LU notes: Duffie set to hang up mic

When Jim Duffie began his run announcing Liberty football games, the school was still bussing students from campus to City Stadium on Saturday afternoons. Plenty has changed since then. The Flames moved to Division I. The school built an on-campus stadium.

And after LCA’s season ends, the press box in which Duffie has announced from for the last 20 years will be destroyed to make way for a new, multi-level press box.

It’s safe to say Duffie has seen Liberty football evolve over the years. And after 28 years of announcing games for the Flames, the 73-year-old Duffie has decided to hang his microphone up for good. Saturday’s home finale against VMI was Duffie’s final game.

“It’s been a great ride,” he said Saturday.

Duffie began his career as a radio play-by-play man, calling high school football games. In 1970, he became the P.A. announcer for the Lynchburg Baseball Corporation, announcing minor-league games at City Stadium. A good friend of the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, Duffie began working at Liberty in 1982. He only missed three games—two in 1984 while recovering from heart surgery and this year’s James Madison game.

“I woke up sick in the morning for that one,” he said.

In Duffie’s tenure, he’s seen five head coaches come through—Tom Dowling, Morgan Hout, Sam Rutigliano, Ken Karcher and Danny Rocco. Duffie has worked with one spotter during the entire 28-year tenure, Nelson “Flip” Gibson.

A lifelong North Carolina basketball fan, Duffie and his wife work as ushers at the Dean Smith Center during UNC home games. Duffie plans to spend time next season in the stands at Williams Stadium, as a new P.A. announcer works out of a control room that will bear Duffie’s name.

Said Duffie: “I’ve never had anything named after me before. It kind of took me by surprise.”

Welcome home

VMI’s Trae Watkins, a VES graduate, made his first appearance at Williams Stadium since his prep days.

Watkins, a sophomore safety, set a career high with 11 tackles Saturday. He was one of two Keydets to break their career highs in the category. Bryon Allen, another safety, made 17 tackles, the most by a Big South player this season, breaking his previous career best of 12.

Watkins’ previous career high was nine stops, set earlier this season at Richmond.

Making the most

Rocco has made a point of developing the depth on his roster. Aaron Hewlett is a perfect example of that depth.

Hewlett, a redshirt senior who transferred from Concord University in West Virginia and walked on to Liberty’s team as a junior, made one of the game’s biggest plays Saturday, answering VMI’s first touchdown drive with an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, Liberty’s first kick return TD this season.

The Keydets kicked away from Liberty’s Mike Brown on that play, and the speedy Hewlett dashed through “the biggest hole I’ve ever seen” and ran nearly untouched down the VMI sideline for the score.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to go in when called,” Hewlett said. “My whole thing was being patient. My mom always told me to just be patient and have faith in God. … I just knew when they called my name, I was going to be ready. That’s the only thing I can do.”

Extra points

Chad Brown led Liberty with nine tackles. … Terry Adams had eight stops, including 2 ½ tackles for loss. He also forced and recovered a fumble. … In three Big South home games, the Flames averaged 55.7 points per game. … Liberty kicker Matt Bevins tied a school record with four made field goals (42, 38, 40, 43). Bevins also made four field goals against Elon last season. Phillip Harrelson also kicked four field goals in a game in 1997.