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Students Make Championship Calls

By John Johnson
MHSAA Communications Director emeritus

December 16, 2013

It’s a great thrill each Thanksgiving weekend for those schools that make the trip to the Finals of the MHSAA Football Playoffs at Ford Field. 

For the players, they get to occupy the same space as some of their professional favorites did just hours earlier… names like Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford … Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver.

Buck, Aikman and Oliver?!!?!?

Joining the 16 schools playing the games this year were about 70 students from five other schools getting the experience of a lifetime on their own Ford Field trip as they got insights into the world of professional sports broadcasting.

The newly-founded Student Broadcast Foundation and the MHSAA partnered to provide the same kind of access the media covering the Finals get – and then some. Students visited various parts of Ford Field, including touring the Game Creek Video FX remote television facilities – the same production unit used for the Detroit Lions-Green Bay Packers contest on Thanksgiving Day, which will also originate FOX Sports’ Super Bowl XLVIII coverage at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., in February.

Some of the students were able to meet with media in attendance at the Finals to have their pictures taken and ask questions about careers in sports broadcasting and journalism.

Students, faculty advisors and parent-chaperones from the following schools took part in the experience: Cedar Springs, Davison, Detroit U- D Jesuit, Hillman, Warren DeLaSalle, Birmingham Brother Rice, Montrose and Detroit Catholic Central. Cedar Springs had the largest contingent with 28 students, with a parent covering the travel expenses for the group. Its experience is recapped in this embedded video.

"The whole experience at Ford Field was tremendous for our CSTV students,” said Justin Harnden, a teacher from Cedar Springs. “They were welcomed by the Student Broadcast Foundation, MHSAA, and Ford Field with open arms. Every student that attended had nothing but great things to say about everything. Seeing first-hand what it takes to put on such a big event will truly be beneficial to us as we all go forward in making our program better.”

Hillman had the second largest group with 17 students out of a student body of 151 from this school in Montmorency County, about 35 miles west of Alpena. “Absolutely outstanding job by your kids. You all made the best of your opportunity. Way to go! Your program just woke up a lot of people,” Hillman school board president Brad McLaren said in a text after the event to instructor Erin Brege.

Other videos were produced by students from Davison, Hillman and Montrose, and links to their productions are shown below. You can check out photos from the activities by visiting the Student Broadcasting Foundation’s Facebook page. Also, click to see videos shot by Davison and Montrose that now appear at MHSAA.TV.

“In the many years that Tom Skinner, Ken Kolb and I have been involved with broadcasting high school sports on radio and cable TV, this year’s Football Finals weekend was the most inspiring, satisfying, fun weekend working with these talented students and their dedicated instructors,” said Thom Lengyel, one of the founders of the Student Broadcast Foundation, a private non-profit organization.

Students from the participating schools also took part in calling the action of the eight championship games on the MHSAANetwork.com website, where an average of 250 people clicked in per contest. Calling the games were:

  • Cedar Springs - Kyle Maka, Kody Hall, Alex Hughes (Division 1)
  • Davison - Shawn Bednard, Chris Jared, Brandon Snyder (Division 7)
  • Detroit U-D Jesuit - Jack Sznewjas, Chris Houle (Division 8)
  • Hillman – Mike Klein, Kyle McLaren, Noah Allen, Bubba Banks (Division 4)
  • Warren DeLaSalle -  Brendan Johnson, Jake O'Donnell (Division 2)
  • Birmingham Brother Rice – Miles Hampton, Jeremy Otto - Mentor (Division 6)
  • Detroit Catholic Central – Joesph Trojniak, Adam Abraham - Mentor (Division 5) 

Several of the schools involved also are part of the MHSAA’s Student Broadcast Program, which produced nearly 1,000 events during the fall sports season for the MHSAA.TV Website.

Read more about Hillman's experience here in reports from the Alpena News and WBKB-TV. And read on for a report on Cedar Springs' experience by student reporter Kendra Coons. 

C.S.T.V. Production Program “Hits it out of the park” at Ford Field

Change.

It’s a word that many people don’t deal with well. In this case, it was for the better at Cedar Springs High School.

 In 2012, drama teacher, Justin Harnden took over the television program at CSHS. The second he took it over many changes were made to the C.S.T.V. program. The program bought brand new cameras, computers, TVs, and much more. He started working on getting his students to film sporting events, work on Public Service Announcements, capture the latest news in the school; and for the biggest change, start announcing play-by-play.  

