![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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Tune In to Spring on MHSAA TV
April 10, 2019
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
Here is the schedule for Spring sporting events to be streamed live on MHSAA.tv for April 9-23:
Tuesday - April 9
Boys & Girls Track - Brighton at Howell - 3:50 PM
Boys Track - White Lake Lakeland - 4 PM
Girls Track - White Lake Lakeland - 4 PM
Girls Soccer - Chesaning at Montrose - 4:30 PM
Girls Soccer - Ann Arbor Greenhills at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood - 4:30 PM
JV Girls Soccer - Rochester Adams at Grand Blanc - 5 PM
JV Girls Lacrosse - Bloomfield Hills at Troy - 5:30 PM
Boys Lacrosse – Bay City Central at Ovid-Elsie - 6 PM
Girls Soccer - Perry at Fowlerville - 6 PM
JV Girls Soccer - TBA at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood - 6:30 PM
Boys Lacrosse - Warren Cousino at St. Clair Shores Lake Shore - 7 PM
Girls Lacrosse - Bloomfield Hills at Troy - 7 PM
Girls Soccer - Rochester Adams at Grand Blanc - 7 PM
Wednesday - April 10
JV Girls Lacrosse – Bloomfield Hills Marian at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood - 4:30 PM
JV Girls Soccer – Gibraltar Carlson at Brownstown Woodhaven - 4:30 PM
JV Girls Lacrosse – TBA at White Lake Lakeland - 5:30 PM
JV Girls Lacrosse - Hartland at Novi - 5:30 PM
Girls Lacrosse – Bloomfield Hills Marian at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood - 6 PM
Girls Soccer – Gibraltar Carlson at Brownstown Woodhaven - 6 PM
Girls Lacrosse - Hartland at Novi - 6:30 PM
Girls Lacrosse – TBA at White Lake Lakeland - 7 PM
Girls Lacrosse - South Lyon at White Lake Lakeland - 7 PM
Thursday - April 11
Boys & Girls Track and Field - St. Clair Shores Lakeview at St. Clair Shores Lake Shore - 4 PM
Girls Lacrosse - Otisville-Lakeville at Ovid-Elsie - 4:30 PM
Girls Soccer - Byron at Montrose - 4:30 PM
Girls Soccer – Wixom St. Catherine at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood - 4:30 PM
JV Girls Soccer – Kalamazoo Loy Norrix at Stevensville Lakeshore - 5 PM
JV Boys Lacrosse - Lapeer at Grand Blanc - 5:30 PM
JV Girls Soccer - Salem at Howell - 5:30 PM
JV Girls Soccer – Birmingham Seaholm at Troy - 5:30 PM
JV Boys Lacrosse - Davison at Saginaw Heritage - 6 PM
Girls Lacrosse - Holt at Ovid-Elsie - 6 PM
Girls Soccer – Kalamazoo Loy Norrix at Stevensville Lakeshore - 6:30 PM
JV Girls Soccer – Wixom St. Catherine at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood - 6:30 PM
Girls Soccer - Eaton Rapids at Fowlerville - 6:30 PM
Boys Lacrosse - Lapeer at Grand Blanc - 7 PM
Boys Lacrosse - Brighton at Saline - 7 PM
Girls Soccer - Salem at Howell - 7 PM
Girls Soccer – Birmingham Seaholm at Troy - 7 PM
Boys Lacrosse - Davison at Saginaw Heritage - 7:30 PM
Friday - April 12
JV Girls Soccer - Fraser at St. Clair Shores Lake Shore - 4:30 PM
JV Boys Lacrosse – Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard at Novi - 5 PM
JV Girls Lacrosse - South Lyon at White Lake Lakeland - 5:30 PM
JV Girls Lacrosse - Salem at Saline - 5:30 PM
Girls Soccer - Fraser at St. Clair Shores Lake Shore - 6 PM
Boys Lacrosse – Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard at Novi - 6:30 PM
Girls Lacrosse - Salem at Saline - 7 PM
Saturday - April 13
Boys Lacrosse - Linden at Ovid-Elsie - 1 PM
Girls Soccer - Portland at Manchester - 1 PM
Boys Track - White Lake Lakeland - 10 AM
Girls Track - White Lake Lakeland - 10 AM
Boys Lacrosse - Rockford at Brighton - 2 PM
Boys Lacrosse - Petoskey at Brighton - 5:30 PM
Girls Soccer - Bad Axe at Montrose - 9 AM
Monday - April 15
JV Boys Lacrosse - Salem at Novi - 4 PM
JV Girls Lacrosse – Farmington Hills Mercy at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood - 4:30 PM
JV Girls Soccer - Trenton at Brownstown Woodhaven - 4:30 PM
JV Girls Soccer - Kalamazoo Central at Stevensville Lakeshore - 5 PM
Boys Lacrosse - Salem at Novi - 5:30 PM
Freshman Boys Lacrosse - Canton at Brighton - 5:30 PM
JV Boys Lacrosse - Belleville at Howell - 5:30 PM
JV Girls Soccer - Macomb Dakota at Troy - 5:30 PM
Girls Lacrosse - Flushing at Ovid-Elsie - 6 PM
Girls Lacrosse – Farmington Hills Mercy at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood - 6 PM
