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.)

Nearly 90 Events This Week on MHSAA TV

December 5, 2017

By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
 

A record number of high school sporting events can be found this week on MHSAA.tv produced by Association members taking part in the School Broadcast Program.
 
A total of 89 sporting events – 55 at the varsity level – are on the schedule for this week, with more to be added as the week progresses. Be sure to check Upcoming Events on the MHSAA.tv home page daily for last-minute additions.
 
In its ninth 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 in the ability to staff the events. The program also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions.
 
Here’s this week’s MHSAA.tv schedule of video streams being produced by SBP members: 
 
Tuesday - Dec. 5
Freshman Boys Basketball - Birch Run at Otisville Lakeville - 4 p.m.
Freshman Girls Basketball - Portage Northern at Plainwell - 4:15 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Hamilton at Comstock Park - 5:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball - Birch Run at Otisville Lakeville - 5:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball – Ann Arbor Skyline at Novi - 5:30 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Portage Northern at Plainwell - 5:45 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Livonia Ladywood at Macomb Lutheran North - 6 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball – Hale at Rogers City – 6 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Cheboygan at Alpena - 7 p.m.
Boys Ice Hockey - Marquette at Calumet - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Hamilton at Comstock Park - 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Auburn Hills Avondale at Lake Orion - 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Birch Run at Otisville Lakeville - 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Ann Arbor Skyline at Novi - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Hale at Rogers City - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Beal City at Vestaburg – 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Gladstone at Marquette - 7:15 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Portage Northern at Plainwell - 7:15 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Baraga at Dollar Bay - 7:20 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Livonia Ladywood at Macomb Lutheran North - 7:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Escanaba at Negaunee – 7:30 p.m.
 
Wednesday - Dec. 6
JV Girls Basketball - South Lyon at Novi - 5:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball - South Lyon at Novi - 7 p.m.
 
Thursday - Dec. 7 
Freshman Boys Basketball - Warren Michigan Collegiate at Macomb Lutheran North - 4 p.m.
Freshman Girls Basketball - Gladwin at Freeland - 4:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball - Warren Michigan Collegiate at Macomb Lutheran North - 5:30 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball – Standish Sterling at Freeland - 6 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball – Posen at Rogers City – 6 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Warren Michigan Collegiate at Macomb Lutheran North - 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Posen at Rogers City – 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Standish Sterling at Freeland - 7:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Calumet at Negaunee – 7:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Blessed Cardinal Newman (Ont.) at Alpena - 8 p.m.
 
Friday - Dec. 8
Freshman Boys Basketball - Three Rivers at Plainwell - 4:15 p.m.
Freshman Girls Basketball – Bloomfield Hills Marian at Macomb Lutheran North- 4:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Montrose at Otisville Lakeville - 5:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball - Three Rivers at Plainwell - 5:45 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Traverse City at Alpena - 6 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Eaton Rapids at Fowlerville - 6 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Farwell at Harrison - 6 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball – Bloomfield Hills Marian at Macomb Lutheran North - 6 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball – Cooks Big Bay de Noc at Norway - 6:30 p.m.
Boys Ice Hockey - Rochester Adams at Calumet  - 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Oxford at Lake Orion - 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Montrose at Otisville Lakeville - 7 p.m.
Boys Ice Hockey – Warren De La Salle at Marquette - 7 p.m.
Boys Ice Hockey - Hartland at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood - 7:15 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Three Rivers at Plainwell - 7:15 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Eaton Rapids at Fowlerville - 7:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Farwell at Harrison - 7:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Bloomfield Hills Marian at Macomb Lutheran North - 7:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Houghton at Negaunee – 7:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Cooks Big Bay de Noc at Norway 8 p.m.
 
Saturday - Dec. 9
Boys Ice Hockey – Warren De La Salle at Marquette - 1 p.m.
Boys Ice Hockey – Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood at Grosse Pointe South - 7:40 p.m.
Girls Competitive Cheer - Comstock Park Invitational - 9 a.m.
 
Monday - Dec. 11
Freshman Boys Basketball - Chesaning at Freeland - 4:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball – Ewen-Trout Creek at Calumet - 5:45 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball - Chesaning at Freeland - 6 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball - Marion at Harrison - 6 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball – Rock-Mid Peninsula at Norway - 6:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Lake Orion at Clarkston - 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Ewen-Trout Creek  at Calumet - 7:15 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Chesaning at Freeland - 7:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Marion at Harrison - 7:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Rock-Mid Peninsula at Norway - 8 p.m.
 
Tuesday - Dec. 12
Swimming & Diving - Rudyard at Marquette - 3:30 p.m.
Freshman Boys Basketball – Mt. Morris  at Otisville Lakeville - 4 p.m.
Freshman Girls Basketball - Dowagiac at Plainwell - 4:15 p.m.
Freshman Boys Basketball – Madison Heights Bishop Foley at Macomb Lutheran North - 4:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball - Hopkins at Comstock Park - 5:30 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball – Mt.  Morris at Otisville Lakeville - 5:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball – Mt.  Morris at Otisville Lakeville - 5:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball - Troy at Novi - 5:30 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Hancock at Calumet - 5:45 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Dowagiac at Plainwell - 5:45 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Lansing Sexton at Fowlerville - 6 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Farmington Hills Mercy at Macomb Lutheran North - 6 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Hopkins at Comstock Park - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Mt. Morris at Otisville Lakeville - 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Troy at Novi - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Oscoda at Rogers City - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Hancock at Calumet - 7:15 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Gladstone at Marquette - 7:15 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Dowagiac at Plainwell - 7:15 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Painesdale Jeffers at Dollar Bay - 7:20 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Perry at Fowlerville - 7:30 p.m.