![Montrose SBP](/sites/default/files/2021-12/211207_fieldtrip_2H.jpg)
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.)
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Soccer Playoffs Come to MHSAA TV
October 19, 2020
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
District Semifinal and Final games in the 2020 MHSAA Lower Peninsula Boys Soccer Tournament highlights another full week of activity on the NFHS Network and MHSAA.tv.
Play runs Monday through Saturday this week. Here’s the schedule:
Boys Soccer District Semifinals
Monday – Oct. 19
Warren De La Salle Collegiate vs. Sterling Heights – 4:30 PM
East Lansing vs. Grand Blanc – 5 PM
Ithaca vs. Bad Axe – 5:30 PM
Niles vs. St. Joseph – 5:30 PM
St. Clair Shores Lake Shore vs. Warren Woods Tower – 6 PM
Fenton vs. Okemos – 7 PM
Paw Paw vs. Three Rivers – 7:15 PM
Tuesday – Oct. 20
Hazel Park vs. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood – 4 PM
Freeland vs. Alma – 4:30 PM
Detroit Catholic Central vs. Brighton – 5 PM
Hudsonville Unity Christian vs. Fennville – 5 PM
Mattawan vs. Kalamazoo Loy Norrix – 5 PM
Melvindale vs. Dearborn Divine Child – 5 PM
Sterling Heights Stevenson vs. Troy Athens – 5 PM
Livonia Clarenceville vs. Center Line – 5:30 PM
Midland vs. Traverse City Central – 6 PM
East Grand Rapids vs. Wyoming Godwin Heights – 6 PM
Adrian Lenawee Christian vs. Ann Arbor Greenhills – 6:30 PM
Hemlock vs. Shepherd – 7 PM
Northville vs. North Farmington – 7 PM
Portage Central vs. Portage Northern – 7 PM
Saline vs. Ann Arbor Pioneer – 7 PM
Troy vs. Utica – 7 PM
Watervliet vs. South Haven – 7 PM
Wyoming Lee vs. Grand Rapids South Christian – 7 PM
Allen Park vs. Detroit Cesar Chavez – 7:15 PM
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep vs. Clawson – 7:30 PM
Boys Soccer District Finals
Wednesday – Oct. 21
At Fenton – 6 PM
Thursday – Oct. 22
At Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood – 4 PM
At Warren DeLaSalle Collegiate – 4:30 PM
At Brownstown Woodhaven – 5 PM
At East Grand Rapids – 6 PM
At Grand Rapids South Christian – 6 PM
At St. Clair Shores Lake Shore – 6 PM
At Vicksburg – 6 PM
At Waterford Mott – 6 PM
At Pontiac Notre Dame Prep – 6:30 PM
At Dearborn Divine Child – 7 PM
At Novi – 7 PM
At Saline – 7 PM
Saturday – Oct. 24
At Clare – 11 AM
At Portage Northern – 6 PM
In the coming week, more than 550 events at all levels in a variety of sports will be available on the NFHS Network/MHSAA.tv. Monthly subscriptions are $10.99. Click for a complete list of upcoming games, and for a complete list of on-demand games.
Fans also can type their school name into the search field on the MHSAA.tv page to search for events. Varsity games being streamed also have links from the MHSAA Website’s Score Center, and from the schedules on individual school pages. Clicking on the green TV set icon listed next to an event will take you directly to a game. You can also watch on Roku enabled devices.
