Longtime Yellowjacket play-by-play announcer stepping away from the mic

Lindell Staggs, the longtime play-by-play announcer for the Wynne Yellowjackets, announced Monday that the 2122 prep season will be his last year broadcasting Yellowjacket as well as Cross County sports and St. Francis County sports when Forrest City teams were involved.

Staggs, news and sports director at East Arkansas Broadcasters in Wynne since 1985, has broadcast well over 1,500 sporting events during his 45-year career, including 449 Wynne Yellowjacket football broadcasts.

Staggs started his career in 1977 at KHIG in Paragould. His very first sports broadcast was a basketball game between Greene County Tech (led by Coach Tommy Fowler) and Paragould (led by Coach Barry Pruitt).

Moving to Wynne in 1982, Staggs became “The Voice of the Yellowjackets” and began a legendary run broadcasting sports, including 471 total football games, 19 state championship games, six football, eight basketball, three softball, and two baseball, most of those broadcasts for KWYN, one of Arkansas' original AM radio stations.

Stagg has also been behind the mic calling close to 1,000 girls and boys basketball games, high school softball and baseball games, summer league softball and baseball games, two state basketball tournaments, two state baseball tournaments, and several Cross County Thunderbird and Parkin Tiger football and basketball games.

Staggs has called most of the Forrest City/Wynne rivalry games in all of the school's prep sports, especially football and basketball.

Staggs missed only one Yellowjacket football broadcast in the last 40 years, for a very good reason. It was the night of his wedding rehearsal to his wife, Melissa, during the 1999 football season.

“I cannot begin to express how thankful I am to have the privilege to serve as the radio voice of the Yellowjackets for the last 40 years,' Staggs said. "What a blessing the relationships that I have forged throughout my sports career have been, with coaches, athletes, and other media professionals. I will never forget the experiences and enjoyment it has brought me. I cannot adequately express enough thanks to Bobby Caldwell and the entire staff at KWYN for putting their trust in me, to the Wynne School District for their undying support, to Wynne sports fans for their faithfulness to me, and, lastly, to David Ramsey, my stats partner since 1989, for his loyalty to me. I firmly believe that the teamwork between David, myself, and the crew at KWYN on game night makes a difference in the quality of the sports broadcast for our listening audience. I will remain in my role as part-time news director.”

Staggs' last Yellowjacket basketball, softball and baseball broadcasts will come during the current 2022 season, and his final football broadcasts will be during the upcoming 2022 season.