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Moaks form 'Cougariffic' duo
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| By ADAM NORTHAM, DAILY LEADER Staff Writer |
November 02, 2009 |
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It's doubtful that scientists and historians will ever study the Cougariffic Index.
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But Brookhaven Academy's sports loving father-son duo of Dr. Ed and Edward Moak are learned practitioners of this highly localized social science.
As defined by the doctor, the academy's sports announcer for 11 years running, the Cougariffic Index is measured when "the flow of a sporting event is clearly going BA's way, the number of times one says 'Cougariffic' increases."
As defined by Edward, the school's five-year veteran mascot, data on the index is recorded when "everybody's going and into the game."
And so, though a mysterious and intangible study, the Cougariffic Index is promoted by father and son from two very different disciplines of the science - the doctor and his broadcasts, keeping the crowd up on the action with clear, informative announcing; the son and his stuffy Cougar suit, spiriting up the kids and urging the crowd to stand up and be heard.
"It's true at most schools but especially true here - there's a culture where everyone wants to do as much as they can to support BA with whatever skills they can utilize," Ed said. "We can all contribute in different ways. For my function, my role is from the traditional journalism/information side, while Edward's is from the entertainment side, which serves to enhance the global value of our sporting events."
For the doctor, his tenure as the academy's sports announcer began 11 years ago when the first of his three children began participating in school sports. He began as the No. 2 man alongside current Lincoln County Chancery Clerk Tillmon Bishop and called junior high sporting events.
As his children moved through the school, Ed moved with them. He called junior high sports for seven years and is now on his fourth year of being the undisputed Voice of the Cougars, the one-man broadcast analyst for high school football, basketball and baseball; the postgame radio reporter; and the master of ceremonies for various academy events.
Ed's style of announcing changes with the Cougariffic Index. Broadcasts begin with calm, reserved reporting of the play-by-play, and as the boys on the field or the girls on the diamond begin to take charge of the game, his voice intensifies and his style gets rowdy. The success of the Cougar football team has resulted in much rowdiness in 2009.
"It's an athletic competition, but it entails an entertainment value," Ed said. "The first word in the initials of ESPN is 'entertainment.'"
Entertainment is the primary of focus of Edward in his mascot duties, though his role may be more of a challenge than his father's.
While the doctor arrives at the game an hour before kickoff and makes ready on the radio, Edward's game day begins at 7:30 a.m. with face painting for the academy's younger grades. And his job only intensifies with the coming of night, stomping and jigging around the stadium in his heavy suit.
But Edward's got the goods. His father attributes his attraction to the role to his background in entertainment. The young Moak has been a member of the Focus Show Choir, the Studio Men and is a regular performer for the Brookhaven Little Theatre. His work in song and dance goes back seven years, when he was 10.
"I've always felt drawn to it," Edward said of his performance hobbies. "You can be somebody else, you don't have to be you all the time. You can try out something different."
There wasn't always a Cougar mascot at BA, Edward said. While playing on the junior high football team, which held its pep rallies on Thursdays, he noticed there was an unfulfilled role for Friday's varsity pep rallies.
"I decided we should have a mascot," he said. "I had been in games here and went to games at (Louisiana State University) and thought, 'You know what, where's our mascot?' The first year was a lot of learning, but I couldn't give it up. Who else could do it? How could I just stand here and watch someone else do it? "
Now, both Moaks are part of an important aspect of Brookhaven Academy sporting events - advancing the Cougariffic Index. And they work together every time a Cougar suits and takes the field.
"Edward has helped me understand what the mascot does, what the cheerleaders do. He's allowed me to have a lens into the emotional side of what's happening in a sporting event," Ed said.
Likewise, Edward steps in for his father.
"He has all these huge words in his vocabulary, and I tell him after he says something, 'Dad, they're scratching their heads,'" he said. "Whatever group he doesn't reach, I try to reach."
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©The Daily Leader 2009
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