Communiqué
“Hardwood Heroes” is returning to WOUB
< < Back toThe eight-episode season starts January 16
ATHENS, OH – Attention southeast Ohio high school basketball fans, after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hardwood Heroes (HH) returns to WOUB’s airwaves Sunday, January 16 at 11 p.m.
“I think I speak for the entire staff when I say we are thrilled to bring back Hardwood Heroes after the pandemic-induced hiatus,” said HH Student Producer Dylan Theisen. “Because this is the first time that WOUB has covered the TVC in two years, fans can expect to see a lot of new faces, not only with the players, but also our team of reporters. We have an incredibly talented young group that’s eager to take their unique approaches to storytelling in southeast Ohio.”
“The show is largely managed and produced by Ohio University students,” said WOUB Director of Student Development Michael Rodriguez. “Because we had a limited number of students permitted on campus last winter for safety reasons, we couldn’t produce the show.”
HH Host Jack Demmler is excited for the show’s return and the opportunity to bring unique high school basketball coverage to the people of southeast Ohio.
“These basketball teams don’t get a ton of coverage due to the rural nature of the region, and I think it’s important for these families to be able to turn on the TV and see their child play and hear their child’s name called,” said Demmler.
Hardwood Heroes is a 30-minute high school basketball program that will air each Sunday night at 11 p.m. and repeat on Mondays at 6 p.m. for eight weeks. The program will cover all teams in the Tri-Valley Conference (TVC) with eight boys and girls teams getting in-depth multi-media coverage each week. More than 60 games were showcased during the 2019 season, including playoffs. Students produce mid-week video recaps of games, game breakdowns, engage fans on social media platforms, and write articles focusing on analysis of the games or community features.
“This year we are adding a new segment called Beyond the Court,” said Theisen. “Each Beyond the Court segment will spotlight one Tri-Valley Conference school and tell that community’s story beyond just their teams’ performance on the hardwood. We want to share the unique qualities that make each school special — whether those be traditions that go back decades, or a recent development in southeast Ohio’s uniquely passionate communities.”
Full episodes of programs from this season can also be viewed on WOUB’s YouTube page. Show content can also be found at woub.org/heroes .