Updated 1/3/2021 7:40 PM

(To our readers: We thought you’d enjoy hearing the voice message recorded by Hall of Fame broadcaster Bill Schonely for the phone of Troy Belnap, winner of the drawing held for subscribers to kerryeggers.com.)

Troy Belnap is the winner of our drawing to have Bill Schonely record a message for the voicemail on his cell phone.

Belnap, 43, is a fitting recipient of this prize. He has been a fan of “The Schonz” since his childhood days in McMinnville.

“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve listened to Trail Blazer games on the radio, starting with Bill Schonely in the early ‘90s,” Belnap says. “Whenever we could watch them on TV, too, we would. But I loved listening to ‘The Schonz.’ He made the game come to life, at least for me. You’d want to listen to the game because of him.”

Belnap says his all-time favorite Blazer player was Jerome Kersey. He’s excited that my biography on Kersey (“Overcoming the Odds: How Jerome Kersey Blazed a Trail from Clarksville, Va., to the NBA”) will be published next fall. Belnap’s love for “hoops” runs deep. He served as manager of the Sheridan High basketball team for two years.

Currently unemployed, Belnap is pursing his bachelor’s degree in business management with the University of Phoenix. He holds an associate degree in hospitality management from Chemeketa Community College.

The message Schonely recorded for Troy’s phone:

“Wherever you may be, this is Bill Schonely. Troy is unavailable at the moment, but if you leave a message, he’ll return your call promptly. Thank you, and remember — you have to hit your free throws. Rip City, Baby!”

Readers: stay tuned for my next contest.

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