Girls Soccer - Trenton at Brownstown Woodhaven - 6 PM
Girls Soccer - Kalamazoo Central at Stevensville Lakeshore - 6:30 PM
Girls Soccer - Charlotte at Fowlerville - 6:30 PM
Boys Lacrosse - Canton at Brighton - 7 PM
Boys Lacrosse - Belleville at Howell - 7 PM
Girls Lacrosse - Ann Arbor Huron at Novi - 7 PM
Girls Soccer - Macomb Dakota at Troy - 7 PM
Tuesday - April 16
Boys Track and Field - Salem at Brighton - 4 PM
Girls Track and Field - Salem at Brighton - 4 PM
Boys Soccer - Otisville-Lakeville at Montrose - 4:30 PM
Girls Soccer – Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood - 4:30 PM
Softball - Rochester Adams at Lake Orion - 4:30 PM
Boys Track and Field - Monroe at Saline - 4:30 PM
JV Boys Lacrosse – Bay City Western at Grand Blanc - 5:30 PM
JV Girls Soccer - Walled Lake Northern at White Lake Lakeland - 5:30 PM
JV Girls Soccer - Ann Arbor Huron at Saline - 5:30 PM
Girls Lacrosse - East Lansing at Ovid-Elsie - 6 PM
Girls Soccer - Williamston at Manchester - 6 PM
JV Girls Soccer – Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood - 6:30 PM
Boys Lacrosse – Detroit Cass Tech at St. Clair Shores Lake Shore - 7 PM
Boys Lacrosse – Bay City Western at Grand Blanc - 7 PM
Girls Soccer - Walled Lake Northern at White Lake Lakeland - 7 PM
Girls Soccer - Ann Arbor Huron at Saline - 7 PM
Wednesday - April 17
JV Girls Lacrosse - Brighton at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood - 2:30 PM
JV Girls Lacrosse - South Lyon at Novi - 5 PM
JV Girls Soccer - Davison at Grand Blanc - 5 PM
JV Boys Lacrosse - Plymouth Christian at Howell - 5:30 PM
JV Boys Lacrosse - Pioneer at Saline - 5:30 PM
Girls Lacrosse - Brighton at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood - 6 PM
Girls Soccer - Three Rivers at Plainwell - 6 PM
Girls Lacrosse – Livonia Stevenson at Novi - 6:30 PM
Boys Lacrosse - Plymouth Christian at Howell - 7 PM
Boys Lacrosse – Ann Arbor Pioneer at Saline - 7 PM
Girls Soccer – Midland Bullock Creek at Freeland - 7 PM
Girls Soccer - Davison at Grand Blanc - 7 PM
Thursday - April 18
Boys & Girls Track and Field – at Frankenmuth - 4 PM
Girls Soccer – Livonia Clarenceville at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood - 4:30 PM
Softball - Troy Athens at Lake Orion - 4:30 PM
JV Boys Lacrosse - South Lyon at Novi - 5 PM
JV Girls Soccer - Monroe at Saline - 5:30 PM
JV Girls Soccer – Rochester Hills Stoney Creek at Troy - 5:30 PM
Girls Lacrosse - Clarkston at White Lake Lakeland - 6 PM
Boys Lacrosse - Grand Ledge at Ovid-Elsie - 6 PM
Boys Lacrosse - South Lyon at Novi - 6:30 PM
Girls Soccer - Monroe at Saline - 7 PM
Girls Soccer - Stoney Creek at Troy - 7 PM
Friday - April 19
JV Girls Lacrosse - South Lyon at Saline - 5:30 PM
Girls Lacrosse - South Lyon at Saline - 7 PM
Saturday - April 20
Girls Soccer - Troy Athens at Saline - 1 PM
JV Girls Soccer - Troy Athens at Saline - 11 AM
JV Boys Lacrosse - Midland at Saline - 5:30 PM
Boys Lacrosse - Midland at Saline - 7 PM
Monday - April 22
JV Girls Soccer - Lincoln Park at Brownstown Woodhaven - 4:30 PM
JV Boys Lacrosse - Canton at Novi - 5 PM
JV Girls Soccer – Richland Gull Lake at Stevensville Lakeshore - 5 PM
JV Girls Soccer - Essexville Garber at Freeland - 5 PM
Freshman Boys Lacrosse - Howell at Brighton - 5:30 PM
JV Boys Lacrosse - Bedford at Saline - 5:30 PM
JV Girls Lacrosse - Clarkston at Troy - 5:30 PM
Girls Soccer - Onsted at Manchester - 5:30 PM
JV Girls Soccer - Rochester at Saline - 5:30 PM
Girls Soccer - Lincoln Park at Brownstown Woodhaven - 6 PM
Boys Lacrosse - Canton at Novi - 6:30 PM
Girls Soccer – Richland Gull Lake at Stevensville Lakeshore - 6:30 PM
Boys Lacrosse - Howell at Brighton - 7 PM
Boys Lacrosse - Bedford at Saline - 7 PM
Girls Lacrosse - Clarkston at Troy - 7 PM
Girls Soccer - Rochester at Saline - 7 PM
Girls Soccer – Saginaw Swan Valley at Freeland - 7 PM
Tuesday - April 23
Boys Track and Field - Canton at Brighton - 4 PM
Girls Track and Field - Canton at Brighton - 4 PM
JV Girls Soccer - Novi at Howell - 5:30 PM
Boys Lacrosse - Haslett at Ovid-Elsie - 6 PM
Girls Lacrosse - Okemos at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood - 6 PM
Girls Soccer - Novi at Howell - 7 PM
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 an