The Friday night lights will shine even brighter on Oxbridge Academy this football season. The new, independent high school in West Palm Beach has announced that ESPN 106.3 FM will be the school’s broadcast partner for all home and away games for the next two years. ESPN West Palm’s Jeremy Marks-Peltz will announce the play-by-play action for the Friday night radio broadcasts alongside Jimmie Bell, who will provide color commentary.
“This is the Thunderwolves’ debut appearance in the varsity high school sports arena, and we’re delighted to have ESPN 106.3 as a partner to broadcast all the action,” said Robert C. Parsons, president and CEO of Oxbridge Academy. “Oxbridge has built a very strong football program in just two years, and we’re ready to give our talented players time in the spotlight.”
Oxbridge Academy will play its first varsity schedule in the newly created Gulf Atlantic Football Conference, a 10-team independent league, and plans to enter a Florida High School Athletic Association district in 2015. This season’s first home game will be played on Sept. 6 versus North Broward Prep.
“Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast is a breeding ground for high school football players, and it’s such a compelling topic of conversation both on and off the air,” said Evan Cohen, afternoon drive host on ESPN 106.3. “We are excited to have the opportunity to partner with Oxbridge Academy and share with the community a great local story of the growth of high school football in our backyard.”
The partnership with Oxbridge Academy will allow the station an inside look as the school builds a foundation for its football program, noted ESPN West Palm General Manager Steve Politziner. “Our fans have always supported our high school football content, and this partnership will allow us to continue to expand our coverage, particularly of a program that begins the season with big goals ahead of them,” he said. “We’re looking forward to continuing to bring more high school football to the sports fans of Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast.”
The Oxbridge Thunderwolves’ inaugural season will open in a new, 1,500-seat stadium complete with a regulation-size field covered in the same synthetic turf used in Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills. The stadium is part of a multimillion-dollar effort to enhance and improve the school’s athletic facilities. Other campus renovations included upgrading the weight room equipment, re-claying the softball field, resurfacing the tennis courts and jogging track, enhancing the swimming pool, and installing retractable bleachers and baskets in the gymnasium.
The athletic program at Oxbridge Academy complements the school’s overall mission and vision to provide a life-defining educational experience. The school views athletic competition as a microcosm of life in which the challenges and obstacles faced by student-athletes on the playing field help prepare them to succeed and meet the challenges they will encounter in life. The school currently offers 26 athletic teams and clubs ranging from basketball to fencing to sailing. Approximately 85 percent of the student body participates in an athletic program.
For more information about the school, call (561) 972-9600 or visit www.oapb.org.
