Larry Sells Celebrates 20 Years As The Voice Of The Falcons

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It was an ordinary night for Larry Sells in the Severna Park High School press box on October 22 when he was called down to the field for an emergency by the athletic booster president, Kate Elliott, and former president, Patrick Kilpatrick. When he arrived at the gate, he was pulled onto the field and congratulated over the loudspeaker for completing his 20th season as the announcer for the Severna Park Falcons football team.

“That was such a shock to me,” Sells said. “I couldn't believe it.”

Sells volunteered to become the announcer in 2001 at a preseason football picnic. At the time, his sons, Tommy and David, were involved in the football program and Sells had experience in broadcast media, so he thought it would be fun. Twenty years later, all of Sells’ children have graduated and he has continued to announce simply because he loves doing it.

“I'm on the 50-yard line,” Sells said. “When it's cold, it's heated there. When it's hot, it's air conditioned there. When it's raining, I'm dry. What's not to like?”

The community has rallied around Sells as the voice of the Falcons. Many people have even told Sells that they know it’s football season when they hear his signature saying, “That’s another Falcons first down.” The saying originates from a tough season where the Falcons were playing teams with almost undefeated records. He wanted to find a way to involve the crowd.

“I wanted to try to give some energy when they did something good,” Sells said. “And that's how that started. The crowd would roar.”

Sells said he is not in the box alone. Over the years, he has had a series of spotters who stand in the box with him, including Dave Ferris, Cynthia Price and Leo Latonick. This football season, Severna Park varsity baseball coach Eric Milton was his second pair of eyes.

“There's a flow of information, but there's a pattern to it,” Sells said. “I have the ball and Eric has the tacklers.”

Sells said he has seen a lot of improvements over the years in not only the football program but the field as well. Before the old field was demolished during the school’s construction, Sells recalled the unfortunate placement of his press box.

“The press box on the old field was on the visitor side, so I was in enemy territory,” Sells said. “I've got that saying and the opposing team did not always get so excited.”

Before the new field was ready in 2018, Sells announced for Severna Park at other county schools.

After a tough 2020 season, Sells said it was great to be back for this season, especially because the Falcons made a historic playoff run.

“The last time they were in the playoffs was 2008,” Sells said. “That was the year they beat Old Mill in a playoff game. My son was on that team.”

While all of Sells’ memories are positive at Severna Park, playoff seasons are by far his favorite.

“Playoffs are the best,” Sells said. “Those are the best memories, and you know, just watching the team come together and stuff is my favorite thing.”

In the spring, Sells will also celebrate his 20th season announcing for Severna Park baseball. One of the proudest moments of Sells’ announcing career is watching Jackson Merrill, who was drafted with the 27th overall pick in the 2021 Major League Baseball draft by the San Diego Padres, throughout his high school career.

“Jackson Merrill was unlike anything I've ever seen,” Sells said. “Severna Park High School was like a minor league baseball park. There were at least 40 pro scouts at every game.”

Other special memories include watching his son play and celebrating many playoff runs with the baseball team.

“I was announcing in 2003 when Severna Park won their first ever school state championship in baseball in 2003,” Sells said. “My son was on the team.”

Aside from announcing, Sells has been working with the athletic boosters for years. He was the president from 2005 to 2009, he was inducted into the Severna Park High School Athletic Hall of Fame, and he currently is on the board and uses his sales expertise to secure sponsorships for the boosters. He has even stepped in to announce field hockey and basketball games when requested. Sells said he has no plan to stop announcing or working with the athletic boosters. As long as they will have him and he enjoys doing it, he will be in the press box supporting the Falcons every step of the way.

“I’m pretty sure it's appreciated because I hear from everybody that they’re glad that I do what I do,” Sells said. “And it's nice to hear when people say, ‘Hey, here comes the voice of the Falcons.’”

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