“We are here to put out more than just news for our school and community. We are doing sports, award shows, graduation, Red Flannel things, and much more. We are destined for great things,” expressed Harnden.

With one year under his belt, Harnden started to submit C.S.T.V.’s work to the MHSAA. After the fall season of 2013, Thom Lengyel and Ken Kolb, who are a part of the Student Broadcast Foundation, heard C.S.T.V. production students Kyle Maka and Kody Hall perform play-by-play for one of Cedar Springs’ football games. After listening to the both of them, Lengyel contacted Harnden and offered for Maka, Hall, and the rest of the class to come down to Ford Field. Lengyel explained to Harnden that the trip to Ford Field would give the class a chance to receive a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on during a broadcast and give Maka and Hall a chance to call the Division 1 championship high school football game.

On Saturday, Nov. 30 the C.S.T.V. Production program traveled out of their little town of Cedar Springs, Michigan, to face the big town of Detroit, Michigan. The day started out with the students boarding the bus at 8:15 am for a three-hour drive to the east side of the state. Once the students stepped off the bus they received their press passes. This gave them full access to walk out onto the field and sit in press row. Once the class arrived at Ford Field, they traveled up to the seventh floor to meet Lengyel. Lengyel then introduced the class to Kolb, showed them where Fox Sports does all of their announcing, and showed them where press row was located. After all of that was done, it was time for Maka and Hall to announce play-by-play for the Division 1 championship. Another member of C.S.T.V. also received a chance to announce play-by-play for the game, Alex Hughes.

Coming from a town with an estimated 3,500 people, the three boys were not used to a big stage. A lot of the community would annually attend our high school football games, but nothing to the caliber of what the three boys were about to announce.

“Doing the play-by-play was just amazing. I felt on top of the world. It was the best experience of my life,” commented Maka.

“It was honestly a feeling that I've never felt before ... It almost didn't seem real at first, but once I opened up (to) the environment I had an amazing time,” stated Hughes.

While the three boys were announcing play-by-play, the rest of the class received the opportunity to walk onto the field and sit in press row. After the game the students received the chance to walk through the Fox Sports trailers. These trailers are where all of the action happens. Being able to walk through these trailers was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the C.S.T.V program.

“I thought looking around the Fox Sports Detroit mobile studio was eye opening. Seeing two of the three trucks that will handle all the production aspects of the Super Bowl was really great. We were able to see all that goes on in that setting, and we were amazed by it,” explains Harnden.

“Getting to tour Fox Sports was crazy because normally the behind the scenes work isn't seen at all, so that opportunity was perfect for the class,” said Hall.

After the students toured the buses, they all headed back up to the seventh floor to grab their things, say their goodbyes, and thank Lengyel and Kolb for the opportunity. Right before the class got ready to leave Lengyel had a few words to say to the class. He told the class how well they were behaved and how well the three boys did at calling the game.

“Getting those compliments from someone who has been in the business for so long was quite overwhelming, especially for myself not knowing much about football and (it) being the first time doing commentary,” said Hughes.

“(I had) a sense of joy and pride. I was so glad that somebody of his job caliber enjoyed how we did,” added Hall.

“When Thom gave us those compliments, I just could not stop smiling. When Thom said that we were just as good on our fourth game as those who have been calling games for four years, (it) just made me believe that this is something I can really do for the rest of my life. I hope that dream comes true,” commented Maka.

Not only did Lengyel and the rest of the class believe they did a great job, Maka, Hughes, and Hall’s teacher also believed they did exceptionally.

“I thought Kyle, Kody, and Alex did a great job. This was only the fourth game that they have called and they went above and beyond our expectations. Everyone involved with the production was impressed with what they did,” stated Harnden.

The students were able to take away many things from traveling to Ford Field. Going behind the scenes of Fox Sports is something not many people get a chance to say that they did. The class and Harden believe it was very beneficial to be able to participate in an experience like this.

“The students were exposed to a lot of aspects within media production. From press row, to the Fox Sports Detroit mobile studio, calling the game on the radio, and being allowed to see every aspect of a big stadium production really was eye opening,” explained Harnden.

The experience of traveling to Ford Field was definitely an experience that none of the class members will ever forget. Not only did they have a blast, but they learned a ton too.

“I definitely think that the trip benefited the class because we (were all able) to see things about professional broadcasting that most people can't. (Also) we (were able) to learn what it takes to make a professional broadcast,” says Maka.

The day after the program traveled to Ford Field, Lengyel emailed Harnden about C.S.T.V. Production and his view on their performance.

