Way up in the grandstand at Lake Forest’s Varsity Field sits one of the best kept secrets LFHS has to offer. Dressed from head to toe in Scouts gear with his headset wrapped around his neck, Junior Connor Clark is rearing and ready to go. 

     Clark has spent the past two years working tirelessly to perfect his craft and make sure all home football and basketball games are broadcast live on the NFHS Network. He does a little bit of everything when it comes to broadcasting; play-by-play is his self-proclaimed specialty, but he also has experience with some color commentating and studio work.  

     “Enthusiasm and work ethic,” local journalist Jon Kerr said of Clark.

     Clark knows how to effectively prepare and that’s the main reason as to why he has been so successful these past two years broadcasting.

     While Clark’s diligence may be concealed to most at the high school, Shaw and Kerr have both spent more than enough time with Clark to see just how talented and dedicated he truly is.   

     “The guy works hard when it comes to his prep for the games. He’s able to be very complementary to both teams while playing along with my humor during the broadcasts,” Clark’s partner AJ Shaw said.

     Preparation is the name of the game in broadcasting, something Clark knows very well.

     “I already know a lot about Lake Forest’s teams but I usually have to look at a variety of different websites to try and dig up as much information as I can about whoever the Scouts are playing,” Clark said.

     This is not an easy task, especially for high school sports where many teams’ stats are almost impossible to find on the internet. Clark, however, has consistently worked around this bringing whatever tidbits of information he can find to his broadcasts and as a result, creating memorable and engaging experiences for all of his listeners.

     Kerr, a long time professional sports journalist, has been especially impressed and taken back by Clark’s breadth of sports knowledge for his age. An ongoing joke between the two has been Clark’s passion for both DePaul and Northwestern basketball (two mediocre programs at the moment). A Michigan State grad himself, Kerr always looks forward to basketball season where he can pester Clark with his “Go Green, Go White” chants.  

     This lighthearted side of Connor is another aspect that has further defined his on-air personality.  Shaw was more than willing to give some insight into a few of their more commonly used phrases on air. These include: “too much butter on the popcorn,” “gets the toilet bowl roll,” and “too much bbq sauce on the ribs.” Clearly, the talented duo like to enjoy themselves while broadcasting. The convivial nature of their broadcasts and personalities have played a main role in their tremendous success up to this point.

     However, Clark’s venture into broadcasting didn’t exactly have the most satisfying start. On the last day of freshman basketball tryouts, Connor got some pretty disappointing news that he wasn’t exactly expecting. “I decided to try out for the basketball team, and I didn’t make it,” Clark said.

     It’s never easy to hear the two gut wrenching words of “you’re cut,” but Clark took those ever so bitter lemons and turned them into the sweetest lemonade. Clark knew just how strong his love for basketball was so he became very proactive in searching for opportunities to stay connected to the sport.

     “I immediately emailed Coach Lascala asking about opportunities or ways in which I could stay connected to the sport. He put me in touch with New Media teacher Mr. Douglass and the rest is just sort of history,” Clark said.  

     Looking back at it now, maybe it was a sign pointing Connor in the direction he was supposed to go. Without that experience freshman year, who knows if Clark would have fully discovered his niche. More comfortable now than ever, Clark and Shaw’s broadcasts run like a well-oiled machine.

     “If you love what you do, you never have a bad day. If Connor remains passionate about broadcasting, he’ll never have a bad day,” Kerr said. Fortunately for Clark and students at LFHS, not only is the passion still there, so is the talent. And not only is it present, it’s abundant.  

     As Clark begins to refine and mold his own broadcasting personality, his aptitude and capability will only improve. Thanks to his determined effort and love for the game, the sky is the the limit for Clark so look out Dick Vitale and Kirk Herbstreit, Connor Clark is on his way.