Opinion: Reporter thrilled with this new, old way to highlight high school football

Final Score TV had a soft launch last year at the state championship football games, but now it is go-time for coverage of high school football and, later, boys and girls basketball. Photo courtesy Final Score TV 🎧 Paul Valencia Joins Final Score TV's Statewide Football Show Your browser does not support the audio element. Paul Valencia recalls the days when he was on a Seattle radio show every week, highlighting Southwest Washington high school football standouts, and now, thanks to the efforts of Final Score TV, the plan is to get back together again for reports from throughout the state Paul Valencia Clark County Today A face for radio. Paul Valencia A voice for print. That is how I've always described myself, a proud 'print' journalist. You know, someone who just writes. No one wants to see me, hear me, right? Well, it turns out, some people do, from time to time. A group of professionals I have admired for years is getting the band back together, so to speak, and you might be 'hearing' from me and 'seeing' me a bit more this high school football season. In fact, I hope you do give us a shot. Remember this website: TheFinalScore.TV. It is going to bring reports on high school football every week this season. Before talking about this project and its future, a quick look at the past: For years, I was part of an incredible team of journalists from around the state who would give updates on high school football for a broadcast on KJR in Seattle. The host would call journalists from all over to give a report of the game they just covered, as well as any other scores from the area. Most of those journalists were radio guys. You know, people who know how to talk with words. Me? I was a print guy. (Hey, I don't need to know how to pronounce a name. I just need to know how to spell the name!) For some reason or another, they still wanted me. And for more than 10 years, I gave my reports on Southwest Washington football to an audience around the state every Friday night. It turned out, I loved doing it, and it was fun to hear from folks who heard my updates. It turned out, I missed it when that show was no longer produced. And, it turned out, the people who organized that show also missed it. So … starting next week … the trip around the state will be back. But in an updated form. Not only will you hear me, but if I can figure out technology between now and next week, you'll see me, too. The reports will be video reports, either from my home office after getting home from the game, or from the stadium itself. The folks at TheFinalScore.TV will have this show on its site, plus it will be simulcast on KJR in Seattle. Final Score TV had kind of a soft launch this past school year, with a few events toward the end of football season and then into basketball season. Now, it's go-time. For Week 1 of the high school football season, Final Score TV brought its crew to Camas to broadcast the Camas-Chiawana game. And they asked me to be the analyst for the game. I've done that a few times. I always enjoy it. I appreciated being part of the Week 1 celebration of football and Final Score TV. But again, next week, we return with the trip around the state. The show is expected to start around 10 p.m. on Fridays. This is just the beginning for Final Score TV, as well. The plan is to cover boys and girls high school basketball. Maybe even girls flag football. Also, I must note that Final Score TV has no official partnership with Clark County Today. But Final Score TV officials do want to have links to our local sports stories on their site. Again, it is a way to highlight high school athletes from all over Washington. 'We want to capture all of those moments,' said DeLano Morgan, the COO of Final Score TV. 'That's going to be such a huge, huge benefit to those who live in Washington to hear from all these great talented individuals who love the game at this purest level,' Morgan added. Morgan said that sure, there are issues that high school sports are facing, but to him, the entity that is high school sports is still pure. He wants to remind folks that high school sports should be celebrated and community members should be going to more games. 'We are trying to do things that are going to bring people back to the fields and to the courts,' Morgan said. 'We're about supporting and being a positive impact to our youth today. We're doing that through community involvement.' On a personal note, my role at Clark County Today has changed significantly in my nine years here. Once known in the area only as a sports reporter, I no longer have a daily sports beat. But I will always be a part of this sports community. The Camas game on Friday night? That was the 217th consecutive regular-season Friday night game I have covered a Clark County team in football. I might not be a full-time sports reporter anymore, but sports — especially high school football — is in my blood. Now, with FinalScore.TV, I will get to highlight Southwest Washington to a larger audience. Hope you will join all of us on our weekly trips around the state.