At most high school games, you remember the players, the buzzer-beater shots, the crazy touchdowns, all the student section chaos- but if you were at Lake Forest High School between 2016 and 2020, there’s a good chance you remember something else: the Voice. The voice of the game: confident, bright, and full of energy, Connor Clark wasn’t just a student with the mic; he was the sound of LFHS sports.
Now, 5 years later, Clark is still behind the mic, just with a much bigger audience.
From a young age, Clark was drawn to sports, not just playing them but understanding them and telling the stories behind them.
“I used to walk around the house announcing games to myself, ” he said. “My parents probably thought I was a little crazy.”
That early passion turned into real experiences at LFHS, where he worked with the New Media program and quickly became a staple on the mic. He broadcasted football games on Friday nights, covered basketball all winter, and even called baseball games when spring rolled around.
“I owe so much to Mr. Pulio and Mr. Wanninger. They gave me the tools and the trust to take it seriously,” Clark said.
After graduating, Clark took his talents to the University of Nebraska. However, the start was anything but normal, with games being watched from a TV screen in the journalism school instead of in person. Connor made the most of it by the time he was a junior, he was calling major games, including the legendary Nebraska vs. Oklahoma football rivalry.
His senior year he leaned heavily into his biggest passion of basketball. That season alone Clark called around 30 men’s and women’s basketball games. All of that time on air paid off as he won an award from the Broadcasting Education Association for best sports program for his coverage of the Nebraska vs. Michigan State game, not bad for someone who once picked up a mic just to stay involved.
Connor also got real world experience beyond the classroom. He worked three seasons with the Lincoln Saltdogs, a minor league baseball team, spending two years as assistant broadcaster before taking over the full-time role in 2024. The work wasn’t easy…he called a hundred games in 115 days but the job “helped him grow tremendously.”
Now, Clark’s voice can be heard at Oral Roberts University, where he serves as the play-by-play announcer for men’s basketball and baseball. He has also taken on the role of sports information director for the baseball team, handling everything from press releases to media interviews.
When asked how he keeps improving in such a competitive industry, his answer is simple, “just like how athletes watch game film, I listen back to a ton of my broadcasts.”
He continues to send his work to professionals in the industry, people who have worked in the NBA, NFL, and other major sports leagues, for feedback and growth.
His advice for LFHS students who think about going into sports media is to “throw yourself into the fire,” Clark said.
“The first game I did at LFHS, I had little to no idea what I was doing, but I learned a ton from that experience. You will make plenty of mistakes, and that’s good, you’re supposed to. It’s how you learn and improve from those mistakes that makes you good.”
From the stands at Lake Forest to packed college stadiums and beyond, Connor Clark has proved that a headset, a passion for storytelling, and a whole lot of hustle can take you far.
