Montrose Junior Named NFHS Network's Best
By
John Johnson
MHSAA Communications Director emeritus
April 26, 2017
Eric Vandefifer, a junior at Montrose High School, was named today the Best Student Broadcaster nationally in the NFHS Network School Broadcast Program Awards.
For the second straight year, James Kitts, the coordinator of the School Broadcast Program at Montrose, was a finalist in the Teacher of the Year category.
Just last week, Montrose was named the “Program of the Year” in the MHSAA’s School Broadcast Program Excellence Awards for 2016-17, claiming the top honor for the fourth straight year. Montrose took first place in four categories.
Vandefifer also was honored recently by the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association as the top Student Broadcaster in Division 3. Vandefifer and his broadcast partner David Sackrider placed second in the Play-By-Play Category in the MHSAA SBP awards and first in the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Foundation Sports Announcing Team category this year.
In its eighth year, the School Broadcast Program gives members an opportunity to showcase excellence in their schools by creating video programming of athletic and non-athletic events, with students gaining skills in announcing, camera operation, directing/producing and graphics.
The program also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions.
All sporting events – live or delayed – are available on a subscription basis only for their first 72 hours online. They become available for free, on-demand viewing approximately 72 hours following their completion.
Here’s this week’s MHSAA.tv schedule of live video streams being produced by SBP members (All times Eastern):
Wednesday, April 26
- JV Softball – Onaway at Rogers City, 4 p.m.
- JV Softball – Onaway at Rogers City, 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 27
- Girls Soccer – Lake Fenton at Montrose, 4 p.m.
- Baseball – Rudyard at Rogers City, 4 p.m.
- Softball – Lake Linden-Hubbell at Calumet, 4 p.m.
- Softball – Troy Athens at Lake Orion, 4:30 p.m.
- Baseball – Rudyard at Rogers City, 5:30 p.m.
- Softball – Lake Linden-Hubbell at Calumet, 6 p.m.
- Boys Lacrosse – Holt at East Lansing, 7 p.m. (On Demand)
Monday, May 1
- Baseball – Mt. Morris at Montrose, 4 p.m.
- Softball – Baraga at Calumet, 4 p.m.
- Softball – Baraga at Calumet, 6 p.m.
- Girls Soccer – Clarkston at Lake Orion, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, May 2
- Baseball – L’Anse at Calumet, 4 p.m.
- JV Softball – Oscoda at Rogers City, 4 p.m.
- JV Softball – Oscoda at Rogers City, 5:30 p.m.
- Baseball – L’Anse at Calumet, 6 p.m.
- Girls Soccer – Montrose at Corunna, 7 p.m.
Be sure to check the Upcoming Events page at MHSAA.tv for schedule additions every day.
The NFHS Network has announced new pricing for 2016-17, eliminating the Day Pass and lowering the cost of a Month Pass to $9.95. Subscribers will have access to all live video and streaming statistics across the country. All content becomes available for free, on-demand viewing 72 hours after being shown live. A portion of every subscription sold by a school goes to benefit its program.
A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA website.
PHOTO: Montrose's Eric Vandefifer (left) and Conner Pyrc call an MHSAA Girls Soccer Semifinal last season for the NFHS Network. (Photo courtesy of Montrose High School digital media.)
Streams Continue with Saturday Lacrosse
June 4, 2019
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
There will be live streaming audio and video coverage of the MHSAA Boys & Girls Lacrosse Finals on Saturday (June 8) on the MHSAA Network and MHSAA.tv.
The MHSAA’s audio streaming website – MHSAANetwork.com – goes back on the air for the last two weekends of the Spring sports tournament run for live coverage of the Lacrosse and Girls Soccer Finals, as well as the Semifinals and Finals in Baseball and Softball.
Here’s the complete Lacrosse Finals schedule with direct links to the live video streams on MHSAA.tv:
Girls Finals at Novi High School
2 p.m. – Division 2 – Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood/East Grand Rapids Semifinal winner v. Okemos/Bloomfield Hills Marian Semifinal winner
4:30 p.m. – Division 1 – Birmingham Seaholm/Rockford Semifinal winner v. Hartland/Brighton Semifinal winner
Boys Finals at Parker Middle School, Howell
2 p.m. – Division 1 – Birmingham Brother Rice/Rockford Semifinal winner v. Detroit Catholic Central/Lake Orion Semifinal winner
4:30 p.m. – Division 2 – Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central/Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Semifinal winner v. East Grand Rapids/Ada Forest Hills Eastern Semifinal winner
Subscribe for a Month Pass to the NFHS Network for $9.95, which will provide access to more than 100 hours of live programming of Spring Finals. Next weekend, MHSAA Finals in Lower Peninsula Girls Soccer (June 14-15) and Semifinals and Finals in Baseball and Softball (June 13-15) will be streamed live.
All events will be archived for free on-demand viewing, beginning three days after their completion. Subscriptions must be cancelled before the 30-day period is over to avoid recurring charges.
Instant audio and video downloads of events taking place on the MHSAA Network and MHSAA.tv will be available shortly following the conclusion of each stream. Click the appropriate button next to the media player of the broadcast to order. Audio downloads are $4.99. Video downloads are priced at $19.95.
MHSAA members participating in the School Broadcast Program will be providing bonus coverage during the final days of the spring sports season. SBP participants routinely stream MHSAA tournament events their schools host.
Brighton is one of more than 100 SBP schools using the NFHS Network’s automated production solution – Pixellot – to produce games and has a Pixellot unit installed at its outdoor multi-purpose field. Brighton will provide Pixellot coverage of two Semifinal games Wednesday (June 6) in the MHSAA Girls Lacrosse Tournament.
Here’s the schedule:
Division 2 – Okemos v. Bloomfield Hills Marian – 5:30 p.m.
Division 1 – Hartland v. Brighton – 7:30 p.m.
Cedar Springs High School will cover a Division 3 Girls Soccer Semifinal at 6 p.m. on June 11 involving the winners of the Hope College and Clare Regionals.
In its 10th year, the School Broadcast Program gives members an opportunity to showcase excellence in their schools by creating video programming of athletic and non-athletic events, with students gaining skills in announcing, camera operation, directing/producing and graphics. Pixellot – the NFHS Network’s automated streaming solution – is used by schools wishing to live stream games but lacking the ability to staff events. The SBP also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions.
NFHS Network subscriptions begin at $9.95 a month. Subscribers will have access to all live video and streaming statistics across the country. All content becomes available for free, on-demand viewing 72 hours after being shown live. School Broadcast Program participants also sell Season and Annual Passes at a discounted rate. A portion of every subscription sold by a school goes to benefit its program.
A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA Website.