The WXAL AM1400 is just a week away making its debut as the first sports/talk station in this area. That’s one positive the Wards, Jimbo and Amy, have going for them.

The second is that they will be broadcasting Sweet Water High School football on 98.5 FM WINL, on Friday nights.

“Stan Stokely, the principal of Sweet Water High School, came to us earlier in the year,” said Jimbo. “We didn’t think we could make it work. But their sponsors stepped up and made it happen. It’s, to my knowledge, the only 1A high school team in the state to be broadcast on a 100,000 watt station in the state of Alabama.”

Bryan Lewis and Jimbo Ward will share the broadcasting duties for the Bulldogs.

Sweet Water will make its radio debut Sept. 1, when they face 4A Thomasville. The game will be framed by a call-in show before and after the game that is produced by WINL.

As for the Sportsticket, the sports/talk station will begin broadcasting on Monday and will pick up West Alabama Prep football on Friday nights.

“We are also going to be an affiliate of the Alabama High School Athletic Association Radio Network,” said Amy. “WXAL and WINL will carry a 3-minute program everyday called AHSAA Today, which will basically serve as an update show.”

According to Amy Ward, AHSAA Today will run every morning at 6:40 a.m., on WXAL. The time slot on WINL has yet to be determined.

Being an affiliate station means that WAXL will broadcast all of the Super Six championship games regardless if anyone from this area is there. They will also be able to broadcast 36 of the AHSAA’s state final basketball games from Birmingham and 18 of the state’s championship baseball games.

Also, on the Sportsticket, the Wards will be able to broadcast the AHSAA’s scoreboard show at the end of each Friday night and until midnight.

They will also follow the West Alabama Prep Titans should they make it into the playoffs.