IHSAA wrestling: State finals PA announcer Kevin Whitehead retires - IndyStar

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"His voice is like none other. He has made this sport in Indiana so much better. It's synonymous with the state championships and we all owe Kevin a great deal of gratitude."

INDIANAPOLIS – Kevin Whitehead is sitting in the media room at Gainbridge Fieldhouse about four hours from the start of the 85th annual IHSAA state wrestling championships.

He's going over a packet containing information and pronunciations of all the wrestlers set to compete under the illustrious spotlight of wrestling's biggest stage. That packet has grown a lot over the years, 42 years to be exact.

Whitehead began his involvement with the state wrestling tournament as a scorekeeper before taking over as the full-time announcer in 1983. Whitehead, a former wrestler at Franklin Central, wanted a way to make the matches more personal. He wanted a way to add more flair to the tournament while better highlighting the wrestlers who worked so hard to reach the championship. So he started going around to each wrestler, collecting records, college commitments and other important accolades that tells the story of who these wrestlers are.

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"I felt like it was something that the kids deserved," Whitehead said. "I had been a wrestler myself and knew what it meant to reach that level of the tournament, to achieve that kind of success. I just felt like the traditional faceoff — having one row of kids on one side of the mat, one row of kids on the other, calling off names and schools — didn't do justice to what they had achieved.

"So I had the inclination to get out there on the mat, get some information and thought the fans would like it, the wrestlers deserve it. That's how it happened."

Forty-two years later, Whitehead called his final state wrestling tournament Saturday.

The longtime announcer loves to punch up multi-syllable names and schools, as his familiar cadence rings out through Gainbridge once the lights dim and the wrestlers take their places for the pre-tournament introductions.

"Representing the TRO-JANS of CEN-TER GROVE HIGH SCHOOL," Whitehead says over the loudspeaker, holding for applause before resuming the introduction of eventual 113-pound champion Charlie LaRocca.

Whitehead's announcing style gives a Las Vegas prize fighting element to the state finals. The wrestlers take their place on the mat for introductions, then they're greeted by their coaches. The wrestlers are displayed on the massive overhead video board, some stoic, some bobbing up and down like a prize fighter as Whitehead reads their biographies. Fans, wrestlers, coaches and colleagues alike love the drama Whitehead brings to the tournament.

"He's brought excitement. He's generated enthusiasm. He captures the moment of a great victory, and he keeps things moving so well," longtime former Evansville Mater Dei wrestling coach and current IHSAA TV broadcaster Mike Goebel said. "His voice is like none other. He has made this sport in Indiana so much better. It's synonymous with the state championships and we all owe Kevin a great deal of gratitude."

Whitehead never planned to announce for 42 years. He just wanted to provide a service to the sport he loves. The Kentucky resident is leaving because he feels like it's the right time. The last time he viewed a state tournament as a spectator was when the tournament was still hosted at Southport. He's watched the sport grow in popularity with powerhouse programs and wrestling academies increasing over time. Girls wrestling has also started to grow with its own state tournament as well.

One year from now, Whitehead will likely be a spectator once again, but his title as the "voice of Indiana wrestling," is something he'll cherish forever.

"It's humbling. It's flattering. It's something that I don't take for granted," he said. "It's special because the wrestling community in Indiana is so tightly knit. ... For Indiana wrestling to have its own voice, whether it was me or anyone else, was kind of a special thing because it gave our sport an identity and something to kind of wrap itself around and cling to. So it's a great honor."