“... During the broadcast I knew that they were doing a good job,” expressed Thom. “So I wanted to listen to their broadcast when I got home. I could not put the mp3 player down. I did not pause it until halftime. For their fifth broadcast, listening to their preparation come out in the broadcast, changed my opinion to: THEY HIT IT OUT OF THE PARK.”

Lengyel has been in the business for many years. Having a compliment like that from a man with so much experience really hit home for the C.S.T.V. Production program.

If you would like to see what C.S.T.V. is all about, like us on Facebook, “CSTV”, follow us on Twitter “@CedarSpringsTV”, visit our website, “www.cedarspringstv.com” and make sure to watch our newscasts and listen for our play-by-play on MHSAA.TV.

C.S.T.V. Production truly wants to thank the Student Broadcast Foundation for the opportunity it was given. And a special thanks to Lengyel and Kolb for selecting C.S.T.V. and helping with advancing the program to the next level.

Hughes stated, “I can't thank the Student Broadcast Foundation and the MHSAA enough for letting our class have the opportunity to go to Ford Field and experience everything that we did. I would also like to thank our teacher Justin Harnden for turning around our TV Pro program. … Lastly, I would like to thank our class for always being there for one another and making this year memorable.”

PHOTOS: (Top) Two students call a game during the MHSAA Football Finals. (Below) Some of the students who visited Ford Field pose during a championship game. (Photos courtesy of the School Broadcast Foundation.)

Grand Blanc defenders converge on a Muskegon Mona Shores ball carrier during the Sailors' 28-26 win.

1st & Goal: 2024 Week 1 Review

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

September 3, 2024

Football is the only high school sport for which teams prepare an entire week to play just one game, and at most are guaranteed nine games each season.

MI Student AidThat being the case, every week contributes significantly to a team’s overall story. And we're thrilled to tell as many as possible again, starting with what struck us most from season openers this past holiday weekend.

This time, headliners included a pair of victories over 2023 Finals champions, and two of the highest-scoring games in MHSAA history. And those are just a few of the notables from this first chapter, as we restart our weekly "1st & Goal" series to highlight several of the results that especially jumped off the page.

Bay & Thumb

HEADLINER Frankenmuth 22, Goodrich 0 After falling to the Martians on a last-minute score to start the 2023 season, Frankenmuth avenged by handing Goodrich its first regular-season shutout since 2018. Logan Diener led the Eagles’ defensive effort with 15 tackles and two sacks, and Kobbi Ke outran Goodrich as a team 117 yards to 54. Click for more from the Saginaw News.

Watch list Fenton 28, Midland Dow 14 The Tigers also opened last season with a win over Dow, by two points, on the way to a Flint Metro League title – and this victory was even more impressive with quarterback Noah Sheil starring.

On the move Harbor Beach 24, Cass City 22 (OT) These two finished a combined 17-5 last year, and Harbor Beach extended its winning streak against the Red Hawks to three this weekend with an overtime defensive stand. Saginaw Heritage 48, Mount Pleasant 24 Despite graduating one of the most accomplished receivers in MHSAA history, Heritage raced to a second-straight win over the Oilers, who won a league title a year ago. Armada 28, Marine City 27 This ending was unforgettable as well, as both teams scored during the final two minutes, Armada first and then Marine City on a kickoff return – but the Tigers stopped the ensuing two-point conversion try.

Greater Detroit

HEADLINER Belleville 35, Clarkston 28 Belleville quarterback Bryce Underwood started one of the nation’s most anticipated senior seasons running for 177 yards and two scores and throwing two touchdown passes. His 55-yard TD sprint with 18 seconds left was the game-winner at the Xenith Prep Kickoff Classic. Click for more from the Detroit Sports Commission.

Watch list Warren De La Salle Collegiate 21, Davison 3 In another premier Xenith matchup at Wayne State, the 2023 Division 2 runner-up Pilots avenged last season’s 31-26 loss to Davison by dealing the Cardinals their first single-digit scoring day since 2021.

On the move West Bloomfield 42, Clinton Township Chippewa Valley 0 The Lakers left no doubt in this rematch of annual powers, impressing even more after winning last season’s matchup with the Big Reds by just a point. Lake Orion 21, Northville 13 These were both 10-game winners a year ago, and Lake Orion is back on course after last season’s lone loss came by a point in its District Final. Riverview Gabriel Richard 15, Montrose 10 Gabriel Richard began building on last season’s trip to the Division 8 Semifinals by holding on against a Rams team that reached the Division 7 Regional Finals in 2023.