Here is a list of football and girls volleyball varsity events taking place over the coming week on the NFHS Network/MHSAA.tv (Home team generally listed first):
Football
Thursday - Oct. 22
Negaunee vs. Ishpeming Westwood - 7 PM
Friday - Oct. 23
Hartland vs. Brighton - 6:45 PM
Kingston vs. Whittemore-Prescott - 6:55 PM
Bay City John Glenn vs. Freeland - 7 PM
Bloomfield Hills vs. Auburn Hills Avondale - 7 PM
Brethren vs. Onekama - 7 PM
Cadillac vs. Gaylord - 7 PM
Calumet vs. Marquette - 7 PM
Caro vs. Burton Bendle - 7 PM
Cedar Springs vs. Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills - 7 PM
Chesaning vs. New Lothrop - 7 PM
Clare vs. Gaylord - 7 PM
Dearborn Divine Child vs. Detroit Central - 7 PM
DeWitt vs. Stevensville Lakeshore - 7 PM
Durand vs. Montrose - 7 PM
East Grand Rapids vs. Byron Center - 7 PM
Erie-Mason vs. Pittsford - 7 PM
Fenton vs. Ortonville Brandon - 7 PM
Flint Powers Catholic vs. Flint Carman-Ainsworth - 7 PM
Fowlerville vs. Pinckney - 7 PM
Frankenmuth vs. Bridgeport - 7 PM
Freeland vs. Remus Chippewa Hills - 7 PM
Gladstone vs. Escanaba - 7 PM
Grand Blanc vs. Saline - 7 PM
Grand Rapids South Christian vs. Grand Rapids Catholic Central - 7 PM
Grass Lake vs. Addison - 7 PM
Grosse Pointe North vs. Grosse Pointe South - 7 PM
Harbor Beach vs. Unionville Sebewaing - 7 PM
Hopkins vs. Wyoming Kelloggsville - 7 PM
Houghton vs. Hancock - 7 PM
Ithaca vs. Standish-Sterling - 7 PM
Kinde North Huron vs. Mayville - 7 PM
Kingsford vs. Menominee - 7 PM
Kingsley vs. Benzie Central - 7 PM
Livonia Clarenceville vs. Whitmore Lake - 7 PM
Madison Heights Lamphere vs. Hazel Park - 7 PM
Manistee vs. McBain - 7 PM
Maple City Glen Lake vs. Charlevoix - 7 PM
Midland vs. Midland Dow - 7 PM
Munising vs. Lake Linden-Hubbell - 7 PM
Niles vs. Dowagiac Union - 7 PM
Northville vs. Howell - 7 PM
Novi vs. Salem - 7 PM
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep vs. TBA - 7 PM
Portage Central vs. Richland Gull Lake - 7 PM
Reed City vs. Grant - 7 PM
Rockford vs. Grandville - 7 PM
Saginaw Heritage vs. Mount Pleasant - 7 PM
Saginaw Swan Valley vs. Birch Run - 7 PM
South Lyon East vs. South Lyon - 7 PM
St Johns vs. Alpena - 7 PM
Sturgis vs. Plainwell - 7 PM
Summit Academy North vs. TBA - 7 PM
Troy vs. Troy Athens - 7 PM
Vermontville Maple Valley vs. Belleville - 7 PM
Vicksburg vs. Otsego - 7 PM
Walled Lake Northern vs. Romeo - 7 PM
Walled Lake Western vs. Walled Lake Central - 7 PM
Warren Woods-Tower vs. Detroit U-D Jesuit - 7 PM
Wayland Union vs. Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills - 7 PM
West Bloomfield vs. Lake Orion - 7 PM
Norway vs. Niagara, WI - 8 PM
Saturday – Oct. 24
Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood vs. Redford Union - 3 PM
Traverse City St. Francis vs. Jackson Lumen Christi - 3 PM
Girls Volleyball
Tuesday - Oct. 20
Dearborn Heights Robichaud vs. Melvindale - 4 PM
Durand vs. Montrose - 4:30 PM
Marcellus vs. TBA - 5 PM
Southfield Christian vs. Brighton Charyl Stockwell - 5:30 PM
DeWitt vs. Williamston - 6 PM
East Lansing vs. Lansing Waverly - 6 PM
Kinde North Huron vs. Carsonville-Port Sanilac - 6 PM
Mayville vs. Dryden - 6 PM
Merrill vs. Ashley - 6 PM
Munising vs. Rapid River - 6 PM
