Watch O-K Blue Football Tilt LIVE
October 7, 2015
By John Johnson
MHSAA communications director
Among live events available this week on MHSAA.tv is a football game for the top spot in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue pitting Grand Rapids West Catholic at Comstock Park at 7 p.m. Friday.
The teams are tied for first in the O-K Blue at 2-0, with Comstock Park, the No. 2 team in Division 4 in this week’s Associated Press poll, sporting a 5-1 record; and West Catholic, the two-time defending champion in Division 5, sporting a 4-2 overall mark. The game is being produced by Comstock Park students involved in the School Broadcast Program.
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 On-Demand – 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 athletic competition this week for broadcast at MHSAA.tv. On-Demand listings may be available as soon as one hour following an event’s completion. (List as of Oct. 5):
Tuesday – Oct. 6
- Oscoda at Lincoln Alcona – Girls Volleyball – 6 p.m. – LIVE
- Jackson at East Lansing – Girls Volleyball – 6 p.m. – On-Demand
- Grand Rapids Northview at Cedar Springs – Boys Soccer – 6:45 p.m. – LIVE
- L’Anse at Calumet – Girls Volleyball – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Posen at Rogers City – Girls Volleyball – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Johannesburg-Lewiston at Onaway – Girls Volleyball – 7 p.m. – On-Demand
- Manistique at Negaunee – Girls Volleyball – 7 p.m. – On-Demand
Wednesday – Oct. 7
- Menominee at Negaunee – 9th Grade Football – 6:30 p.m. – On-Demand
Thursday – Oct. 8
- Ada Forest Hills Eastern at Cedar Springs – Girls Volleyball – 6 p.m. – LIVE
- Owosso at Haslett – Girls Volleyball – 6:30 p.m. – LIVE
- Ishpeming at Negaunee – JV Football – 6:30 p.m. – On-Demand
- Iron River West Iron County at Calumet – Girls Volleyball – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Menominee at Marquette – Girls Volleyball – 7 p.m. – LIVE
Friday – Oct. 9
- MHSAA Boys Div. 1 Regional Tennis at Livonia Stevenson – 9:30 a.m. – On-Demand
- Rogers City at Whittemore-Prescott – Football – 6:30 p.m. – On-Demand
- Grand Rapids West Catholic at Comstock Park – Football – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Linden at Flint Kearsley – Football – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Mt. Morris at Montrose – Football – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Tawas at Pinconning – Football – 7 p.m. – On-Demand
- East Kentwood at Rockford – Football – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Midland Dow at Davison – Football – 7 p.m. - LIVE
Monday – Oct. 12
- Howard City Tri-County at Cedar Springs – Boys Soccer – 5 p.m. - LIVE
Tuesday – Oct. 13
- Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern at Cedar Springs – Boys Soccer – 6:45 p.m. – LIVE
- Negaunee at Calumet – Girls Volleyball – 7 p.m. – LIVE
- Hillman at Rogers City – Girls Volleyball – 7 p.m. - LIVE
Weekly highlights from games produced by participants in the MHSAA's School Broadcast Program are back for another school year on MHSAA.TV. This week's highlights include football games with Houghton Lake at Clare and DeWitt at Haslett and a girls volleyball match between two of the top-ranked teams in Class D, Pellston at Onaway. Watch those highlights below.
Schools interested in becoming a part of the School Broadcast Program should contact John Johnson at the MHSAA Office.
Launching at Midnight every Friday throughout the season 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 6, 8:30 and 11:30 a.m. Saturday, and 7 a.m. Sunday on FOX Sports Detroit.
The following games are scheduled to be highlighted this week on Football Friday Overtime:
- Berkley at Birmingham Groves
- Farmington Hills Harrison at Farmington
- Almont at Algonac
- Haslett at Lansing Waverly
- St. Johns at DeWitt
- PLUS – SBP Coverage of Grand Rapids West Catholic at Comstock Park and Midland Dow at Davison.
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.)