MidValleySports.Com

By Tim Peterson

El Rancho’s Armie Briones is set to enter his 62nd year as the El Rancho PA announcer. The “Voice of the Dons” is an El Rancho alum as he took the walk in the cap and gown in 1967. And ever since then, and yes I mean literally since that time, he has been calling the games from the El Rancho press box. On April 21 the press box will be dedicated in his name by the El Rancho Unified School District. We had the opportunity to sit down with Armie recently for a Q&A.

MVS: What year did you start announcing El Rancho football?

AB: I STARTED FOOTBALL WITH THE 1967-68 FOOTBALL SEASON. DURING THE 1967 GRADUATION REHEARSAL, COACH ERNIE JOHNSON, WHO WAS THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AT THE TIME, APPROACHED ME AND INQUIRED IF I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN DOING THE VARSITY FOOTBALL GAMES FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS. THE RANCH KNEW THAT I HAD PLANS TO ATTEND RIO HONDO. HE SAID HE NEEDED AN ANSWER THE FOLLOWING NIGHT AT GRADUATION. I WAS READY TO SAY ABSOLUTELY YES THEN AND THERE BUT DECIDED THAT I WOULD FOLLOW HIS LEAD AND DELAY MY ANSWER. GRADUATION NIGHT, I SAID I WOULD LOVE TOO. IRONICALLY, MY FIRST SEASON WAS THE YEAR OF THE INFAMOUS 20-20 TIE. I WAS WORKING FOR THE CIFSS DURING THOSE PLAYOFFS AND SINCE I KNEW BOTH SCHOOL, THEY ASSIGNED ME TO THE PRESS BOX, DOING THE INTERIOR ANNOUNCING TO THE WORKING PRESS. I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR RELAYING INDIVIDUAL PLAY STATS TO THE WORKING PRESS. I WAS ALSO WIRED DIRECTLY TO THE GAME PA ANNOUNCER. BEFORE THE GAME, FOR SOME REASON, I ASKED THE CIFSS ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER IN CHARGE OF FOOTBALL, “WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE IS A TIE?” HE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID, “I GUESS IT STAYS A TIE”. REMEMBER THIS WAS THE LAST GAME BEFORE THE CALIFORNIA TIE BREAKER SYSTEM WAS BORN. I ASKED ONE MORE QUESTION, “DOES THE COACHING STAFFS KNOW THIS?” HE SAID NO. I MAY HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE ONLY PEOPLE AT THE COLISEUM, WHO KNOW THAT A TIE WOULD STAND. AS THE GAME PROGRESSED, THE REALITY STARTED TO FORM. QUIETLY, I NOTIFIED THE GAME PA ANNOUNCER THAT A TIE WOULD STAY A TIE AND THE CIFSS WOULD RECOGNIZE CO CHAMPIONS. WITH ABOUT 2 SECONDS LEFT, I NOTIFIED THE PRESS THAT THERE WOULD BE CO-CHAMPIONS. THE LOOK ON THEIR FACES WAS COMPLETE DISBELIEF. WHEN IT WAS ANNOUNCED TO THE 21,00+ FANS, THE SILENCE WAS DEAFENING. THEN THE BOOS ROCKED THE STADIUM.

MVS: How did you get started announcing at El Rancho?