Mid-Michigan

HEADLINER Lansing Everett 28, Lansing Sexton 0 Everett ended a two-game losing streak against its rival in a big way, shutting out a Sexton offense that scored 30 points per game last season and putting up 28 on a Sexton defense that gave up that many only once a year ago. Click for more from the Lansing State Journal.

Watch list East Lansing 31, Portage Central 7 Much is expected of the Trojans this season, and they showed why immediately in this matchup of 2023 league champions. East Lansing shut down a Central offense that averaged nearly 32 points per game last year.

On the move DeWitt 69, Haslett 42 These rivals ran right into the MHSAA record book combining for more than 100 points during one of the most high-scoring games of opening night, as the Panthers’ Elliott Larner and Vikings’ Kory Amachree combined to run for seven touchdowns. Pewamo-Westphalia 8, North Muskegon 7 The Pirates avenged their only two losses of a year ago (on opening night and then in a Regional Final) with a fourth-quarter touchdown and two-point conversion. Fowler 20, Hudson 6 Fowler also made some big-time small-school noise with this win over a Hudson program that was a combined 31-5 over the last three seasons.

Northern Lower Peninsula

HEADLINER Ogemaw Heights 29, Ubly 13 Ogemaw is coming off its best season in over a decade, and it’s impossible to argue with this start against last season’s undefeated Division 8 champion. Ubly has some significant changes on offense as several standouts graduated, and is a much smaller school, but the Falcons still held the Bearcats to their lowest-scoring performance since 2021. Click for more from the Bay City Times.

Watch list Traverse City West 6, Gaylord 0 West avenged last season’s 13-7 loss to the Blue Devils, who are coming off a perfect regular season and league and District titles. The Titans are seeking their first winning season since 2021.

On the move Traverse City St. Francis 67, Charlevoix 22 After opening last season with a one-point win over the Rayders, St. Francis fell to them in their Division 7 District opener. This avenges that, but they could mean again. Elk Rapids 7, Benzie Central 2 This may seem more like a baseball score, and Elk Rapids will take it after losing this matchup 47-26 last season and missing the playoffs at 4-5 while Benzie qualified at 5-4. Petoskey 8, Greenville 6 Only a few points were scored in this one too, but Petoskey knows every one of them counts after making the playoffs at 5-4 as well last season.

Southeast & Border

HEADLINER Onsted 35, Napoleon 20 The Wildcats are seeking their first winning season since 2019 and finished 2-7 a year ago. But they’re halfway to equaling that total after a loud start, as Napoleon is coming off back-to-back league titles. Click for more from the Adrian Daily Telegram.

Watch list Ypsilanti Lincoln 10, Milan 7 The Railsplitters are seeking their first winning season since 2017 and won two games a year ago as well, but they are on the right path with this victory over a 2023 playoff qualifier.

On the move Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 22, Clinton 14 The Falcons bounced back from losing to Clinton by the same score in last season’s Division 7 District Final. Jackson Lumen Christi 49, Michigan Center 21 This matchup featured two of the Jackson area’s traditional best for the second-straight season, with the reigning Division 7 champion Titans again prevailing. Ann Arbor Pioneer 27, Adrian 17 The Pioneers avenged last season’s 36-30 loss to the Maples as they look to build on their winningest season since 2015.

Southwest Corridor

HEADLINER Paw Paw 32, Big Rapids 14 Paw Paw won this opening matchup for the second season in a row and by an almost identical score as in 2023, when Big Rapids went on to win the Central State Activities Association Gold and the Red Wolves finished second in the Wolverine Conference. PJ DeYoung led the way this time with 203 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Click for more from the Kalamazoo Gazette.

Watch list St. Joseph 30, Niles 7 St. Joseph rebounded significantly after losing last season’s opener to Niles 55-0. The Bears took strides on both sides of the ball; Niles never scored fewer than 14 points in a game last season, and St. Joseph reached 30 only three times in 2023.  

On the move Hartford 55, Niles Brandywine 24 Hartford has a varsity team for the first time since 2021 and now its first win since 2019. Dowagiac 21, South Haven 11 Dowagiac last year posted its first winning season since 2019 despite a one-point loss to South Haven in their opener, and ending a three-game losing streak against the Rams over the weekend was another solid step. Buchanan 32, Saugatuck 6 Buchanan was another season-opening avenger, having fallen to Saugatuck 25-14 a year ago in what turned into a playoff season for both.

