PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles High School athletic events won’t sound the same this season without public address announcer Pete Rennie on hand with his trademark ability to inform and entertain spectators and athletes, parents and coaches.
Earlier this week, Rennie stepped away from the announcer role he has held for Roughrider sports for 25 years. In his time, Rennie handled vocal duties for the volleyball, wrestling, gymnastics and the football team for five years along with boys and girls basketball — the Rider Gym the birthplace of his signature pregame, pre-tipoff overture — “Let’s play some basketball!”
“It’s an opportune time to allow the new AD to pick his own announcer and put together his own team to serve the kids,” Rennie said. “With the addition of Annie becoming certified [as a therapy dog], I’m going to continue my service to the community. It’s a pivot.”
Restore program
Rennie has worked with Olympic Medical Center’s Patient Experience Program in recent years to restart the facility’s therapy dog program, which went dormant during the pandemic.
Rennie devoted his professional career to Port Angeles, spending 35 years in room 417 as a Port Angeles High School history teacher, 33 years as a class advisor, 15 seasons as head wrestling coach and 10 years as an assistant fastpitch coach before retiring in 2020.
“In all that time I have found great support from the parents, students, teachers, support staff, secretaries, custodians, band and band director, athletes and coaches of both visiting and home teams,” Rennie wrote in his resignation letter.
“To each of them I offer my heartfelt thanks, and consider myself a fortunate man to have served in such a variety of roles, alongside so many wonderful people. Serving the Port Angeles community has been truly a joyful experience, one which I’m both proud of and will miss as I tackle a new adventure.”
Respect given
Port Angeles girls basketball coach Michael Poindexter taught at the high school with Rennie for years and has coached Roughrider boys and girls basketball for nearly 20 seasons.
“I’m sad to see Pete go,” Poindexter said. “His presence in the gym in the winter for basketball, it wasn’t just announcing games. He was so thoughtful and reliable.
“If a visiting team came in earlier than expected, he would be there to welcome them and let them in the visitor locker room. He was ready to do anything that was needed to be done in the gym. And not in an ownership kind of way, but in a welcoming manner.
“And Pete treated opposing teams and coaches really well. Making sure names were pronounced correctly, that their records were announced correctly, all the little details. You get some announcers that will hype up the home team and be extra loud or enthusiastic for the home team, but Pete wasn’t like that. He treated both teams with respect and appreciation, and the image of our school and program he conveyed was great.”
Roughriders boys basketball coach Kasey Ulin took over the program in 2015.
“I have many fond memories of Pete, but what sticks with me is how great of a person he was,” Ulin said.
“He’s kind, professional, articulate, he has a great sense of humor, and he was a major asset to our school and community.
“Let’s play some basketball! will be a phrase that every person who attended a Port Angeles basketball game will remember for their lifetime.”
Rennie said hard-working opponents deserved their own reward — respect.
“They work their tails off every day in practice, they work hard and deserve our respect,” Rennie said. “And I would interact with the parents and always emphasized the positive. As a result, almost every game an opposing player, coach or parent would come by and thank me for treating them with respect. So even if they had come up and had the Rougriders hand them a blowout loss, I would send them away feeling good.”
Rennie said the Rainshadow Rumble rivalry games always provided thrills.
“Any game against Sequim was always memorable and exciting,” Rennie said. “A full crowd, the student sections are so into it, they are always fun.”
Poindexter said Rennie’s trademark slogan always held meaning.
“It makes you smile, shows enthusiasm for the game of basketball and honors kids,” Poindexter said.
The inspiration came from a big game early in his announcing career.
“Just came from inside my brain. One day, it was a big game early in the process, year two or three,” Rennie said. “And I just thought, ‘There’s not enough excitement here, Let’s play some basketball.’ And the refs started to slow down the game a bit just before tipoff to let me say it.”
OMC therapy dog Tripp
With the new-found time, Rennie said he plans to help expand the therapy dog program, adding his other pup, a four-legged boxer named Annie.
“First stop is always the nurses’ station, where everybody can pet him and give them a distraction for a few moments. And we spend more time in the ER waiting room, where the stress and worry is highest,” Rennie said.
“Everybody wants to see the dog and pet him and talk about things other than what they are there for. If we can give them a distraction from their issues, it’s a real service.
“Nobody knows me, but they know him. It’s hard to compete with a three-legged boxer, so I don’t try. The staff have even given Tripp a badge with his own title: Chief Happiness Officer.”
Those interested in the therapy dog program can call OMC at 360-417-7256.
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at sports@peninsuladaily news.com.