Norway vs. Carney-Nadeau - 6 PM
Peck vs. Genesee - 6 PM
Vermontville Maple Valley vs. Lansing Christian - 6 PM
Chesaning vs. New Lothrop - 6:15 PM
Grand Rapids South Christian vs Ada Forest Hills Eastern - 6:15 PM
Mt Morris vs. Byron Area - 6:15 PM
New Lothrop vs. Chesaning - 6:15 PM
Otisville LakeVille vs. Ovid-Elsie - 6:15 PM
St Johns vs. Haslett - 6:20 PM
Blanchard Montabella vs. Vestaburg - 6:30 PM
Frankfort vs. Suttons Bay - 6:30 PM
Highland Milford vs. TBA - 6:30 PM
Howell vs. Salem - 6:30 PM
Negaunee vs. Hancock - 6:30 PM
Northville vs. Hartland - 6:30 PM
St. Clair Shores Lake Shore vs. St. Clair - 6:30 PM
Watervliet vs. Lawton - 6:30 PM
Whitmore Lake vs. Novi Christian Academy - 6:30 PM
Garden City vs. Dearborn Heights Annapolis - 7 PM
Gladstone vs. Marquette - 7 PM
Hemlock vs. St. Louis - 7 PM
Hopkins vs. Comstock Park - 7 PM
Kingsley vs. Buckley - 7 PM
Macomb Lutheran North vs. Yale - 7 PM
Plymouth Christian Academy vs. Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest - 7 PM
Saginaw Heritage vs. Grand Blanc - 7 PM
St. Charles vs. Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart - 7 PM
Kingsford vs. Escanaba - 7:15 PM
Cass City vs. Caro - 7:30 PM
Wednesday - Oct. 21
Grandville vs. Caledonia - 5 PM
Holly vs. Flushing - 5:15 PM
Dollar Bay vs. Ontonagon - 5:20 PM
Bloomfield Hills Marian vs. TBA - 6 PM
Pentwater vs. Baldwin - 6 PM
St. Clair Shores Lake Shore vs. Clinton Twp. Clintondale - 6 PM
Warren Regina vs. TBA - 6 PM
Corunna vs. Clio - 6:15 PM
Fenton vs. Flint Kearsley - 6:15 PM
Pewamo-Westphalia vs. Laingsburg - 6:30 PM
Stevensville Lakeshore vs. TBA - 6:30 PM
West Bloomfield vs. Walled Lake Northern - 6:30 PM
Traverse City West vs. Cadillac - 6:45 PM
Bridgeport vs. Bay City John Glenn - 7 PM
Frankenmuth vs. Freeland - 7 PM
Grandville vs. Grand Haven - 7 PM
Linden vs. Swartz Creek - 7 PM
Morley Stanwood vs. Hesperia - 7 PM
Saginaw Swan Valley vs. Essexville Garber - 7 PM
Harrison vs. Clare - 7:30 PM
Thursday - Oct. 22
Dearborn Heights Robichaud vs. Ypsilanti Arbor Prep - 5 PM
Multi-team Event @ Whitmore Lake - 5 PM
Ortonville Brandon vs. Goodrich - 5:15 PM
Grand Rapids Christian vs. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central - 6 PM
Kinde North Huron vs. Caseville - 6 PM
Mason vs. Eaton Rapids - 6 PM
Munising vs. Stephenson - 6 PM
Peck vs. Kingston - 6 PM
Romulus Summit Academy North vs. Clarkston Everest Collegiate - 6 PM
Sturgis vs. Plainwell - 6 PM
Vermontville Maple Valley vs. Owosso - 6 PM
Vicksburg vs. Otsego - 6 PM
Montrose vs. Mt Morris - 6:15 PM
St Johns vs. Williamston - 6:20 PM
Chesaning vs. Otisville LakeVille - 6:30 PM
Dearborn Divine Child vs. Livonia Churchill - 6:30 PM
Erie-Mason vs. Monroe Jefferson - 6:30 PM
Grosse Pointe North vs. Grosse Pointe South - 6:30 PM
Mancelona vs. Elk Rapids - 6:30 PM
New Lothrop vs. Byron Area - 6:30 PM
Novi vs. Howell - 6:30 PM
Oakland Christian vs. Southfield Christian - 6:30 PM
Ovid-Elsie vs. Durand - 6:30 PM
Harbor Beach vs. Memphis - 6:45 PM
East Lansing vs. Potterville - 7 PM
Garden City vs. Riverview Gabriel Richard - 7 PM
Hopkins vs. Belding - 7 PM
Kalamazoo Christian vs. Grand Rapids Covenant Christian - 7 PM
