The voice of Charleston High School football and basketball, Jack Ashmore, is retiring after 50 years of sports play by play. Jack began calling games in 1971 and has worked for a variety of stations over the years including: WACF (Paris), WITT (Tuscola), WLBH (Mattoon), WEIC/WRJM (Charleston), WEIU (Charleston and WWGO/WZNX-HD2 (Charleston). He provided play by play coverage for schools including Tuscola, Villa Grove, Oakland, Paris, Chrisman, Martinsville, Arthur, and for the past 26 seasons, Charleston. Jack has been the play by play voice for Charleston football and basketball since 1994. His coverage encompassed regular season, holiday tournaments, post season tournaments.
In addition to high school coverage, Jack called play by play for EIU basketball and football for over fifty combined games. His coverage included Jimmy Garoppolo and Tony Romo. Jack retired from EIU as a mass media professor.
Jack announced his last game in April. Jack indicates there is no particular reason for his decision, he just felt it’s time, stating “perhaps 50 years is long enough to do anything.”
Jack’s career does not go without being recognized. He was named Honorary Tournament Manager of the old 16-team Charleston Holiday Tournament in 2008. In 2009, he was inducted into the Illinois High School Basketball Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame as a media member. And a recognition he had early on his career at the age 23, was not only the biggest, but also one of the strangest as Jack’s says. March 23, 1976 was proclaimed as “Jack Ashmore Night” in Villa Grove by the mayor. Jack says he was beneficiary of a situation as his junior and senior years in college he called Villa Grove games. There was an outstanding group of athletes and both seasons, in football and basketball, the teams were very good. It was also the first time there had been radio coverage of Villa Grove sports and the community was thrilled. He was asked to attend to basketball banquet and awards night. It was March 23rd. Jack had planned to be out of town, unable to attend. The station manager accepted the award on behalf of Jack.
Jack says, “probably few people have had a special night like that and didn’t show up.”
Our hats are off to Jack as he’s been a part of the Cromwell Media sports family since 2014 and was not only loyal to Charleston High School but to us. Having Jack on our team has been a great experience and we wish him nothing but the best.
