Along the waterfronts and mountain tops of upper Lynn Canal and into the households and cabins of Haines, Skagway and Klukwan a masterful voice of play-by-play basketball reports the action of their local teams.

“I have been doing KHNS pretty much throughout this time of year for three years now,” Skagway’s Mason Jennings, 13, said from his bleacher top seat at the Region V 1A basketball tournament in Juneau.

Jennings started his broadcasting career in the sixth grade at age 11.

“It was kind of strange,” he said of his start. “I was at the games in Sitka two years ago and my dad (Nathan Jennings) was commentating, and I went up there to see what he was doing because I had no clue he was commentating. He said, ‘Do you want to do it with me?’ And I was, like, ‘Of course,’ and that’s how I got started.”

He hasn’t missed a season yet.

“Just the fact that it connects our town with the sports,” Jennings said. “Since not a lot of these places have cameras that will show what’s going on. Yeah, it’s pretty awesome.”

Skagway radio announcer Mason Jennings, 13, and his father Nathan Jennings calling action at the Region V 1A tournament on Wednesday at Thunder Mountain Middle School. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

He only calls basketball and it is his favorite sport.

“If I were to call any sports it would be basketball,” he said.

Jennings also plays the game. In fact he was on the Skagway Panthers team but, as an eighth grader, and with the school not in need of younger athletes to fill decimated population numbers, the Alaska School Activities Association would not allow him to continue.

“So I get another year of doing this,” Jennings said with glee. “It actually was pretty upsetting, but it worked out. Sadly I won’t get to call games when I start playing, but hopefully when I am done with high school I will get back into it. If I can I do want to go to college for this or study in this type of atmosphere.”

His idol is former NFL announcer Joe Buck.

“He called Mark McGwire’s 62nd home run and a bunch of other iconic calls,” Jennings said.

The Region V 1A tournament is not cut-and-dry according to Jennings.

“I’m not trying to be biased, but in the boys tourney I think Skagway and Kake are going to go to state,” Jennings said. “And in the girls I think it is going to be Klawock and Skagway.”

He said he gets no perks on the streets of Skagway.

“But people talk to me about it and say how great I have been doing,” Jennings said.

He said he doesn’t do a lot of research but lets his expertise flow from experience.

“It came natural to me,” he said. “I didn’t do any research prior to any of the events I have done.”

His favorite game to call so far was last year’s Region V 1A runner-up game to State.

“Last year the Skagway boys played against the Klawock boys,” Jennings said. “Sadly we lost that game, but it was super fun to call because it was back and forth the whole game. Klawock hit a buzzer-beater at the final seconds.”

Don’t feel sad for Jennings though, he went to State anyway and called some action.

“The girls went to State last year and I called all those games,” he said. “And they placed sixth.”

Jennings has advice for fans who want to become announcers.

“If you are going to do research look for college announcers,” Jennings said. “They know a lot more than NBA announcers or NFL announcers who are more opinionated.”

• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.