Steve Brandon would have been pleased with the selection of Carter Stedman as the first recipient of the Steve Brandon Memorial Journalism Scholarship.

Brandon, who worked as a sportswriter and executive for 50 years for the Oregon Journal, Oregonian, Portland Tribune and Polk County Itemizer-Observer, died in 2022. Wife Carol Brandon and son Jared Brandon spearheaded a drive to fund a scholarship in his honor. Students who attend or attended high school in the state and are now in college are eligible for the annual award.

Stedman, 19, is what Steve would have had in mind. Carter is an athlete, a sports lover and a writing enthusiast who hopes to make a career in the field of sports journalism.

“A lot of times, it is hard for young kids to put themselves out there in a broadcasting field,” says Stedman, a Roseburg High graduate who will enter his sophomore year at Northwest Nazarene in Nampa, Idaho, in the fall. “One, opportunities are limited. Two, it’s not easy to put yourself out there in front of a camera or behind a mic.

“But I have had some unique opportunities already. To receive this kind of recognition in the name of a professional who was at it for a long time and did it well, it is a big honor. It’s something that gives me a lot of confidence to pursue a career in the journalism field.”

Stedman’s interest in sports communications began with his interest in sports.

“I have always had an obsession with sports,” he says. “I am a big football and basketball guy.”

The 5-9 Stedman was a three-year starter at point guard at Roseburg.

“Carter is a gifted athlete with a great mentality in basketball,” says Joey Kieran, who called Indians football, basketball and baseball games along with Dr. Stewart’s American Legion baseball for “The Score” radio, 92.3 FM and 1490 AM. “He wasn’t blessed with the best physical attributes. He is not the biggest guy. But at Roseburg, he was a grinder who worked really hard. He got propelled onto the varsity early on and was able to build into a leadership role as a senior running the point guard position. He was a valuable piece to their state playoff run his junior and senior years.”

Stedman also participated in cross country and track and field in high school. As a senior in cross country, he placed seventh in district and qualified for the state meet. In track and field, he qualified for the district finals in the 800 and 1,500 his junior and senior seasons.

Carter is now running cross country and track at Northwest Nazarene. As a freshman, he was part of a cross country team that qualified for the NCAA Division II Regionals. In indoor track, he ran the sixth-fastest mile in school history (4:12) and was also part of the distance medley team that notched the sixth-fastest clocking in school history.

“Running was something that Carter picked up late, I think geared around getting in shape for basketball,” Kieran says. “He has taken to it now and is real good when he puts his mind into things. When that happens, he puts everything he has into it.

“For him to participate in college athletics is impressive. He worked hard to get there.”

Stedman is majoring in communications at Northwest Nazarene and says he has “different levels of goals” in terms of a career.

“The ultimate goal would be to work for a major media corporation in broadcasting, whether it be hosting a talk show or doing game color commentary or play-by-play,” he says. “I feel like I am fairly well-rounded both in talking and writing articles. I have a good voice but also quality writing skills that I want to continue to develop. “Sticking my nose into it and covering sports is my first love. I would love an opportunity to share my thoughts and cover the sports world.”

At Northwest Nazarene, Stedman took a couple of media and broadcast courses.

“In our broadcast class, I wrote a bunch of pieces,” he says. “We had a weekly topic in the news and wrote an article about it. We had three or four mock broadcasts and I was able to do a couple of those. By the end of the year, I felt comfortable writing my own scripts. I could sit in front of the teleprompter and read them off.”

As a senior at Roseburg, Stedman helped Kieran with his broadcasts that were simulcast on the radio and on YouTube. Stedman was in the broadcast booth during football season and for a couple of lacrosse games in the spring, helping run a video camera, inserting video graphics and at times providing on-air commentary. He has also assisted Kieran in producing the Doc Stewart’s games for radio and YouTube this summer.

Kieran hosts a one-hour weekly radio program in which he airs interviews with three Douglas County athletes per episode.

“We had a segment called ‘Carter’s Corner’ in which he would interview a kid one-on-one,” Kieran says. “He was always willing to step up and help where needed while also learning some things about the business.”

*Carter Stedman, Steve Brandon scholarship winner*

Northwest Nazarene offers only a general communications degree. Stedman says he is considering a transfer after his sophomore year to a college that offers a degree in sports media.

“Or at least where the market is bigger, where I could cover sports or get an internship somewhere,” he says.

Kieran says he admires Stedman’s work ethic and has enjoyed working with him.

“Carter is a pleasure to be around,” Kieran says. “He is never afraid to put in hard work or do what is asked of him. He’s a passionate sports fan. He likes some of the teams I dislike — I’m an Oregon alum and he is a Husky fan, so we’ve had some good-natured back and forth — but we love to chop it up with sports talk.

“For me, it’s great to get a chance to work with young people who show a lot of passion and energy. Carter brings a lot of that. He is devoted to the goals he has set out in front of him. I am excited to see where that takes him.”

► ◄

Readers: what are your thoughts? I would love to hear them in the comments below. On the comments entry screen, only your name is required, your email address and website are optional, and may be left blank.

Follow me on X (formerly Twitter).

Like me on Facebook.

Find me on Instagram.

Be sure to sign up for my emails.

Roseburg’s Stedman claims first Steve Brandon scholarship

For Winterhawks’ Johnston and Gustafson, ‘It is going to be a change’

Jeff Sanders Entertainment: Doing it, and doing it well, for 35 years