Dot-TV Schedule Features Hoops Classic
January 3, 2019
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
The first weekend of action of the new year on MHSAA.tv will feature the five games of the 2019 GottaGetIt Hoops Boys Basketball Classic at Grand Blanc High School on Saturday (Jan. 5) beginning at noon.
Here’s the complete schedule at Grand Blanc:
Jan. 5
- Flint Hamady (4-2) v. Birmingham Brother Rice (2-4) - Noon
- Grand Rapids Union (3-1) v. Warren Lincoln (6-2) - 2 PM
- Detroit Douglass (2-4) v. Flint Powers Catholic (3-4) - 4 PM
- Benton Harbor (8-0) v. Saginaw (6-1) - 6 PM
- Harvey (IL) Thornton Township (4-3) v. Grand Blanc (5-2) - 8 PM
Benton Harbor won the Class B title last year. Flint Powers, Grand Blanc and Saginaw all drew mention in media preseason rankings this winter.
In its 10th 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 the ability to staff events. The SBP also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions.
Here’s the upcoming MHSAA.tv schedule of video streams being produced by School Broadcast Program members and the NFHS Network:
Thursday - January 3
- JV Boys Basketball - Hudsonville at Grandville - 5:30 PM
- Freshman Girls Basketball - Hudsonville at Grandville - 5:30 PM
- JV Girls Basketball - Ishpeming Westwood at Calumet - 5:45 PM
- JV Boys Basketball – Lake Linden-Hubbell at Dollar Bay - 5:45 PM
- Boys Basketball - West Bloomfield at Lake Orion - 7 PM
- JV Girls Basketball - Hudsonville at Grandville - 7 PM
- Freshman Boys Basketball - Hudsonville at Grandville - 7 PM
- Boys Basketball - Lake Linden-Hubbell at Dollar Bay - 7:15 PM
- Girls Basketball - Ishpeming Westwood at Calumet - 7:15 PM
- Boys Basketball – Carson City-Crystal at Vestaburg - 7:30 PM
Friday - January 4
- Freshman Girls Basketball - DeWitt at Howell - 3:50 PM
- Freshman Girls Basketball - Grand Blanc at Flint Powers Catholic - 4 PM
- Freshman Boys Basketball - Watervliet at Kalamazoo Christian - 4 PM
- Freshman Girls Basketball - Macomb Dakota at Bloomfield Hills Marian - 4 PM
- Freshman Boys Basketball – Waterford Kettering at White Lake Lakeland - 4 PM
- Freshman Boys Basketball - Flint Powers Catholic at Grand Blanc - 4 PM
- Freshman Boys Basketball - Frankenmuth at Saginaw Heritage - 4 PM
- Freshman Boys Basketball – South Lyon at Highland Milford – 4 PM
- JV Girls Basketball – Holly at Fenton – 4:15 PM
- Freshman Boys Basketball - Saginaw Nouvel at Freeland - 4:30 PM
- JV Girls Basketball - DeWitt at Howell - 5:20 PM
- Girls Basketball - Genesee Christian at Otisville Lakeville - 5:20 PM
- JV Boys Basketball – South Lyon at Highland Milford – 5:30 PM
- JV Boys Basketball - Flint Powers Catholic at Grand Blanc - 5:30 PM
- Girls Basketball – Bay City Western at Bay City John Glenn - 5:30 PM
- JV Boys Basketball – Saginaw Arts & Sciences at Mt Morris - 5:30 PM
- JV Girls Basketball - Grand Blanc at Flint Powers Catholic - 5:30 PM
- JV Girls Basketball - Macomb Dakota at Bloomfield Hills Marian - 5:30 PM
- JV Boys Basketball - Watervliet at Kalamazoo Christian - 5:30 PM
- JV Girls Basketball - Frankenmuth at Saginaw Heritage - 5:30 PM
- JV Boys Basketball – Waterford Kettering at White Lake Lakeland - 5:30 PM
- JV Boys Basketball - Hemlock at Harbor Beach - 6 PM
- JV Girls Basketball – Allen Park Cabrini at St. Clair Shores Lake Shore - 6 PM
- JV Girls Basketball – Saginaw Swan Valley at Hemlock - 6 PM
- Girls Basketball - Central Montcalm at Fremont - 6 PM
- JV Boys Basketball – St. Ignace at Pellston - 6 PM
- JV Boys Basketball - Saginaw Nouvel at Freeland - 6 PM
- Girls Basketball – Holly at Fenton – 6 PM
- Boys Basketball - Genesee Christian at Otisville Lakeville - 6:50 PM
- Girls Basketball - DeWitt at Howell - 6:50 PM
- Boys Basketball – Bay City Western at Bay City John Glenn - 7 PM
- Girls Basketball - Macomb Dakota at Bloomfield Hills Marian - 7 PM
- Boys Basketball – Saginaw Arts & Sciences at Mt. Morris - 7 PM
- Boys Basketball – Waterford Kettering at White Lake Lakeland - 7 PM
- Boys Basketball - Frankenmuth at Saginaw Heritage - 7 PM
- Girls Basketball - Grand Blanc at Flint Powers Catholic - 7 PM
- Boys Ice Hockey - Novi at Calumet - 7 PM
- Boys Basketball - Flint Powers Catholic at Grand Blanc - 7 PM
- Boys Basketball - Watervliet at Kalamazoo Christian - 7 PM
- Boys Basketball – Royal Oak Shrine at Waterford Our Lady - 7 PM
- Boys Basketball – South Lyon at Highland Milford – 7 PM
- Boys Basketball - Hemlock at Harbor Beach - 7:20 PM
- Boys Basketball - Saginaw Nouvel at Freeland - 7:30 PM
- Boys Basketball - Central Montcalm at Fremont - 7:30 PM
- Girls Basketball – Allen Park Cabrini at St. Clair Shores Lake Shore - 7:30 PM
- Girls Basketball – Grand Rapids Catholic Central at Comstock Park - 7:30 PM
- Girls Basketball – Saginaw Swan Valley at Hemlock - 7:30 PM
