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.)
MHSAA TV Returns for 2015-16
September 2, 2015
By John Johnson
MHSAA communications director
A growing number of games can be followed on the MHSAA.tv website as more schools begin to stream their game statistics live using Digital Scout.
Digital Scout enables schools to enter statistics while a game is in progress on mobile devices – such as phones and tablets – and fans can follow along on their own handhelds or on laptops or desktop computers with a subscription to the NFHS Network. The software is free for schools to use and available for football, basketball and volleyball.
Live stats were available for more than 40 football games during opening weekend, and one game had both live stats and video from a school participating in the MHSAA’s School Broadcast Program. A number of volleyball matches also were available.
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 Aug. 31):
- Wyoming at Comstock Park – Football – Thursday – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- East Kentwood at East Lansing – Football – Thursday – 7 p.m. – On-Demand Following Game
- Goodrich at Flint Kearsley – Football – Thursday – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Blanchard Montabella at Pinconning – Football – Thursday - 7 p.m. – On-Demand Following Game
- Holt at Rockford – Football – Thursday – 7 p.m. – LIVE
Several schools joined the School Broadcast Program over the summer – all members of the Detroit Catholic High School League, Flint Kearsley, Holly, Livonia Stevenson, Marquette, and Midland Dow – bringing the total number of members to 63. Of this group, Flint Kearsley will be live streaming its first event Thursday. More SBP programming is expected once students hit the classroom for the new year next week. 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.
In its second week of the season, at midnight, is MHSAA Football Friday Overtime on FOX Sports Detroit. Mickey York and Rob Rubick host the weekly 30-minute highlights show. The show will re-air most Saturday and Sunday mornings – and will be archived on the FOX Detroit Website. This week, FFOT will re-air at 8:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m., and 11:30 p.m. on Saturday; and at 8 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. on Sunday on FOX Sports Detroit. The show also will re-air on Saturday at 7 p.m. on FOX Sports Detroit-PLUS.
The following games are scheduled to be highlighted this week on Football Friday Overtime:
- Caro at Millington
- Frankenmuth at Birch Run
- Monroe Jefferson at Grosse Ile
- Carleton Airport at New Boston Huron
- Detroit Mumford at Detroit Denby
- Oxford at Rochester Hills Stoney Creek
Below are MHSAA-produced highlights from NFHS Network games from last week, including moments from the Walled Lake Western/Lowell and Rogers City/AuGres-Sims football games and East Lansing/Petoskey boys soccer game.