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.)
Montrose To Receive Excellence Awards
By
John Johnson
MHSAA Communications Director emeritus
September 16, 2015
Montrose High School, the MHSAA School Broadcast Program of the Year for the 2014-15 school year, will be honored at halftime of the Durand at Montrose football game on Friday. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
Montrose has won the Program of the Year honor in each of the first two years the MHSAA, in partnership with Herff Jones, has sponsored the School Broadcast Program Excellence Awards. In addition to repeating as the top school in the program, Montrose captured first place honors in three of the five individual categories.
Montrose took first place in Best Play-By-Play (Eric Vandefifer, Trey Schmitz – Boys Basketball game vs. Lake Fenton), Best Single Camera Production with PlayOn! Sports graphics (Trey Schmitz, Andrew Morley, Eric Vandefifer – Girls Soccer match vs. Hemlock), and the top two spots for Best Use of PlayOn! Sports Graphics (Eric Vandefifer, Trey Schmitz, Andrew Morley, Griffin Powell, Bradley Payne – Boys Basketball game vs. Goodrich; and Eric Vandefifer, Trey Schmitz, Andrew Morley – Girls Basketball game vs. Lake Fenton). The program also took a second place for Best Produced Commercial/Feature (Alyssa Bernard, Amanda Ramsey, Alicia Town, Allia Town – Sexual Assault PSA) and a third for Best Multicamera Production (Trey Schmitz, Andrew Morley, Amanda Ramsey, Nathan Brown, Eric Vandefifer, Brandon Smith – Genesee Area Conference Girls Competitive Cheer Finals).
The presentation will be shown live on MHSAA.tv as one of a number of live events being streamed online this year by School Broadcast Program members.
In its seventh 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 the schedule of School Broadcast Program members planning to stream competition this week for broadcast at MHSAA.tv (As of Sept. 14):
- Essexville Garber at Oscoda – Girls Swimming & Diving – Sept. 15 – 5 p.m. – On Demand following event
- Indian River Inland Lakes at Onaway – Girls Volleyball – Sept. 15 – 7 p.m. – On Demand following event
- Mason at Haslett – Girls Volleyball – Wednesday – 6 p.m. - LIVE
- Cheboygan at Onaway – Girls Volleyball – Wednesday – 7 p.m. – On Demand following event
- Zeeland West at Comstock Park – JV Football – Thursday – 6 p.m. – LIVE
- Jackson at Haslett – Girls Swimming & Diving – Thursday – 6 p.m. – LIVE
- St. Johns at Haslett – Girls Volleyball – Thursday – 6:30 p.m. - LIVE
- Belding at Cedar Springs – Girls Volleyball – Thursday – 6:45 p.m. – LIVE
- Houghton at Calumet – Girls Volleyball – Thursday – 7 p.m. - LIVE
- Kingsford at Marquette – Girls Volleyball – Thursday – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Oscoda at Rogers City – Girls Volleyball – Thursday – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Cedarville at Onaway – Football – Friday – 7 p.m. – On Demand following event
- Houghton at Calumet – Football – Friday - 7 p.m. - LIVE
- Grand Rapids Catholic Central at Cedar Springs – Football – Friday – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Durand at Montrose – Football – Friday – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Iron Mountain at Negaunee – Football – Friday – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Manistee at Pinconning – Football – Friday – 7 p.m. – On Demand following event
- Portage Northern at East Lansing – Boys Soccer – Saturday – 10 a.m. – On Demand Following Event
- DeWitt at East Lansing – Boys Soccer – Saturday – 3 p.m. – On Demand Following Event
- Ada Forest Hills Eastern at Cedar Springs – Tuesday (9/22) – 6:45 p.m. – LIVE
- Lake Linden-Hubbell at Calumet – Tuesday – 7 p.m. – LIVE
The SBP programming schedule is expected to expand now that school is in session across the state. A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA website.
Schools interested in becoming a part of the School Broadcast Program should contact John Johnson at the MHSAA Office.
This week's MHSAA.tv highlights package includes clips from the South Haven/Plainwell and Lake Fenton/Montrose football games and Chassell/Calumet volleyball match.