The Voice You Know, The Man You Don’t: Meet Paxton Elmore

If you’ve followed White County sports over the past few years, you’ve heard his voice. Friday nights in the fall, deep playoff runs, big moments on the hardwood — it’s all come through your speakers with the same steady energy. But unless you’ve crossed paths with him in person, you may not know much about the guy behind the mic.

That voice belongs to Paxton Elmore — now known across Sparta as the “Voice of the Warriors.”

For most fans, Elmore is part of the experience. He’s the one keeping you connected when you can’t make it to the game. Whether you’re driving home on a Friday night or trying to catch a score between errands, he’s there — calling every play, every run, every big moment as it happens. And now, he’s bringing that same energy to the page, adding written coverage of White County sports for Main Street Journal – Sparta.

But long before he was on the call for Warriors football, basketball, or flag football, Paxton was an athlete himself.

His background in sports started early, going back to his days in little league football. He later played basketball at North Cumberland Elementary before finding his footing on the wrestling mat at Stone Memorial High School. That’s where things really took off. Elmore served as team captain his junior and senior years, qualified for the state tournament as a senior, and earned Most Valuable Wrestler honors to close out his high school career.

Even after graduation, he stayed close to the sport — spending six seasons as an assistant coach at Stone Memorial, continuing to build the same discipline and competitive edge that now shows up in his broadcasting.

At the same time, another path was taking shape.

“I’ve been doing radio for 7 years,” Elmore said. “Sports broadcasting is what I’ve always wanted to do since I was in high school.”

That goal turned into an opportunity when an internship opened up at a Crossville radio station. He took it and ran with it — learning every part of the business along the way. Today, his role goes far beyond calling games. He handles news and weather broadcasts, works in production, records commercials, and DJs weekday afternoons. The job has even opened doors to interviews with country music artists and media access at the college level.

Through his work, Elmore has covered Tennessee Lady Vols basketball, attending games over the past three seasons and interacting with names like Kelly Harper, Kim Caldwell, and even Geno Auriemma following Tennessee’s win over UConn last year.

Still, it’s his work with White County that’s made him a familiar name in Sparta.

“This past sports season was my third calling White County games on YERT for Main Street Media,” Elmore said. “When I was asked if I wanted to be the ‘Voice of the Warriors’ in 2023, I didn’t hesitate to say yes.”

Since then, he’s been on the call for multiple football playoff runs and, most recently, the Warriorettes’ appearance in the state championship game — a moment that meant a lot not just to the players and fans, but to the guy behind the mic as well.

“It’s been a blast traveling around the state,” he said. “It was an honor to be able to call the Warriorettes state tournament final recently.”

Coming into it, there were some unknowns. Elmore is from Crossville, and at the time, White County wasn’t his home base. But that didn’t last long.

“I was nervous since I didn’t know much about White County,” he said. “But I’ve met some amazing people and [I’m] excited for the future.”

And that’s really what this comes down to.

In a way, things are starting to come full circle for Elmore. After working his way up in the business, he’s now helping the next group do the same. White County High School students will be sitting in with him during broadcasts to learn what it takes on the radio side — where there’s no game film to lean on and no silence to hide behind.

First up was Andrew Price, who many already know from Warrior Media’s video broadcasts. But radio is a different animal, and Price got a firsthand look riding shotgun with Elmore during the State semifinals and championship game. Looking ahead, Elmore will keep that going next school year as he shares the mic with more Warrior Media students and showing them the ropes, one broadcast at a time.

The next time you hear that voice on YERT 92.7 — whether it’s a big third down, a fast break, or a late-game drive — just know there’s a lot behind it. Years of work, a background in sports, and someone who genuinely enjoys being part of it all.

Now, he’s not just calling the moments.

He’s helping tell the stories, too.