FRANK CORRIN retired as the Corunna football announcer at the end of the 2016 season. The last regular season game he called was a Corunna victory over his alma mater, Chesaning, on Oct. 21.
The work never ends for the retired Corunna teacher and announcer, who can be seen standing amongst his 2017 pumpkin harvest at his farm in Corunna.
(Independent Photo/Graham Sturgeon)
by Graham Sturgeon, co-editor
Frank Corrin put down the microphone for the final time on Friday, Nov. 4, 2016 following his Corunna Cavaliers’ Division 4 district championship game win over Flint Powers. Earlier this season, the legendary play-by-play man was honored for his 50 years as the Corunna football announcer with a pre-game ceremony at Nick Annese Athletic Field, during which he was presented with a Corunna jacket and a plaque.
While coaches such as Nick Annese, Dick Moffit, Scott Moeller, Chris Curtiss, Steve Herrick, Buck Heiney, and Kyle Robinson have taken turns as the face of Corunna football over the past 50 years, Corrin has been its voice.
Corrin called the game as he saw it, without favoring one side or the other, providing the necessary details and then getting out of the way. Many younger announcers try to establish signature catch phrases in an effort to further insert themselves into the game. Corrin was never one to “showboat,” instead focusing on being concise and impartial, and always remembering to praise the often-overlooked support of the band, alumni, and parents.
Frank, a 1959 graduate of Chesaning Union Schools, and his wife, Karen, moved to Corunna in 1966, bought their farm on King Street in 1969, and raised four Corunna High School (CHS) and college graduates. Corrin taught Agriculture at CHS and retired in 1998. He was instrumental in building the strong Corunna FFA program, and he somehow found time to call CHS basketball games for approximately 30 years as well. Additionally, he has been an active member of the Shiawassee County Fair board and was the chairman of the fair’s buy-a-brick fundraising campaign from 1980 until mid-1982.
During his high school years in Chesaning, Corrin earned 10 letters in football, baseball, and basketball. He also played summer baseball for a team managed by Nick Annese, who was the athletic director (AD) at New Lothrop. Annese had moved on to become Corunna’s head football coach and AD by the time Corrin was hired in 1966, and that connection led to the start of Corrin’s announcing career.
“Nick knew I was involved in sports, and that I liked sports, so he asked me about being the announcer,” explained Corrin. “So, in the fall of 1966 I started announcing, and I didn’t leave for 50 years.
“Win, lose, or draw, Corunna supports its sports teams,” Corrin continued. “It was like that when I got here and it was like that when I left. This is just a special community.”
In the 1970s Corrin was joined in the press box by Russ Wing, who became his spotter; along with Leo Constine and John Gazella, who operated the scoreboard. The four men worked together until 2007, accumulating more than 150 years of press box experience among them. The bond they formed endures as one of Corrin’s favorite memories from his announcing days.
“The camaraderie between us made it fun to go up there on Friday nights,” Corrin shared. “We were all teachers, so after a hard week, it was nice to be able to get away from everything for a couple hours; it was almost like therapy. The team had good years and down years, but it never felt like a job being up in that press box.”
Corrin has been a farmer since his days as a wee lad on his parents’ farm in Chesaning, and he continues to work the land in retirement. He grew corn for approximately 40 years, strawberries for 36 years, and he has grown pumpkins for more than 30 years. He continues to do periodic contract work with the Michigan FFA Association, and he annually hosts between 40 and 50 friends and family members at his farm for a pumpkin festival that includes hayrides, pumpkin picking, and kickball. Corrin will remain a part of the Corunna community, dividing his time between his FFA obligations, working on his farm, and spending time with his family, which includes eight grandchildren.