AB: MY FRESHMAN YEAR, I WAS PART OF THE AUDIO-VISUAL CLUB. WE WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR SETTING UP THE PA SOUND SYSTEM FOR ASSEMBLIES AND SPORT EVENTS. I WAS IN THE BAND, SO I DID BASKETBALL. AT MY VERY FIRST GAME SET-UP, I INTRODUCED MY SELF TO THE PA GUY. JOHN AND HANDED THE MICROPHONE TO HIM. REMEMBER, IN THOSE DARK AGES, THE MICS WERE WIRED. HE LOOKED AT ME AND APOLOGIZED THAT HE DIDN’T CATCH ME BEFORE I SET UP THE SYSTEM. HE SAID HE WAS ILL, GOING HOME AND I SHOULD BREAK THE SYSTEM DOWN. I HAD BEEN INVOLVED WITH A BASEBALL TEAM AT PICO BOYS YOUTH BASEBALLASSOCITION. I KEPT SCORE AND ANNOUNCED THEIR GAMES. I ALSO ANNOUNCED THE PICO BOYS’ LEAGUE PLAYOFFS AND BASEBALL TOURNAMENTS. WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT IT AND I DON’T KNOW WHY, I ASKED IF I COULD TAKE A CRACK AT IT. HE SAID “WHY NOT” I INTRODUCED MYSELF TO COACH DON JOHNSON AND DID THE GAME. I THOUGHT I DID A PRETTY DECENT JOB. THE FOLLOWING MONDAY, I RECEIVED AN OFFICE SUMMONS AND DIDN’T THINK MUCH OF IT, BECAUSE I HAD RECEIVED THEM FOR AV CLUB DUTIES. I WALKED INTO THE ACTIVITIES OFFICE AND THE SECRETARY SAID THIS IS FOR THE PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE. UTTER PANIC STRUCK ME AS I WONDERED WHAT I HAD DONE WRONG AT THE GAME. IN THE OFFICE WAS THE PRINCIPAL, VICE PRINCIPAL OF STUDENT ACTIVITIES, THE AD (Coach Ernie Johnson,) BASKETBALL COACH DON JOHNSON, AND JON. THE VICE PRINCIPAL SAID THAT I HAD DONE A TERRIFIC JOB AND THAT JOHN WANTED TO STOP ANNOUNCING THE GAMES.I WAS ASKED IF I WANTED TO DO IT. I SAID YES AND 62 YEARS LATER, I AM STILL HERE.

MVS: When you first started announcing did you ever imagine that you would still be announcing 62 years later?

AB: NEVER IN MY WILDEST DREAMS. I THINK THE SCHOOL BECAME VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THE IDEA THAT THEY HAD SOMEONE WHO WOULD BE THERE. I AM ON A YEARLY CONTRACT, SO SCHOOL ALWAYS THE OPTION TO REPLACE ME. IN FACT, A PRINCIPAL, NEW TO THE DISTRICT, DECIDED HE WANTED HIS PERSON ANNOUNCING ALL VARSITY SPORTS. HE CALLED ME INTO HIS OFFICE AND HE TERMINATED ME. WORD LEAKED OUT AND HIS OFFICE WAS DELUGED WITH OVER 400 EMAILS FROM FURIOUS FORMER DONS.  I WAS TOLD THAT SOME OF THE ALUMNI ACTUALLY CONTACTED THE ERUSD SCHOOL BOARD BOTH BY EMAIL AND OVER 50 ATTENDED A BOARD MEETING. MY TERMINATION WAS RESCINDED AND THE PRINCIPAL OFFERED HIS DEEPEST APOLOGIES TO ME. I HAVE BEEN VERY LUCKY THOUGH. WHEN MY SISTER, IRENE, FROM THE ERHS CLASS OF 71, RETURNED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF LA VERNE, SHE VOLUNTEERED TO HELP WITH STATS. SHE DID THEM FOR 6 YEARS.  MY BROTHER, ARNOLD, A ST. PAUL ALUM, CLASS OF 85, WHO WAS THE STARTING VARSITY GOALKEEPER, FOR THE SWORDSMEN, VOLUNTEERED TO BE MY SPOTTER.   IRENE, ARNOLD AND I TRAVELED TO THE AWAY GAMES WORKING AS A STAT CREW. WHEN IRENE RETIRED, ARNOLD JUST SLIPPED OVER A CHAIR AND TOOK OVER THE STAT CHART AS WELL AS SPOTTING. HE HAS BEEN WITH ME NOW FOR  38 YEARS VOLUNTEERING HIS ASSISTANCE AS NOW MY SENIOR SPOTTER I HAVE AN OUTSTANDING CREW NOW.

MVS: On April 21st the El Rancho Press Box will be officially dedicated in your name.  Can you describe what this means to you?

AB: I AM COMPLETELY HUMBLED BY THE HONOR. I NEVER EXPECTED TO BE HONORED IN ANY MANNER FOR MY LONGEVITY.  THE SCHOOL AWARDED ME THE OLD-STYLE VARSITY LETTERMAN’S JACKET AS A GIFT ON MY 50^TH ANNIVERSARY.  AS OF 4/17/25. I STILL DON’T KNOW HOW THE PRESS BOX WILL BE TITLED. A COUPLE OF MY FELLOW CLASSMATES SENT ME A MOCKUP PROCLAIMING IT THE ARMANDO “ARMIE” BRIONES JR. MEMORIAL PRESS BOX. THEIR BELIEF WAS THAT THE ONLY WAY I WOULD ONLY STOP ANNOUNCING WAS WHEN I PASSED AWAY. THEY JUST DECIDED TO JUMP THE GUN A LITTLE.

