BY SARAH STEPHENS
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS OWNER
A talented veteran sportswriter and an excellent photographer have joined forces creating Central Alabama Scoreboard, a website and internet presence that will focus on young athletes and their games in our area.
Grif Pritchard, of Tallassee, has been a sportswriter for 20 years, while Brian Tannehill, of Wetumpka, has been honing his photography craft and covering local games for several years.
The two had talked many times about branching out on their own to cover in depth sports stories, scores, games and the amazing talented youth that hail from our area. In just the last week, their website and internet presence has gained momentum. The Elmore/Autauga News is proud to support this new venture and will also be sharing their posts to our page.
Personally, I have known both of these guys for many years, and I respect their work individually. In essence, they want to do with sports what we try to do with local news. Focus on community and local stories that may not always get the coverage from other media sources.
Since the EAN was created in 2015, we have had a very difficult time covering sports in our area. Hopefully by supporting their efforts and sharing their stories, our readers will also enjoy local sports coverage. There is a special talent that comes with covering sports that I have never attained. It has been sorely missing from our coverage for the EAN. So, this is an effort we can definitely support and help promote.
As for Pritchard, who will be the primary writer for Central Alabama Scoreboard, he feels the new site can really make an impact in a very positive way. He hopes to give more recognition to talented athletes in our area, that may not always get the coverage that could help them with scholarships down the road.
But he fought it, he admits. After years in the news business, and feeling a bit burned out with the way most media companies are run these days, he took a break. He has a full-time public relations job he enjoys, and will keep. But he has seen the need for better sports coverage.
As for Tannehill, he owns his own photography company, and also has a full-time job. But this will be more than just a hobby. It is a passion they both share, and they have been reaching out to area schools, coaches, and athletic directors. So far the response back has been phenomenal and there is a lot of excitement.
“I would love to see more continuity in sports coverage,” Tannehill said. “There have been multiple sports writers that have flowed through different media groups in just the few years I have been shooting games.”
Both agreed it is about building stable relationships with area schools, becoming a trusted source for fair and accurate reporting of area sports, and simply working to support the youth and area programs.
You will be able to follow their progress on our Facebook page and website. But you can also follow them directly on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and TikTok under Central Alabama Scoreboard.
Down the road the two would like to be able to add more writers/photographers to the site, with interns and freelancers. Both also would like to help mentor future sports writers and photographers.
To begin, the coverage for our area will primarily be Elmore County, but other schools are welcome to send in articles, photos and scores. Grif and Brian can be reached at cascoreboard@gmail.com.
We wish Grif and Brian the best of luck in this much-needed endeavor in our area. Visit their Facebook page and give them some likes and love under Central Alabama Scoreboard.