Marquette's Drew Bradley (6) breaks a tackle and gains several yards.

Upper Peninsula

HEADLINER Marquette 55, Gladstone 0 Watch out for the Sentinels. Marquette had lost two in a row to Gladstone, including 36-7 a year ago, and hadn’t reached 50 points in a game since 2021. This also was Marquette’s first season-opening win in three years. Click for more from the Marquette Mining Journal.

Watch list Ishpeming Westwood 36, Bark River-Harris 12 Westwood is coming off a pair of sub-.500 finishes after a string of much better ones, but breaking a two-game losing streak against Bark River-Harris could be the start of a turnaround. The Broncos had won last season’s matchup 50-14.

On the move Gwinn 14, Bridgeport 6 The Modeltowners are 1-0 for the first time since 2018 – the last time the team posted a winning record for the season. Iron Mountain 26, Houghton 16 The Mountaineers ran their winning streak against Houghton to three, but the Gremlins made this the closest matchup since their most recent victory over Iron Mountain in 2021. Kingsford 21, Escanaba 0 These two renewed this rivalry after a year ago, with Kingsford claiming its third-straight victory in the longtime series.

West Michigan

HEADLINER Zeeland West 28, Muskegon 13 This jumps off the page as Muskegon is the reigning Division 2 champion and won 12 straight games – including 22-16 over West – to close last season. But looking back further, it's fair to say the Dux have been on the verge; the Big Reds had won four of the last five matchups, but all of them were decided by eight points or fewer. This one, however, was a nonleague game as they are in separate divisions of the Ottawa-Kent Conference this fall for the first time since 2019. Click for more from the Holland Sentinel.

Watch list Reed City 24, Kingsley 22 Not to be outdone, Reed City also defeated a reigning Finals champion, edging last year’s Division 6 title winner Kingsley with a touchdown and two-point conversion with one second to play. Kingsley had defeated Reed City 37-7 last fall to advance to Ford Field.

On the move Rockford 30, Detroit Cass Tech 23 These Division 1 powers met for the first time, and the next time could be with a championship on the line. Rockford held on with a late defensive stand. Hudsonville Unity Christian 43, Whitehall 21 Unity Christian is coming off its first sub-.500 season in a decade, which began with a loss to Whitehall – which went on to finish 10-1 last fall and is Unity’s only opponent from 2023 on this year’s schedule. Muskegon Mona Shores 28, Grand Blanc 26 Shores followed quarterback Jonathan Pittman across the state for an impressive win at the Vehicle City Gridiron Classic.

Otsego's Lane Blanchard breaks through an opening during his team's loss to Coopersville.

8-Player

HEADLINER Pickford 40, Powers North Central 12 Pickford dealt the Jets a season-opening defeat for the first time since 2018 as the two 8-player powers faced off for the first time since 2019. Both could again be in the championship mix in at the end of this fall; North Central made the Division 2 Regional Finals last season, and Pickford reached the Division 1 Semifinals. Click for more from the Escanaba Daily Press.

Watch list Britton Deerfield 68, Pittsford 58 This tied for the 20th highest-scoring game in MHSAA 8-player history, with Britton Deerfield rebounding nicely off last year’s 2-7 finish to defeat a Pittsford team coming off a 7-3 run.

On the move Brimley 26, St. Ignace 0 The Saints stormed into 8-player last season with a 9-2 finish, but Brimley coming off a 3-6 run pulled off one of the stunners of Week 1 as it pursues a first .500-or-better season since 2019. Gaylord St. Mary 8, Rudyard 0 This was nearly an opposite of last season’s meeting; St. Mary’s won this time after Rudyard claimed last year’s 58-32. Atlanta 40, Rogers City 36 Atlanta closed last season 2-2 over its final four games and might be on the verge of another step forward with this first win over Rogers City after two losses in their previous two 8-player matchups – including 34-24 a year ago.

MHSAA.com's weekly “1st & Goal” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Click to connect with MI Student Aid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.

PHOTOS (Top) Grand Blanc defenders converge on a Muskegon Mona Shores ball carrier during the Sailors' 28-26 win. (Middle) Marquette's Drew Bradley (6) breaks a tackle and gains several yards against Gladstone. (Below) Otsego's Lane Blanchard breaks through an opening during his team's 41-0 loss to Coopersville. (Top photo by Terry Lyons, middle photo by Cara Kamps and below photo by Gary Shook.)