Little River Electric’s Bobby Hamby is the voice of Ninety Six football
by Josh P. Crotzer
Bobby Hamby lives and works in Abbeville. But on Friday nights, his hometown is Ninety Six.
The Little River Electric meter technician is the voice of the Wildcats, providing play-by-play calls for WZLA internet streaming radio coverage of Ninety Six High School’s varsity football games. He’s also a proud “band dad.” His son is a percussionist in the Wildcat marching band. Oh yes, and his wife Stephanie teaches science at Ninety Six High School.
“We all love it here,” says Hamby. “It’s a great little community with great people and a good football team.”
On football Fridays, Little River Electric meter technician and Voice of the Wildcats Bobby Hamby is at Wilson-Campbell Stadium well before the lights turn on. Photo by Josh P. Crotzer
Hamby should know. His radio duties extend well beyond Friday nights. He’ll catch up with head coach Mathew Bennett on Sunday to get a recap of the previous game and a preview of the upcoming opponent. He and broadcast partner, color commentator Bobby Gully, watch the same opposing team film as the Ninety Six coaching staff. On game nights, Hamby is in the booth two hours before kickoff, setting up and testing equipment.
“This is my baby,” says Hamby, pointing to a soundboard and headphones illuminated by the sun setting over Wilson-Campbell stadium. “Just like the metering system at Little River Electric, I take pride in it. I make sure it is operating properly because there are people that can’t come to the games and they depend on our broadcast.”
Hamby’s initial venture into prep football-focused radio started in 2008 when he and a friend hosted a local sports talk show on WZLA, Greenwood County’s classic country and talk radio station. That led to Hamby partnering with WZLA owner Benji Greeson to call McCormick High football games over an internet streaming platform. When Greeson joined the Abbeville High broadcast team, which had been covering Panthers games since 1992 on WZLA, he brought Hamby along with him.
“Abbeville is the first high school in the state to broadcast a live tailgate show and I started that,” Hamby says proudly. “I got to see them win three championships in a row and was a part of all those broadcasts.”
When COVID hit, his wife was teaching at Ninety Six High and the school’s athletic director was concerned that even if the team played football games, no one would be able to see them. In the three weeks before the 2020 season started, Hamby sold sponsorships for the internet broadcast of Wildcats football and they’ve been going ever since.
“I was a full-fledged Abbeville guy, born and raised there,” says Hamby. “But coming here to Ninety Six has given me the opportunity to do my own thing and there is no other place I’d rather be.”
Hamby says his time in the booth has been beneficial to his role with the cooperative.
“We’re up here painting a picture for the people listening,” he says. “I think that’s helped me when I’m talking to a member that has a concern about their meter. I’m better able to take the time and explain the situation to them.”
Want to listen? Catch Hamby calling Wildcat games live or in the archives by visiting WZLA radio.
