ROCKLAND — If you listen to local radio you know the voice of Don Shields. If you listen to him do play-by-plays of local high school basketball on 105.5 Frank FM then you know that when he calls “Bingo!” someone has just hit a three-point basket. In fact, Shields may be known more for his “Bingo” than any other call by any other sports announcer in the state.

Where, when and why did Shields come up with “Bingo” and make it a exclamation that will forever signify in Midcoast Maine that a three-pointer was made at a basketball game?

“It was 1988 at the Western Class B Quarterfinals at the Augusta Civic Center,” said Shields. “I was calling the Lincoln Academy at Lisbon game and Chris McKenney hit three straight 3-pointers. On the third one I called ‘Bingo’ ... and Lisbon called time out. We took the break and I asked my broadcast partner and high school friend, David Hollis, ‘how did that sound after that last three?’ Like most broadcast partners who was also keeping the book, he said, ‘I wasn't paying attention to you, but I'll listen for the next one.’ Out of the time-out, Lisbon missed a shot, Lincoln came down and buried another three.... I yelled ‘Bingo,’ David gave me two thumbs up, and history was made.”  

Shields was born in 1960 in Camden and graduated from Camden-Rockport High School in 1978. During high school, Shields did not play sports, but he was the manager for the soccer, basketball and baseball teams. It was a job that he took seriously and he feels it played a role in his career path.

“I got to know the coaches, see the organization and get behind the scenes,” said Shields. “It definitely had an influence on my career path.”

Shields says he knew early on what he wanted to do.

“I wanted to be a broadcaster from the time I was six years old.” said Shields. “I remember hearing this guy talking on the radio and thought that was what I wanted to do. Always radio, never wanted to do TV.”

While in high school he got an early start as he and a friend would do mock play-by-plays at the girls’ games. They played on opposite nights, and the fever continued to grow. Right after high school, Shields attended Northeast Broadcasting School in Boston. There were 60 students enrolled in the course and Shields finished at the top of the class.

In July 1979, Shields got his first radio job on WBCC in Linesville, Penn.

The best part of being a radio broadcaster?

“Play by play is my favorite part.” said Shields, without hesitation. “It’s the dessert I get to eat on a regular basis. I love sports and I want to present something I love. My goal is to be informative, interesting and make the fans wish they were there.”

Shields moved back to Maine from Pennsylvania in 1985 and worked at WCME in Boothbay for about four months, and then worked at WRKD/WMCM from September 1985 thru September 2009. He has been with 105.5 Frank FM since September 2010.

His favorite high school game was the Rockland-Hermon double overtime boys semifinal in 1993.

His other favorite game was in 1992 when Rockland beat John Bapst in the Eastern Class B Regional before going on to win the state championship with a win over York.

Shields also has some fond memories of his first game as the Voice of the Black Bears Women’s Basketball team, a job he got in the start of the 2007-2008 season when Cindy Blodgett was in her first year as head coach of the women’s Black Bears.

“That game was at Clemson in South Carolina on a Friday night, Nov. 9, 2007,” said Shields. “I remember thinking this is Division One basketball. The emotion of calling that game was really cool.”

Shields does not have an exact number of games called in his career, but he says it is easily more than 1,000.

When Shields is not behind the microphone you will find him either getting ready for the baseball season or wrapping up the baseball season.

Shields coaches the Oceanside High School varsity baseball program, where he has been since the merger of Rockland District High School and Georges Valley High School. He was the varsity coach at Georges Valley for three years prior to the merger.

Shields’ coaching career began after a stint of nine years as an umpire from 1995-2006 as a member of the KLW (Knox-Lincoln-Waldo county) umpires. In 2007, he became the assistant coach at Georges Valley, a job he held for two years before becoming the head coach at Georges Valley from 2009 through 2011 for a total of five years with the team.

In 2012, Georges Valley and Rockland District High School consolidated and became Oceanside where Shields was hired to become the coach and is currently ready to start his third season.

Just as with broadcasting, Shields is equally thoughtful and organized when it comes to coaching.

“I have always loved the game, but I never really thought about coaching.” said Shields. “My son Matthew's Babe Ruth team needed a coach and I volunteered with another father and it was great. We didn't win a lot of games, but I really enjoyed working with the boys.”

Shields continued: “My favorite part is two-fold. I really enjoy working with and getting to know these young men and I hopefully get to affect them in a positive way. Secondly, the games themselves — the emotional roller coaster is nerve-wracking; yet, in a weird way, exciting. It's such a high when you make a move and it works, and of course frustrating when something doesn't work and the self second-guessing that goes with that.”

Shields is also involved with the Midcoast Sports Hall of Fame, where he is the vice president and acts as the MC for the annual induction ceremony held at the Rockland Elks Lodge in October of each year. The first induction was held in 2007.

Along with the new job as Voice of the Black Bears and the first Hall of Fame induction, Shields closed out the year of 2007 being named as the Maine Association of Broadcasters Broadcaster of the Year. He was proud of to be nominated by his peers and then voted as the top by the best in the business in the state.

Today, he keeps busy with high school and University of Maine games. He even picked up doing many of the Bowdoin College football and basketball games, as well as volleyball at the college.

Shields, whose family includes Mary, his wife; daughter Melissa; and sons Jonathan and Matthew, lives is Thomaston. All three of Shields’ children worked at the radio station while they were in high school and son John is still working in radio, employed by WVOM 103.9 in Bangor.

Ron Hawkes can be reached at sports@penbaypilot.com