I had the opportunity to co-host a high school show on local radio years ago with Chris Diuguid, who I’ve seen on the sidelines the last couple of years as an assistant football coach for the Williston Red Devils.
The program aired in both Gainesville and Ocala and was streamed online.
The show eventually was named, “The Prep Zone,” following the launch of The Prep Zone website, and it made its debut during the 2006-07 school year from noon to 1 p.m. on what used to be ESPN Radio (900 AM and 1230 AM) on Florida Sports Talk.
Although the station signed off the air after COVID-19, the show has endured, even during the pandemic.
My co-host, Marty Pallman, has been along for the ride since 2011 when we launched onsite at Sonic Drive-In on 39th Avenue in Gainesville, which included everything from state champions, like Trenton softball this past May, to baseball superstitions, like a lone white cow.
For a brief period, we broadcast one show from Gainesville and one show from Ocala each week.
Because we are outside on the patio for the show, I always remember the night we had an Ocala prep team on with a wind chill in the 20s.
But no matter the location or the weather, the program has always featured interviews with local coaches and athletes and Sonic has always fed all varsity coaches and players who were able to attend.
It’s hard to believe this is our 14th year hosting the weekly show at locally owned Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville. It’s been a great relationship.
“Mike and Marty have been great partners for over a decade now,” said Sonic Drive-In Supervising Partner Andy Brophy. “The Prep Zone show, hosted at Sonic, has been a huge success for everyone involved. It gives us the opportunity to introduce Sonic by feeding hungry athletes from an eclectic variety of sports. It’s also rewarding to see the excitement and teamwork as these athletes are exemplified for their achievements live on air. They are tremendous supporters of high school athletes and sports, and we are privileged to be a part of the great work they are doing in our communities.”
The show is back for another year in 2024-25 and will run through May, except this time we host shows from their new location on Archer Road too.
Our first show is tonight from 7-8 p.m. and features Joshua Wilson of FloridaHSfootball.com. It will include a preview of high school football in the area this year.
“I’m looking forward to kicking off another high school football season this Friday night,” said Pallman, who handles play-by-play for Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) football. “It’s always a long offseason, but it’s finally game week. It should be another exciting season, with teams like Hawthorne and Buchholz contending for state titles. Also, Newberry will make some noise as well as they move up to 2A.”
Pallman and Wilson co-host a football show covering the area called, “The North Florida Blitz,” from 8:30-9:15 p.m. on Tuesday nights, as well as other targeted programs.
The three of us will originate “The Prep Zone” sports show on Wednesday night from Sonic Drive-In on Archer Road, marking the first time we have broadcast the program from their newest location.
You can listen to the show live online at Mainstreet Daily News. All shows will also be ‘archived’ so if you miss them you can go back and listen to them in their entirety.