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J.R. Carroll was one of one, a true character, a masterful storyteller and one of the most knowledgeable people I’ve met when it came to the history of Murphy, Cherokee County and local sports.
When I started at the Cherokee Scout in January 2024, J.R. was one of the most helpful people who helped me get settled here. The first game I covered was Murphy High School basketball. J.R. introduced me to Murphy athletic director Joseph Watson, as well as Bulldogs head coaches Gary Thompson and then-boys basketball head coach and current girls assistant basketball coach Erik Laney.
He also introduced me to Andrews High School athletic director Frank Maennle, as well as his son and boys basketball coach Matt Maennle. Through J.R., I also met April McNabb in Hiwassee Dam.
I will be forever grateful for the people he introduced me to here and for helping me kick-start my sports coverage here.
J.R. showed me that the teams he and I covered (and that he announced for) aren’t just teams of high schoolers and coaches. They can be like family, too.
When I got to interview him for an article we did on Murphy naming the press box at the Bulldogs’ football stadium after him, I remember how much it meant to him – not just the honor, but that Murphy and the surrounding community meant the world to him.
I encourage you to read the article in the Oct. 23, 2024, edition of the Scout to hear just how much it meant in his own words.
At the Scout’s weekly news meetings, J.R. always had stories and anecdotes on everything from sports to county commissioner items and just about everything in between. His stories were always funny, brutally honest and highly detailed. Our meetings will not be the same without him.
He loved his family and was incredibly proud of his children. I remember him telling us about when Ray, or “Tweety,” got a position with FEMA, and how proud he was for him earning such an incredible job.
Heaven gained their football announcer last week. “First and 10, Bulldogs” will forever ring loud and proud.
J.R., thank you for everything you did for me, the Scout, Murphy High, Bulldogs football and the community. You are an irreplaceable icon and will be greatly missed by everyone, especially – as he called it – the “Bulldog family.”
Cannon Crompton is sports editor of the Cherokee Scout. Call him at 828-837-5122, Ext. 106, or email sports@cherokeescout.com.