In the Booth with Don Schwartz, Voice of Lancers

This weekend, a showery scene played out in the pregame show for Friday night football. Under the lights in Livingston, rain was pouring down on the field. A sea of umbrellas dotted the bleachers. And up in the brightly lit broadcast booth, the announcers and scorekeepers were preparing notes and testing the equipment. 

In minutes, the game began and over the airwaves play-by-every-wet-play was announced as the Livingston stormed past Belleville, 33-0, for their third victory of the season.

The voice is a familiar one to Lancer fans. Don Schwartz has been providing the color for the past 14 years. “It’s been a great run,” he said.

It began when Schwartz was teaching photography at Livingston High School and the school unveiled a brand new TV production lab. 

Everyone was a little shy about using the equipment, he recalled. Not Schwartz. He grew up playing and following sports and he had a couple of kids in his class who were in the TV production area with new cameras and equipment. He suggested they go out and cover a game. 

“Why don’t you do the broadcast and I’ll work the camera,” Schwartz recalled. “But they said ‘no, no, no, no, YOU broadcast and we’ll work the camera.’” 

And so an on-air legend in Livingston was born. Schwartz has covered every sport from every venue for Livingston, from hockey at the Codey Arena, to basketball, football and baseball at LHS, and Fourth of July events on the Oval.

Currently he broadcasts the home football games for the Lancers, doing the play-by-play for LTV and TV34 with his partner Pete Cullen. When he’s not in the booth at home games, you can find him on the sidelines at away games with his camera taking pictures for the local paper and Livingston High School.    

After receiving his master’s degree from Indiana University in 1968, Schwartz got a job in the Livingston Public Schools teaching in the technology department. 

In 1980, the photography teacher at Livingston High was moving out of state, so Schwartz was asked if he was interested in taking the job. Photography was in Schwartz’s blood -- his uncle was the photographer for General Eisenhower during WW II. 

His big thrill is and remains taking photos for the Lancers. The Big L Club honored the 36-year Livingston resident with a T-shirt.  On the front it said, “The Voice of the Lancers.”  On the back it repeated one of his favorite sayings, “Have a nice day.” 

As for the football game, it was a shutout Friday night for the Lancers, 33–0 over the Buccaneers of Belleville. 

The Lancers started out fast with a six-yard pass from quarterback Andrew Egner to Cooper Weisman.  The extra point was missed so the score was 6-0 at the end of the first quarter.  In the second quarter the offense kicked it into high gear topped off by a 58-yard pass from Egner to Chase Larangera.  The other outstanding offensive player in the game was Dan DePasquale. The 179-pound junior had two rushing touchdowns on the night. 

As good as the offense was for the Lancers, the night belonged to the defense.  The Lancer “D” was stellar, shutting down the Belleville Buccaneers offense all night. 

Defensive standouts were Luke Leshinsky with seven tackles, Brandon McWayne with 10 tackles and Cooper Weisman contributed on defense with a huge interception to shut down a Buccaneer drive late in the game. The Lancers record now stands at 3-0 on the season.