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For the past 40 years, beginning in the mid-eighties, Friday nights throughout the tri-counties would not be the same for avid football fans without the lights, cameras, and action synergy of Friday Football Focus. Each year, from August to November, the weekly high school football highlights show on KEYT has created and provided memories and excitement for multiple generations of area players, their families and devoted football enthusiasts who follow the sport.
From Ventura to Santa Barbara, from San Luis Obispo to Santa Ynez, Friday Football Focus television cameras capture the excitement of countless high schools and hundreds of student athlete team members every week. Passionate area football fans follow the games and players to experience a keen sense of community loyalty and celebrate the success of their favorite teams. The show has been a must-see since 1985.
“To be honest it was everything,” said Dons quarterback Poncho Renteria who stared on the Golden Tornado championship team of 1989”. “After every game we would meet and watch the highlights, I grew up watching the show and everyone was always looking forward to it, students, parents, everyone.”
Friday Football Focus was the first weekly broadcast in Southern California to focus exclusively on high school football. Later, other local stations KSBY and KCOY followed suit, as well as Orange County News and finally regional cable sports networks PrimeTicket and Fox Sports West.
Four decades ago, the concept of Friday Football Focus was the vision of then 22-year-old KEYT sports reporter and weekend sports anchor David Bolton who envisioned having “the best comprehensive coverage possible of high school football including all of the schools from southern Ventura County to northern San Luis Obispo County and everywhere in between.” Bolton’s concept was the first step, but the next step became the most important toward launching the show and bringing his vision to reality — finding funding.
“When I presented the idea of a high school weekly highlights show to sports anchor Dan Elliott, he said ‘let’s go talk to King,'” recalled Bolton. “King Harris was the news director at the time, and we knew the final decision would be his. King immediately said he liked the show idea, but added, ‘we’ll do it if you can figure out how to get it paid for’. They both looked at me, implying the show was my idea. I knew that if this was going to happen, I would need to find a way to cover the costs.”
Bolton quickly produced a plan to reach out and pitch his show concept idea to high school football booster groups from Carpinteria to the Santa Ynez area to seek their assistance in finding sponsors in each area. According to Bolton everyone embraced the show and said they would help to make it possible. “Businesses, supporters and booster groups in southern Santa Barbara County made the show possible for everyone in the Tri Counties — this community should be very proud.” Bolton said.
With funding fully secured, Friday Football Focus launched in the fall of 1985, and much to the delight of students, parents, and high school football fans, as well as football enthusiasts throughout the Tri Counties became the most popular Friday night sports programing along the California coast.
Thanks to local television professionals, exceptional young athletes, and a supportive sports community, more than 500 editions of Friday Football Focus have aired to date. It is by far the longest running local non-news television show, where countless local sports memories have been created and preserved for posterity.
