Meet the Unofficial Voice of South River Athletics

Standing at 6 feet 9 inches tall, John Mattingly is a hard guy to miss. But when it comes to his largest contribution at South River High, it’s not his stature that beckons recognition—it’s his voice.

Mattingly has become the unofficial voice of South River athletics as the primary announcer for some of the Seahawks’ teams, including football, basketball and lacrosse.

The father of three boys and one daughter, Mattingly began announcing lacrosse games for the Seahawks almost 14 years ago. After his daughter graduated in 2008, he was invited to continue announcing by South River’s principal William Myers, and he’s been doing it ever since.

One of his favorite parts of announcing is providing an additional element to the game.

“When you can add a little emphasis to the score, to the basket, to the feed, that’s very satisfying,” Mattingly said.

Mattingly, who has lived in south county for 20 years, works as an international patent attorney in Alexandria, VA, but he makes every game at the high school.

“He’s the voice of South River sports,” said Steve Johnson, a longtime photographer of South River athletics.

Mattingly doesn’t work for, or get paid by, the school. He does it because he loves supporting the community and helping the kids feel like they’re in a big game atmosphere. Although the 54-year-old’s voice is the only one sports fans hear at South River, his involvement and performance is a joint effort. Mattingly said he couldn’t do it without longtime friend, Norman Gregory.

“Every year we ask each other if the other one is doing it and we always say, ‘See you at the start of the season,’” Mattingly said.

While Mattingly announces the lineups and scoring plays, Gregory works as his assistant, managing the scoreboard and keeping track of scores.

“I just like being with John,” Gregory said. “We have the same sense of humor. It’s a blast to work together.”

His task becomes increasingly difficult during football and lacrosse, where he uses binoculars to track statistics, Mattingly said.

One of the more unique aspects of Mattingly’s work during sporting events involves the music. Depending on the flow of the game, Mattingly chooses songs popular among high school students by artists such as Miley Cyrus, Jay-Z and Rhianna.

“If the Black Eyed Peas are going to help get things going, that’s what I’m going to play. I’ve seen Coldplay, Jay-Z and Kanye West in the past year. It’s part of my job. It’s research,” Mattingly said with a smirk on his face.

After taking a class or two to increase his announcing skills, Mattingly said he’s happy with keeping things simple at sporting events and feels his role is to simply add to the atmosphere.

When asked how long he plans to announce at South River, Mattingly was optimistic.

“I travel to Japan frequently for work but I try to only go between football, basketball and lacrosse season,” he said. “So far, it’s been pretty good.”

It seems as long as time allows, Mattingly’s booming baritone will continue to echo throughout South River’s court and stadium for years to come. 

How does John Mattingly add to the game? Comment below.