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Lance Kitchens to be inducted into Big Country Hall of Fame

Wed, 02/06/2019 - 12:00 am
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    Lance Kitchens (left) broadcasts the Lady Bucks Varsity basketball ball game Friday night, Feb. 1 from Paradise, Texas with his grandson, Kelton Wylie (right). Kitchens was announced as one of the 11 inductees into the Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame la

Lance Kitchens, the “Voice of the Buckaroos” for 38 years now, will be inducted into the Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame as one of 11 inductees in this year’s class. He will also receive the Lifetime Achievement for Media award, according to a release.

Kitchens the man

Kitchens was born on April 27, 1947. After graduating from Midland Lee High School in 1965, he graduated from Tarleton in 1969 with a degree in physical education and a teaching minor in history. He took his first coaching job in Childress in 1969, where he stayed for a year and then was drafted into the U.S. Army. In 1974, he moved back to Breckenridge, where he had resided previously while working at Melton’s Funeral Home with his in-laws for about a year.

Kitchens grew up a sports fan. He called his whole family “sports nuts,” saying two of his uncles played college basketball. His father also broadcasted Childress’s football games for 35 years. Kitchens himself played football and baseball in high school and then at Tarleton State University. But after he was hurt from his outside linebacker spot in his second year, he stuck to baseball.

Sticking with his sports roots when he moved to Breckenridge, Kitchens coached football, basketball and golf, while teaching in Breckenridge ISD. He was at this spot until Feb. 28, 1981, which was his last day teaching. The next day he began his career at Melton-Kitchens Funeral Home. It was also in 1981 he began his broadcasting career. Though, he said he always felt like that could be a direction he would go.

“When I was a young kid I used to throw a ball up against a fence and catch it and broadcast my own ball games standing out there in the backyard by myself,” Kitchens said. “I just kind of fell into when I got up here.”

Broadcasting and the Hall of Fame

Kitchens said he got his start when Woodson High was looking for someone to help them announce their games. He helped them for a couple years on tape delay, recording the broadcast then running them back on the radio Saturday morning. Other challenges also presented themselves during this time period, where Kitchens said he even had to do the broadcast sometimes from the top of a school bus due to no seating. When the radio changed owners they asked him to go do Breckenridge’s play-by-play. He has been doing so ever since.

Kitchens said broadcasting has been a unique experience. Broadcasting has allowed him to see certain sports from all angles, as he has played, coached, officiated and broadcasted. He said the thing that keeps him coming back is the kids and watching them grow.

“I’m still broadcasting ball games for [grandchildren] of some of the people I coached,” Kitchens said. I coached [kids] way back then and then I broadcasted for their kids and now their grandkids …. I enjoy being around the kids and staying active with athletics.”

Though, he does see a possible end in sight. Kitchens has a grandson who is a freshman in Abilene. Once he gets to varsity, Kitchens said he will want to watch him play in lieu of broadcasting football. But he hasn’t ruled out basketball or baseball. Overall, he said it will depend on his health.

As far as the Hall of Fame nod, Kitchens emphasized what an honor it was. Those around him who nominated him kept it a secret, so he called it a real shock when he got the call. He said his goal all these years has been to make the broadcast interesting and has strived to be the eyes of those who cannot see it for themselves, which was a lesson his father echoed to him.

“I feel real lucky that I’m in that group of Hall of Fame people,” Kitchens said. “It’s a big deal and it’s a big deal to me. I’m honored to be in such good company.”

Other inductees and banquet information

The 18th annual banquet will be held May 6 at the Abilene Convention Center where they will be inducted. The 11 new inductees will bring the hall’s total to 190.

There will be 10 other individuals inducted. Those individuals are:

• John Lackey

• Steve Warren

• Julie Roewe Goodenough

• Jackie Ramsey Cox

• Mark Oates

• Stanley Whisenhunt

• Ernie, Charlie and Donald Davis

• Elijah Childers

• Ellis Jones

• Myrle Greathouse

The Davis brothers will receive the 2019 Legacy Award. Childers will be awarded posthumously for the Bill Hart Legends Award, which honors those who competed more than 50 years ago, according to the release. The Hall of Fame Board is also introducing a new award, called the “Impact on Big Country Athletics” Award, which will go to someone who made a significant impact on the Big Country, but do not qualify for the hall through coaching or playing. The award will go to Greathouse.

The tickets for the banquet are $65 each and a table of 10 can be purchased for $800, which includes the V.I.P reception, according to the release. A portion of the money made from table sponsorships will go to the college scholarship endowment. The Hall will award 12 $1,000 college scholarships to graduating senior athletes of the Big Country. After this year, the Hall of Fame’s total contribution to scholarships will total $77,000.