Whenever you were in a press box with Barry Morgan, you knew there would be something good from Bell’s Meats in Kane.
Hopefully, there’s a Bell’s Meats in Heaven.
Morgan the beloved District 9 radio personality died at a Pittsburgh hospital Friday afternoon.
Morgan called some of the biggest games in District 9 history over the past 33-plus seasons including Elk County Catholic’s PIAA basketball title in 2006 and Johnsonburg’s PIAA baseball championship in 2013.
He also called Smethport football during its heyday from 1989-96, including the 1992 PIAA Class 1A Championship game.
But what made Morgan special was he could take a game at Ridgway High School in mid-January and make it seem as important as a game in mid-March at a sold-out Tippin Gym broadcasting from one of the wrestling press boxes that hung over the court at the old Tippin – not an easy place to call a game from.
“He loved sports and he loved to see the competition on the field, court, etc.,” JJ Michaels, who was partnered with Morgan at The Hound and who Michaels credits for everything he has done in his life in radio. “He loved to see the kids giving their all and loved to give the recognition for them giving their all. He was always one to congratulate a great effort. He loved to see a guts performance, a kid giving it their all. He thought the world of anyone who did that.
“Most importantly, he wanted to give back to the community. He was a big force behind what happened in Kane in sports over the years. The lights at Miller Stadium, he had a lot to do with that. He did a lot of things with basketball at Kane.”
Starting his radio career in 1988, Morgan worked for three different area radio stations, including WLMI in Kane, WESB-WBRR in Bradford, and the last 14 years, since 2008, at “The Hound”, WDDH, 97.5 FM in Ridgway. Morgan told the Bradford Era in a 2020 story that he estimated at the time that he had called around 2,500 games.
“I have to thank all of the station owners like Denny Heindl (at The Hound) that let me do games whenever I wanted,” Morgan told The Era at the time. “When the game is over I can go home. I don’t have to hear from parents about their kids not getting in the game or write something for the newspaper.
“It’s been a great experience and it’s been a whole lot of fun.”
In addition to his on-air broadcasting responsibilities at The Hound, Morgan was also the station manager, sold advertising, and recorded hundreds if not 1,000s of commercials over the years.
A Kane High School graduate, Morgan wasn’t always a broadcaster or in radio.
At one time Morgan sold insurance in Sheffield, ran an afterschool program at the Ruth M. Smith Home in Sheffield, and also had two different stints coaching basketball at Kane High School.
He was the head boys’ basketball coach for the Wolves from 1988-91 and was the JV coach from 1995-2001 helping the team to D9 titles in 98, 99, 2000, and a second-place finish in 2001 when the team beat Farrell in the first round of the PIAA playoffs.
In addition to his media work, Morgan was a certified lay speaker and enjoyed doing church services in Kane, Wilcox, and Mount Jewett areas when needed.
Morgan is survived by his wife Shirley, children Brandy, Hillary, and Jim, and nine grandchildren.
Arrangements are pending and will be announced soon.
Editor’s note – An earlier version of this story listed an incorrect hospital that Morgan died in