MVS: What is your best memory, or memories, that you have in your 60 plus years of announcing at El Rancho?

AB: I AM GOING TO CHEAT A LITTLE ON THAT SINCE I WASN’T ANNOUNCING FOOTBALL YET. WATCHING MY SENIOR CLASS OF 1967 FRIENDS GO THROUGH A PERFECT 13-0 SEASON (THAT WAS THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF GAMES THEN). I HAVE BEEN VERY LUCKY THAT MY ANNOUNCING HAS OPENED MANY DOORS FOR ME. I HAVE ANNOUNCED EVENTS AT DIFFERENT VENUES. I HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF ANNOUNCING GAMES AT THE LA COLISEUM, ROSE BOWL, CERRITOS COLLEGE, GAHR HIGH SCHOOL, CAL STATE FULLERTON AND WARREN HIGH SCHOOL. THE LAST 3 VENUES, THE LATE DEAN CROWLEY, WHO WAS A BASKETBALL REFEREE EXTRAORDINAIRE, WORKED NUMEROUS GAMES AT THE RANCH AND WHEN HE JOINED THE CIF STAFF, HE WAS ASSIGNED SOCCER AND HIRED ME AS THE CIFSS SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP GAME SITE ANNOUNCER. I WAS THE CIFSS-FORD SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP ANNOUNCER FOR 53 YEARS. I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF ANNOUNCING EL RANCHO BOYS SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH; AS WELL AS EL RANCHO’S RUN THROUGH THE CIF STATE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, WHICH THEY WON. I HAVE FILLED IN AS A GUEST ANNOUNCER FOR WHITTIER HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL AND LA SERNA ASKED ME TO COVER BOTH A BASKETBALL GAME AND A BASEBALL GAME.

MVS: What was the best football team at El Rancho that you have seen during your announcing career?

AB: THE TEAMS THAT STAND OUT ARE OF COURSE, THE 1966 US NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SQUAD. THE 2014 DEL RIO LEAGUE CHAMPION FOOTBALL TEAM AND LAST SEASON’S VARSITY SQUAD, THAT MADE THE QUARTER FINALS. I HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE EL RANCHO FANS WHO SWARMED OUT TO PORTOLA HIGH SCHOOL. THEY NOT ONLY FILLED THE VISITOR STANDS. THEY TOOK OVER ¾ OF THE HOME STANDS AND THEY WERE STANDING IN FRONT OF THE BLEACHERS, TOO. “ONE TOWN, ONE TEAM” WAS IN FULL BLOOM.

MVS: What was the best player (or players) that you have seen at El Rancho?

AB: I HAVE TO ANSWER THAT WITH THE FOOTBALL TEAMS PRIMARY LEADERS, THE QBS. I WATCHED TOM EGAN RUN THE 1964 CLUB AND RICK POPE HANDLE THE 1966 SQUAD. BOTH WERE THE OLDEN DAYS POCKET DROP BACK QUARTERBACKS THAT STOOD TALL AS THE OFFENSIVE LINE DID THEIR JOB. BOTH HAD OUTSTANDING RECEIVERS EGAN HAD RON DRAKE WHILE POPE’S PRIMARY TARGET WAS DAVE PATTERSON. BOTH EGAN AND POPE WERE MULTI SPORT ATHLETES. EGAN WAS A STAND-OUT BASEBALL PLAYER. HE HAS THE DISTINCTION OF BEING MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL’S VERY 1^ST $100,00 BONUS SIGNEE. RICK LETTERED IN FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL, AND BASEBALL. IN FACT, THE 1966 FOOTBALL SQUAD HAD NUMEROUS MULTI SPORT LETTERMAN. THE BEST ROLL OUT QUARTER BACK WAS RANDY DRAKE. THE TWO BEST SPRINT OUT QUARTERBACKS WERE JOHNNY CHAVEZ AND BILLY OROZCO.

Q: Did you play football or other sports when you attended El Rancho?

