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T. BENNETT: Don’t confuse me with Jay W.

Hello, my name is Tyler Bennett and I am the newest sports reporter here at The News and Sentinel. I was raised in Ravenswood, W.Va. where I graduated from Ravenswood High School in 2010.

I knew that I wanted to do something in sports, but I wasn’t sure about what I could do after realizing I wasn’t destined for a six-inch growth spurt needed to make a career in playing after high school. Not sure what I wanted to do, I enrolled at West Virginia University at Parkersburg in the fall of 2010.

After trying different fields during my time at WVU-P, I realized my career calling in sports writing and radio. I switched my major from Education to Journalism in the fall of 2015.

I quickly realized I made the right decision. From gaining journalism experience in writing for the WVU-P student newspaper “The Chronicle”, the alumni magazine and serving as an intern for this paper in 2017.

Helping with the college radio station, WPKM 96.3 FM and getting over one of my fears by co-hosting a live morning radio show, “Live Drive with Ky and Ty” and making new friends in the program from advisors, teachers and classmates.

To my surprise, I was awarded the Dottie Bibbee Outstanding Journalism award for the 2016-2017 school year in Spring 2017. Later that year I received my associate’s degree in Journalism in December 2017, and am currently working on my Bachelor’s in Digital Communication.

Ever since I was little, I had a passion for sports. Thanks to my dad getting all of the main newspapers in the area, I was able to learn more about the game and the schools in the MOV and the state.

With my older brother playing and my dad being a trainer for Ravenswood’s football team, I wanted to be a part of the team. Annoying the players during practice and going to games was the highlight of the week for me. The team even gave me the nickname “Little Bennett,” one I could not stand growing up.

If there was a home or a close away game I would beg my dad to take me. Some of my most cherished memories growing up come from watching sports.

From watching Ravenswood finally win a state championship in boys basketball with my older brother that was in from the Air Force in 2006, to seeing my best friend kick a game-winner in an upset win against Point Pleasant in football during 2008 and another one making the all-tournament team and winning the second boys basketball championship in school history in 2009 my memories are a plenty.

But some of my favorite memories have to be when I was able to get some father-son bonding time by going to Marshall football games. Trips to home games and a drive up to the 1999 Motor City Bowl game in Detroit to see the Herd finish an unbeaten season are among my top moments.

Even though the majority of it was during the Mark Snyder era, spending time with him from driving and listening to pre-game shows on the radio and always eating at Stewart’s Hot Dogs made the trips worth it.

I’m thankful for this opportunity in doing something I love and I look forward to reporting games and stories for The News and Sentinel

Contact Tyler Bennett at tbennett@newsandsentinel.com.

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