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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

Thursday, April 27

Monday, May 1

Tuesday, May 2

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.)

Soccer, XC Finals Stream Saturday

October 30, 2018

By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties

There’s live internet streaming of four MHSAA tournaments this week, featuring the Finals in two sports.

On Saturday (Nov. 3), the four championship games of the Lower Peninsula Boys Soccer Tournament will have live streaming video on MHSAA.tv and live streaming audio on MHSAANetwork.com. Also Saturday, the Finish Line Cam at Michigan International Speedway returns at the L.P. Cross Country Finals on MHSAA.tv.

Three Prep Zone games will take place Friday (Nov. 2) on FoxSportsDetroit.com and the FOX Sports app at 7 p.m.:

• Detroit Catholic Central at West Bloomfield (Div. 1)

• Birmingham Brother Rice at Birmingham Groves (Div. 2)

• Flint Powers Catholic at Williamston (Div. 4)

Viewing of the Prep Zone games is free on the FoxSportsDetroit.com website. Authentication may be required to view on the FOX Sports app.  All Prep Zone games also will be available for free on-demand viewing on the MHSAA.tv website.

The Prep Zone is part of the “Football Week In Michigan” promotion by FOX Sports Detroit, which is offering a $2,500 cash prize for the best photo posted on Instagram which shows what Football Week In Michigan means to that individual. Tag the photo @FOXSportsDetroit and include the hashtag #FWIMPHOTOCONTEST. Submissions will be accepted until Nov. 13.

Saturday’s Boys Soccer Finals will be Live on MHSAA.tv on a subscription basis with games at Noon and 3 p.m. at Novi and Comstock Park High Schools, with the games at each site to be announced after the Semifinals on Wednesday (Oct. 31). All games also will have live streaming audio at MHSAANetwork.com.

Both Division 3 Soccer Semifinal games – Macomb Lutheran North vs. Grosse Ile and Hudsonville Unity Christian vs. Ludington – will be live on MHSAA.tv at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

MHSAA.tv also will offer a free live video stream Saturday of the finish line at the Lower Peninsula Cross Country Finals at Michigan International Speedway. The stream will include audio commentary from announcers around the course throughout each race. The morning session with the boys and girls races in Divisions 3 and 4 begins at 9:30 a.m., and the afternoon session with races in Divisions 1 and 2 starts at 1:30 p.m. Live timing of each race will be available on the Cross Country page of the MHSAA Website. Weather permitting, coverage of the awards ceremonies will be provided.

There also will be live coverage of Football District Finals and Girls Volleyball District games this week on MHSAA.tv, being produced by School Broadcast Program schools.

Here is this week’s full schedule on MHSAA.tv:

Tuesday, Oct. 30

Wednesday, Oct. 31

Thursday, Nov. 1

Friday, Nov. 2

Saturday, Nov. 3

• Nov. 3 – Boys Soccer Finals

• Nov. 10 – Selected Football Playoff Regional Finals

• Nov. 15-17 – Girls Volleyball Semifinals & Finals

• Nov. 17 – Lower Peninsula Girls Swimming & Diving Finals

• Nov. 17 – Football Playoff Semifinals (13 games)

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.