Marquette vs. Kingsford - 7 PM
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep vs. Rochester Adams - 7 PM
Saginaw Heritage vs. Mount Pleasant - 7 PM
Houghton vs. Hancock - 7:15 PM
Brethren vs. Onekama - 7:30 PM
Dryden vs. Genesee - 7:30 PM
Unionville Sebewaing vs. Bad Axe - 7:30 PM
Saturday – Oct. 24
White Lake Lakeland vs. TBA - 8:30 AM
East Kentwood vs. Caledonia - 9 AM
Fremont vs. Cedar Springs - 9 AM
Midland vs. TBA - 9 AM
Millington vs. TBA - 9 AM
Niles vs. TBA - 9 AM
Part 1 | Multi-team Event @ Pentwater - 9 AM
Rockford vs. Holland West Ottawa - 9 AM
Saline vs. TBA - 9 AM
Part 1 | Multi-team Event @ Calumet - 10 AM
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep vs. Bloomfield Hills Marian - 10 AM
Williamston vs. TBA - 10 AM
Grand Rapids Christian vs. Traverse City West - 11 AM
East Kentwood vs. Grand Haven - 11:30 AM
Rockford vs. Jenison - 11:30 AM
Freeland vs. TBA - 12 PM
Part 2 | Multi-team Event @ Calumet - 1 PM
East Kentwood vs. Grandville - 2 PM
Part 2 | Multi-team Event @ Pentwater - 2 PM
Rockford vs. Hudsonville - 2 PM
Monday - Oct. 26
Freeland vs. TBA - 5 PM
Kingsley vs. TBA - 5 PM
Troy vs. Hartland - 5 PM
Troy Athens vs. Grosse Pointe South - 5 PM
Flint Kearsley vs. Holly - 5:15 PM
Flushing vs. Swartz Creek - 5:15 PM
Linden vs. Fenton - 5:15 PM
Mason vs. Haslett - 6 PM
Corunna vs. Brandon - 6:15 PM
Otisville LakeVille vs. Millington - 6:15 PM
Dollar Bay vs. Chassell - 6:20 PM
Clare vs. Grayling - 7:30 PM
Tuesday - Oct. 27
Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian vs. Montague - TBA
Dearborn Heights Robichaud vs. Hamtramck - 4 PM
Vicksburg vs. TBA - 4 PM
Burton Bendle vs. Genesee - 5 PM
Fremont vs. Ludington - 5 PM
Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian vs. Grant - 5 PM
Multi-team Event @ New Lothrop - 5 PM
Multi-team Event @ Plainwell - 5 PM
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep vs. Holly - 5 PM
Cass City vs. Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker - 6 PM
Eaton Rapids vs. Portland - 6 PM
Fowlerville vs. Charlotte - 6 PM
Multi-team Event @ Grand Rapids Christian - 6 PM
Munising vs. Norway - 6 PM
Vermontville Maple Valley vs. TBA - 6 PM
Williamston vs. Lansing Catholic - 6 PM
Montrose vs. Ovid-Elsie - 6:15 PM
Mt Morris vs. New Lothrop - 6:15 PM
Stockbridge vs. Grass Lake - 6:15 PM
Warren Woods-Tower vs. Clinton Twp. Chippewa Valley - 6:15 PM
St Johns vs. Portland - 6:20 PM
Bloomfield Hills Roeper vs. Novi Christian - 6:30 PM
Erie-Mason vs. Sand Creek - 6:30 PM
Grosse Pointe North vs. Fraser - 6:30 PM
Ishpeming vs. Gwinn - 6:30 PM
Livonia Clarenceville vs. Southfield Christian - 6:30 PM
Oakland Christian vs. Lutheran Westland - 6:30 PM
Romulus Summit Academy North vs. Ypsilanti Arbor Prep - 6:30 PM
Sterling Heights Parkway Christian School vs. Huron Valley Lutheran - 6:30 PM
Gladstone vs. Negaunee - 6:45 PM
Harbor Beach vs. Marlette - 6:45 PM
Chesaning vs. Durand - 7 PM
Garden City vs. Dearborn Heights Crestwood - 7 PM
Grand Rapids South Christian vs. Lansing Catholic - 7 PM
Hopkins vs. Allegan - 7 PM
Marquette vs. Escanaba - 7 PM
St Charles vs. Blanchard Montabella - 7 PM
Kingsford vs. Crystal Falls Forest Park - 7:15 PM
Bad Axe vs. Caro &