Meet new high school sports beat writer Wendell Shepherd Jr.

As I drove over the I-40 bridge early on Saturday morning, a small gasp escaped me as the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid came into view.

My eyes were wide as my new home of Memphis unfolded before me. As a Houston-area kid who'd spent the last four years in the small, but endlessly charming, city of Columbia, Missouri, for college, I couldn't wait to be back in a metro area.

Amid the whirlwind that is moving your life from one place to another, my first weekend didn't disappoint. Stops at Gus's, Central BBQ and B.B. King's Blues Club made me feel closer to home.

When Sunday turned to Monday, my new journey officially began as the Commerical Appeal's high school sports beat writer.

I'm more than excited to throw myself into Memphis' bustling high school sports scene. My first reporting gig in college was covering a local high school football team. I loved connecting with the team's players, coaches, families and community, and I look forward to doing that here in the 901.

Before I graduated from the Missouri School of Journalism in May, I covered Mizzou football for nearly two years for the Columbia Missourian. My first road trip of the 2023 season was to St. Louis, where Mizzou played the University of Memphis, a game that was initially scheduled to take place at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.

It seems I was always meant to end up in Memphis one way or another.

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Before that, I spent three summers as an intern at NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth and was a sports radio show host and color commentator for KCOU 88.1 FM in Columbia.

Everyone I've spoken to about the Memphis high school sports scene has described it as a playground full of rich history, talent and stories. I can't wait to learn it all for myself.

I'm curious by nature with a keen attention to detail. I hope to share the stories that aren't being told. Those that bring to light undercovered trends and happenings across the city. As a former baseball player for 15 years, I look forward to connecting with the city's up-and-coming athletes, telling their stories holistically in a time when athletes are more commodified than ever.

I've been a fan of sports my whole life and was always taught that sports are about more than just the box scores. Sports are about the stories. Memphis is a city full of stories, and I'm excited to dig in.

Reach sports writer Wendell Shepherd Jr. at wendell.shepherd@commercialappeal.com or follow him @wendellsjr_ on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.