AB: I WAS NOT GIFTED WITH ANY ATHLETIC TALENT AT ALL. I WAS A MEMBER OF THE MARCHING BAND WHILE AT THE RANCH. I DID SERVE AS VARSITY TEAM MANAGER FOR CROSS COUNTRY FOR 3 YEARS AND TRACK FOR 4 YEARS. I VISITED THE SWIMMING POOL AS PART OF THE 1964 TRACK TEAM LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP CELEBRATION ALONG WITH THE COACHES AND CAPTAINS. I TECHNICALLY “WON” 7 VARSITY LETTERS.

MVS: What person has had the biggest influence on you and why?

AB: AS FAR AS WORK ETHIC, IT HAD TO BE MY DAD, ARMANDO BRIONES SR. HE TAUGHT ME WHEN YOU TAKE ON RESPONSIBILITY YOU GIVE IT 110%. AS FAR AS MY ANNOUNCING, I HAVE PATTERNED MY STYLE TO THE LATE JOHN RAMSEY, WHO WAS THE VOICE OF THE DODGERS, ANGELS, LAKERS, UCLA AS WELL AS USC.  HE HAD A STYLE OF DELIVERING THE INFORMATION TO THE FANS IN A CLEAR CONCISE MANNER. HE WAS THE FARTHEST THING FROM BEING A “HOMER”. FROM VINCE SCULLY, HIS MANTRA WHEN HE WORKED THE TELEVISION BROADCASTS, WAS FANS CAN READILY SEE WHAT IS GOING ON. DON’T INSULT THEM BY DOING A RADIO TYPE PLAY BY PLAY AS THEY HAVE EYES. MR. SCULLY HAD AN INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE OF THE RULE BOOK, NO MATTER WHAT SPORT HE WAS BROADCASTING. HE NEVER ASSUMED OR GUESSED. HE NEVER CRITICIZED AN OFFICIAL AT ANYTIME. IN FACT, MAJOR LEAGUE UMPIRES RESPECTED HIM SO MUCH THAT THE CREW AFTER THE NATIONAL ANTHEM WOULD TURN TO FACE THE PRESS BOX AND DISCREETLY SALUTE HIM. I HAVE TRIED TO FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE OF KNOWING THE RULES OF THE TWO MAIN SPORTS THAT I ANNOUNCE. I SUBSCRIBE TO THE NATIONAL HIGH N SCHOOL FEDERATION NEWS LETTER THAT EVERY YEAR SPELLS OUT ANY NEW RULE CHANGES THAT WILL TAKE EFFECT THE UPCOMING SEASON. I AM A BELIEVER THAT IF YOU DON’T KNOW THE RULE OR WHAT IS GOING ON DURING A CONTEST, DON’T GUESS. FINALLY, THE PROUDEST PART OF MY ANNOUNCING IS, SIMILAR TO MR. SCULLY, I AM NO WAY IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM, A GAME ANNOUNCER, WHO IS A HOME TEAM CHEER LEADER. I DO HAVE A SLIGHT RISE IN MY VOICE WHEN I SAY, “TOUCHDOWN, ELLLL RANCHO”

MVS: What is the biggest difference, if any, announcing football games today compared to when you first started?

AB: THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE IN FOOTBALL IN MY 62 YEARS HAS BEEN THE SPEED OF THE GAME AND THE INTRODUCTION OF THE HURRY UP OFFENSE. IN THE PAST YEARS, KEEPING STATS FOR THE FOOTBALL SQUAD HAS BECOME MUCH MORE DIFFICULT AND ANNOUNCING WHILE KEEPING A PLAY-BY-PLAY RECORD.  IN FACT, EL RANCHO, UNDER COACH ADRIAN MEDRANO HAS PERFECTED IT SO WELL, THAT IT HAS GOTTEN A BIT MORE DIFFICULT TO KEEP UP GETTING OUT THE PREVIOUS PLAY INFORMATION BEFORE THE DONS SNAP THE BALL AND THE NEXT PLAY STARTS. ONE POSITIVE NOTE IN THE 62 YEARS IS THAT FOOTBALL UNIFORMS HAVE FINALLY BEEN MANDATED CONTRASTING LARGE UNIFORM NUMBERS ON THEIR JERSEY. NOW IF I COULD GET HEAD COACHES TO KEEP THEIR ROSTERS UPDATED, I WOULD BE IN 7^TH HEAVEN.