CHADRON – John has left the press box.
 
John Axtell, the play-by-play broadcaster of Chadron State College athletic events since 1988, will step down as the news and sports director from Eagle Communications Tuesday. A party in his honor will be Tuesday at 5 p.m. at the Bean Broker.
 
Axtell, or 'Ax' as he's known to many CSC constituents, has been behind the microphone for 27 years. In all, he broadcasted more than 750 men's and women's basketball games and nearly 300 football contests for Chadron State College. More than half of those games have occurred away from Chadron, allowing Axtell the opportunity to travel with student-athletes and athletic department staff.
 
"I feel lucky to be a part of so many peoples' lives and since 1991 I could always tell you where I was going to be for six months out of every year," Axtell said. "I had the opportunity to be a passenger for many trips and I enjoyed getting to know the coaches, athletes and other staff members, while also enjoying the scenery.
 
"It's been interesting because when I first started traveling with the teams, I was the older brother. Then, I became the age of their parents. Now, I'm the age of their grandparents. I don't have children of my own but I consider myself fortunate to follow the lives of so many young people and it's been great seeing them have families of their own."
 
Axtell, who received the Distinguished Service Award from Chadron State College in 1998, counts many Chadron State highlights as his own career defining moments.
 
"The Abilene Christian game (in 2007) was incredible," he said. "Really, any game with Danny Woodhead was remarkable. I often told people that he does at least one or two things a game that make you say 'wow.' I felt the same way about Don Beebe (who played in 1988) and Kweemada King and Otis Frazier (members of the men's basketball team in 1999). There was also a memorable game in 1989 when Chadron State's football team defeated Dakota Wesleyan on Chris Stein's game-winning touchdown. I've also been lucky enough to call several games with buzzer beaters, most recently when Josiah Lee defeated Black Hills State last year."
 
It's fitting Axtell, a native of Grants Pass, Oregon, spent much of his time during the school year on the road because his path to Chadron was a windy route.
 
Axtell graduated from Grants Pass High School in 1971 and attended Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. As a freshman, Axtell saw an announcement about working for the campus radio station that changed his life. He joined the campus station and began broadcasting in 1972. He graduated in 1975 as a dual major in communications and business and found a part time job in his hometown at KAGI-AM. He wrote news, disc jockeyed and provided color commentary for sporting events.
 
Unfortunately, he was let go after one year.
 
"I'll never forget the advice I received from the morning man at KAGI," Axtell said. "He said, 'you're in radio, so you're going to get fired. It's part of the job and get used to it.' I really took that advice to heart and realized that's just part of the business."
 
After being out of work for several months, Axtell took a job at KRSB in Roseburg, Oregon. He worked there for a year and a half before he lost his job.
 
He remained out of work for two years but he was able to satisfy several of his interests. He traveled, refereed sporting events and even volunteered for a friend's political campaign.
 
Axtell bounced back, though, and accepted a job at KIBR-AM in Kay Junction, Oregon. He worked there for three years but after the station added an FM station, it was determined they couldn't afford to keep him on staff.
 
"I wanted to travel again," Axtell said. "I went as far north as Ottawa and as far south as Key Largo, Florida. In all, I ended up driving 25,000 miles in four months and it was among the best days of my life because I visited so many friends and family members.
 
"When I got back, I decided I needed to go somewhere other than Oregon. I knew in order to stretch myself I had to go somewhere else."
 
That somewhere else was Nebraska. Axtell moved from Grants Pass to Ogallala sight unseen and worked at KOGA for eight months before he lost his job due to the station's financial strain.
 
After a quick six-week stay in Texas with some family members, Axtell came back to Ogallala to begin another trek back to Grants Pass. However, before he began the trip, he received a fateful call from Joe Nittler, who tipped him off about a job in Chadron.
 
"So I called up to Chadron and I said an extra 160 miles on a 1,500 mile trip wasn't going to hurt," he said.
 
Axtell interviewed with Big Sky Radio (KQSK/KCSR) in Chadron and former general manager of the station, John Howard, hired him a few weeks later. Axtell worked for Big Sky for four years before the company sold the AM and FM stations separately. Eagle Communications purchased the FM station in 1991 and Axtell was hired once again by Howard. The AM station, KCSR, was sold to Dennis and Kathi Brown.
 
During his career in Chadron, Axtell has widely been regarded as a consummate news and sports man, as well as an ambassador for the college and community. He's the worship leader at First Baptist Church, a member of the Community Chorus and plays the baritone horn in the Chadron Community Band. He's also acted in several regional plays and performs during Fur Trade Days cemetery tours.
 
Although Axtell has seen many changes in media, technology and news distribution methods since he arrived in Dawes County nearly three decades ago, he has kept a simple approach to how he handled his duties.
 
"Sometimes bad things happen and it's all how you deal with it," Axtell said. "I've always tried to remember we're talking about sports and with news we're just telling stories. I try to treat everyone and every story the same. I think I've been able to do that."