- Girls Basketball – Allen Park Cabrini at St. Clair Shores Lake Shore - 7:30 PM
- Boys Basketball – St. Ignace at Pellston - 7:30 PM
- Boys Basketball – Holly at Fenton – 7:30 PM
Saturday - January 5
- Wrestling - Saginaw Heritage Invitational - 9 AM
- Competitive Cheer – Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian Invitational - 9 AM
- Competitive Cheer – Grandville Invitational - 9:30 AM
- JV Competitive Cheer – Grandville Invitational - 9:30 AM
- Competitive Cheer – Frankenmuth Invitational - 10 AM
- Competitive Cheer – Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian Invitational - 11 AM
- Boys Basketball – Flint Hamady v. Birmingham Brother Rice @ Grand Blanc Classic - Noon
- JV Girls Basketball – Fruitport Calvary Christian at Hart - 2 PM
- Boys Basketball – Grand Rapids Union v. Warren Lincoln @ Grand Blanc Classic - 2 PM
- JV Boys Basketball – Fruitport Calvary Christian at Hart - 3:30 PM
- Boys Basketball – Detroit Douglass v. Flint Powers Catholic @ Grand Blanc Classic - 4 PM
- Girls Basketball – Fruitport Calvary Christian at Hart - 5 PM
- Boys Ice Hockey - Brighton at Calumet - 6 PM
- Boys Basketball - Benton Harbor v. Saginaw @ Grand Blanc Classic - 6 PM
- Boys Basketball – Fruitport Calvary Christian at Hart - 6:30 PM
- Boys Basketball – Harvey (IL) Thornton Township v. Grand Blanc @ Grand Blanc Classic - 8 PM
Monday - January 7
- Freshman Boys Basketball - Pinconning at Hemlock - 4:30 PM
- Freshman Girls Basketball - Marysville at St. Clair Shores Lake Shore - 4:30 PM
- JV Girls Basketball - Watersmeet at Dollar Bay - 5:45 PM
- JV Girls Basketball - St. Louis at St. Charles - 6 PM
- JV Girls Basketball - Pinconning at Hemlock - 6 PM
- JV Boys Basketball - Pentwater at Hart - 6 PM
- JV Girls Basketball - Marysville at St. Clair Shores Lake Shore - 6 PM
- JV Boys Basketball - West Iron County at Norway - 6:30 PM
- Girls Basketball – Marine City Cardinal Mooney at Waterford Our Lady - 7 PM
- Boys Basketball – Unionville-Sebewaing at Bay City John Glenn - 7 PM
- Girls Basketball - Watersmeet at Dollar Bay - 7:15 PM
- Girls Basketball - Marysville at St. Clair Shores Lake Shore - 7:30 PM
- JV Boys Basketball - Pinconning at Hemlock - 7:30 PM
- JV Boys Basketball - St. Louis at St. Charles - 7:30 PM
- Boys Basketball - Pentwater at Hart - 7:30 PM
- Boys Basketball - West Iron County at Norway - 8 PM
Tuesday - January 8
Ford Field Trip Gives Students Taste of Football Finals Broadcasting
By
Jon Ross
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
December 7, 2021
Four levels above them, in the press box, a group of prospective broadcasters were touring the facilities. The high school students had spent the Fall sports season streaming games to the NFHS Network and now were learning about a career in broadcasting from Eric Vandefifer, a Montrose High grad currently serving as the radio voice of Saginaw Valley State University basketball and as a contributor to a variety of high school broadcast channels including the MHSAA Network.
Seven years ago, Vandefifer was in a similar situation. He was part of a field trip to Ford Field for the Finals that helped him realize sports broadcasting was a career he wanted to pursue. Those field trips were headed by Tom Skinner and Thom Lengyel, who became mentors to Vandefifer. As a high school junior in 2017, Vandefifer was named Best Student Broadcaster nationally by the NFHS Network.
“With Tom Skinner now deceased and Thom Lengyel retired from the broadcast business, I just felt like I had to continue this and their legacy,” Vandefifer said. “It was important to me to keep it going because when I was in school, it was something I looked forward to.”
Nearly 50 students from Lowell, Montrose, Lake Orion, Mount Pleasant and Ann Arbor Greenhills high schools made the Nov. 26-27 trip to Ford Field. They were able to film highlights, interview players, practice announcing the games, meet other members of the press and more. For Vandefifer, giving back to students who are in the position he once was is very rewarding.
“We had the ability to feel like real media members for a day. I wanted to be able to give other students that same opportunity,” Vandefifer said. “Seeing kids who have a love for sportscasting and that drive to get better gives me real hope for the next generation in this business.”
And after the field trips were done each day, Vandefifer put his headphones on, got behind the microphone and called the two afternoon games for the MHSAA Championship Network.
PHOTOS (Top) Eighth grader Sam Belill, left, and freshman Owen Leitelt from Montrose practice calling a game from the Ford Field press box. (Middle) Mount Pleasant make a stop at the press conference room. (Photos provided by the Montrose and Mount Pleasant School Broadcast Programs.)