BILLINGS — Public speaking is something many people dread but at Billings West High, one awesome student welcomes a chance to entertain a crowd.
He's a fixture at each and every West High home game. A student wowing crowds, not for his skills on the court but for his talent behind the microphone.
Jeremiah Yates is the voice of the West High Boys' varsity basketball game.
"He gets the entire crowd on their feet and gets them going. He thrives on it, it's huge for him. It's really cool," said Marcus Drange, an assistant coach for the West High boys' basketball team, on Tuesday.
He also loves weather and is known around school as a weather fanatic. In 2021, MTN's Ed McIntosh surprised him at school during the morning announcements.
Yates may someday want to follow in Ed's footsteps, and he currently delivers the forecast to students at West High every Wednesday morning. And while he has a passion for weather, he also has a knack for sports.
"He loves it, he loves every single second of it. And the kids respond to it, and we respond to it," said Kim Petersen, Jeremiah's counselor.
A student of many talents that inspires just about everyone he meets.
"It hypes us up. He really gets into it to the point where we feel it. It hypes us up and we get jumpy. It's really cool," said Hunter Saks, a Billings West High senior.
And that also includes his teacher, Samie Drange.
"Everybody needs a Jeremiah in their lives. He just brings so much energy. He makes everybody feel good and for him to get up and be the voice of West High and to show the school who he is, is absolutely incredible," said Drange.
This is Yates's last night of the season as the voice of the Golden Bears, but you can bet he'll be back again next year, firing up the crowds once again.
"I think they give their best because Jeremiah gives it his," said Drange.
"His energy is infectious, and I think that they feed off of that as well," added Petersen.
