Mike Houghtaling is an inductee for the second class of the Starr’s Mill of Fame. He announces for all of the varsity football games while his wife, Andrea Houghtaling, works the scoreboard.
“We just tried to be involved where our kids were,” Houghtaling said.
As the son of a disk jockey in the ‘50s, Houghtaling was always interested in things that involved announcing.
“My father was a disk jockey back in the ‘50s and the ‘60s, and so I’ve always liked music, I’ve always liked announcing type things,” Houghtaling said.
Houghtaling attended Brigham Young University until he accepted a job with the Federal Aviation Administration as an air traffic controller.
Houghtaling has lived in Peachtree City for about 40 years and has had four kids graduate from Starr’s Mill.
He started off announcing during his daughter’s, math teacher Erin Badger’s, 7th grade basketball games at the middle school until he was asked by the administration to announce for Starr’s Mill sports when the school opened.
When he started out he announced basketball, football, lacrosse, and soccer. He was also the first Tip Off booster club president and was involved in filming Starr’s Mill events up until last year. Houghtaling and his family have five bricks in Panther Stadium.
“I’m thrilled with the honor, but I never would have nominated myself,” Houghtaling said. “I would have never expected it, but we have loved being at the school.”
In his free time, he likes to travel and ride his motorcycle with his gang and is a member of the Church of Latter-Day Saints.
“We love Starr’s Mill, we love the teachers, we love the administrators, we love the students,” Houghtaling said. “It’s been a real privilege and a blessing to be associated with Starr’s Mill for so long.”