(Editor’s note: This story is part of an ongoing series spotlighting the voices behind local high school athletics.)

On a crisp autumn night at Drake Stadium, the Newnan High Cougars charge onto the field as the crowd rises to its feet.

Beneath the roar of the band, the student section and the crack of shoulder pads, one familiar voice cuts through the noise.

It is not a coach or a player. It is Mike Barber.

For more than three decades, Barber has been the steady, unmistakable presence on the public address system at Newnan High, announcing first downs, touchdowns and halftime shows with the same enthusiasm as the day he started. Around here, he is simply known as the “Voice of the Cougars.”

“I don’t really call myself that,” Barber said with a laugh. “But that’s what they say. Other

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