented on Friday, March 17, 2017 between games of the afternoon session of the KHSAA Boys Sweet 16 State Basketball Tournament at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. To find out more, visit http://www.kentuckybasketballcoaches.org.