U.P. Swim & Dive Finals on MHSAA.tv

February 17, 2015

By John Johnson
MHSAA Communications Director

The Winter Championship Season on MHSAA.tv begins this weekend with two days of live coverage of the Upper Peninsula Swimming & Diving Finals at Marquette High School.

The Diving Finals take place Friday (Feb. 20), beginning at 2:30 p.m., followed by the Swimming Finals on Saturday (Feb. 21), starting at 10 a.m. The events are available on a subscription basis: $9.95 for a Day Pass and $14.95 for a Month Pass. 

The purchase of a Month Pass during the U.P. Swimming & Diving Finals, for example, would allow viewing through the Girls Basketball Semifinals on March 18-19 and also allow access to the Team and Individual Wrestling Finals, the Girls Competitive Cheer Finals, the Ice Hockey Semifinals and Finals, the Girls Gymnastics Finals, the Lower Peninsula Boys Swimming & Diving Finals.

Basketball contests dominate the content this week for School Broadcast Program members, which will again have cameras at over 40 sporting events.

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.

Here’s the schedule of School Broadcast Program members planning to cover varsity competition over the next week for broadcast at MHSAA.tv. The following events will have live streaming video unless otherwise indicated:

Tuesday, February 17
Boys Basketball – L’Anse at Calumet, 7 p.m.
Ice Hockey – Houghton at Calumet, 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Grand Rapids Covenant Christian at Comstock Park, 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Ann Arbor Huron at Haslett, 7 p.m. (HD)
Boys Basketball – Mio at Rogers City, 7 p.m. (Video On Demand following event)
Girls Basketball – Lansing Everett at East Lansing, 7 p.m. (VOD)
Boys Basketball – Posen at AuGres-Sims, 7:15 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Coloma at Plainwell, 7:15 p.m.

Wednesday, February 18
Boys Basketball – Fife Lake Forest Area at Onaway, 6 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Central Lake at Mancelona, 7 p.m.

Thursday, February 19
Ice Hockey – Negaunee at Calumet, 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Hillman at Rogers City, 7 p.m. (VOD)
Girls Basketball – Akron-Fairgrove at Pinconning, 7 p.m.

Friday, February 20
Swimming & Diving – Upper Peninsula Diving Finals at Marquette, 2:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Flint Beecher at Montrose, 5:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Allendale at Comstock Park, 6 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Rogers City at Hillman, 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Flint Beecher at Montrose, 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Fairview at Posen, 7 p.m.
Ice Hockey – Birmingham Brother Rice at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood, 7:15 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Sturgis at Plainwell, 7:15 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Allendale at Comstock Park, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 21
Swimming & Diving – Upper Peninsula Swimming Finals at Marquette, 10 a.m.
Ice Hockey – Warren DeLaSalle at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood, 5:20 p.m.

Monday, February 23
Girls Basketball – Fairview at Hillman, 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Hale at Rogers City, 7 p.m. (VOD)

Tuesday, February 24
Girls Basketball – Saginaw Arts & Sciences at Montrose, 5:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Painesdale-Jeffers at Calumet, 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Posen at Rogers City, 7 p.m. (VOD)
Boys Basketball – Oscoda at AuGres-Sims, 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Saginaw Arts & Sciences at Montrose, 7:15 p.m.

Live stats of select basketball games also are available on MHSAA.tv. Check out the MHSAA.tv website on game night to see which schools are streaming live stats, or stop by to view stats following games on an On-Demand basis. A Day Pass to view live stats is $1.95. All sporting events – live or delayed – are available on MHSAA.tv on a subscription basis for their first 72 hours online. 

A portion of each subscription is returned to the school originating the broadcast. Video subscriptions run $9.95 for a Day Pass and $14.95 for a Month Pass. Some schools also are offering Annual Passes at a discounted rate. All sporting events become available for free On-Demand viewing three days after they have been posted.  

To view all of the recent School Broadcast Program productions, go to MHSAA.tv, click On-Demand on the nav bar of the left side of the page, and on the Filters tab at the top of next page, click on All States and then select Michigan. 

Also available below is an SBP highlights package from the past week, including a 51-47 win in the girls game and a 55-48 decision in the boys game over Haslett to deadlock the two schools at the top of the Red Division in both genders.

Schools interested in becoming a part of the School Broadcast Program should contact John Johnson at the MHSAA Office.

Division 2 Final: 'Anything is Possible'

November 29, 2011

DETROIT – That was the motto of Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice’s football team this season.

And the Warriors had to believe it in order for Friday’s dream finish to become possible.

Brother Rice qualified for the Division 2 playoffs at 5-4 last month and after finishing just fourth in the Detroit Catholic League Central. But riding the legs of senior running back Devin Church, the Warriors finished this season with a 24-14 win over Lowell at Ford Field to earn their seventh MHSAA championship and first since 2005.

Church, who ran for more than 900 yards during the playoffs, piled up 244 and three touchdowns rushing in the Final.

“We did it to make Coach proud,” Church said. “We kept the tradition going.

“That’s everybody’s dream, to win a state title. To walk away with a ring, that’s a blessing.”

“Coach” is Al Fracassa, who finished his 43rd season by winning his 405th high school game. But this run provided a new experience for the longtime leader.

Playing in a conference that also includes Division 1 finalist Detroit Catholic Central, Division 3 finalist Orchard Lake St. Mary and playoff qualifier Warren DeLaSalle, the Warriors lost three league games by a combined four points. Brother Rice (10-4) picked up its fourth loss in Week 8 against Cincinnati LaSalle.

But wins over strong teams – Detroit Martin Luther King and Ann Arbor Pioneer among them – likely gave Brother Rice the playoff points boost it needed to get into the postseason.

“We were worried about making the playoffs again. You get down, but the kids, they taught me a lesson. They came out and they worked their tails off,” Fracassa said. “We had a motto before our season started. … Anything is possible. This motto really personifies this football team. Anything is possible, and they’re going to remember it the rest of their lives.”

Church – who will sign with Northern Illinois in February – ran the ball 33 times. His yards were the sixth-most in an MHSAA Final ever. And they were followed by some flattering comparisons from Lowell coach Noel Dean.

“I don’t want to belittle their team by making it about one player; they have a great team,” Dean said. “(Church) is a fantastic football player. One of the better ones I’ve seen. And I’ve coached against some pretty good running backs in my day. The Grady brothers and the Ducketts, I’ve seen some pretty good ones. He’s fantastic.”

Fracassa added: “He’s done that all year, for the last three years. This is not only his good game he played. He’s played good in every game he’s played.”

And while Church ran wild, the Warriors were able to contain Lowell all-state quarterback Gabe Dean, who was making his third straight appearance in the Division 2 Final. A senior now, he led the Red Arrows to a championship game win in 2009

Dean did throw for 190 yards and two touchdowns, but was able to get free for just 34 yards on the ground as Lowell (12-2) attempted to catch up, and catch Church, most of the afternoon.

“The veer offense, we learned how to shut it down this week in practice. And we did a great job in the game,” Brother Rice junior linebacker Jon Reschke said. “We got them out of the veer and into a shotgun formation, the spread offense, which they didn't want to be in, which helped us.”

Senior linebacker Mark Doman had a team-high 13 tackles for Brother Rice, and Reschke had 10. Junior linebacker Reed Stormzand had 20 to lead Lowell, followed by sophomore linebackers Garrett Stehley and Jake Stehley with 14 and 12, respectively.

Click for full stats and play-by-play.