![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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Live Wrestling Video Ramping Up
February 5, 2019
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
The first Winter tournament action on MHSAA.tv comes this week, with plenty of wrestling events being produced by School Broadcast Program participants.
The District phase of the Team Wrestling Tournament takes place Wednesday and Thursday (Feb. 6-7), and then the District round of the Individual Wrestling Tournament is scheduled for Saturday (Feb. 9).
Here’s the schedule for Team Wrestling District action to be covered:
Division 1
Saginaw Heritage – Feb. 7
6 p.m. – Flushing v. Saginaw Heritage
7:15 p.m. – Final - Saginaw Arthur Hill v. winner of 6 p.m.
Grandville – Feb. 7
5:30 p.m. – Grand Rapids Union v. Jenison; Grandville v. Wyoming
6:45 p.m. – Final
Howell – Feb. 7
6 p.m. – Walled Lake Western v. Howell; Brighton v. South Lyon
7:15 p.m. – Final
Saline – Feb. 7
5 p.m. – Ann Arbor Huron v. Ann Arbor Pioneer
6:15 p.m. – Saline v. winner of 5 p.m.
Division 2
Marquette – Feb. 6
6 p.m. – Escanaba v. Marquette
7:15 p.m. – Sault Ste. Marie v. winner of 6 p.m.
Flint Kearsley – Feb. 6
5 p.m. – Flint Kearsley v. Flint Powers Catholic
6:15 – North Branch v. winner of 5 p.m.
Fenton – Feb. 6
5 p.m. – Linden v. Goodrich; Fenton v. Holly
6:15 p.m. – Final
Stevensville Lakeshore – Feb. 6
6 p.m. – Stevensville Lakeshore v. Benton Harbor; St. Joseph v. Niles
7:15 p.m. – Final
Fowlerville – Feb. 6
5:30 p.m. – Fowlerville v. Haslett; Mason v. East Lansing
6:45 p.m. – Final
Division 3
Freeland – Feb. 6
6 p.m. – Carrollton v. Freeland
7:15 p.m. – Saginaw Valley Lutheran v. winner of 6 p.m.
Otisville-LakeVille
6 p.m. – Almont v. Yale; Otisville-LakeVille v. Imlay City
7:15 p.m. – Final
Here’s the schedule for Individual Wrestling District action to be covered:
Division 2
10 a.m. – Fremont
10 a.m. – Stevensville Lakeshore
Division 3
10 a.m. – Comstock Park
10 a.m. – Montrose
Division 4
10 a.m. - Manchester
Here’s the remainder of this week’s MHSAA.tv schedule of video streams being produced by SBP members. Check the online schedule throughout the week for late changes.
?Tuesday - Feb. 5
Freshman Girls Basketball - Salem at Howell - 3:50 PM
Freshman Boys Basketball - Byron at Ovid-Elsie - 4 PM
Freshman Boys Basketball - Owosso at Fenton - 4 PM
Freshman Boys Basketball - Otisville-Lakeville at Mt. Morris - 4 PM
Freshman Boys Basketball - Sparta at Comstock Park - 4 PM
Freshman Girls Basketball - Warren Regina at Bloomfield Hills Marian - 4 PM
Project Unified Basketball - Howell at Novi - 4 PM
Freshman Boys Basketball - Rockford at Grandville - 4 PM
Freshman Girls Basketball - Midland at Saginaw Heritage - 4 PM
Freshman Boys Basketball - Detroit Catholic Central at Warren DeLaSalle - 4 PM
Middle School Boys Basketball - Plymouth Christian at Southfield Christian - 4:30 PM
Varsity Girls Ice Hockey - Ann Arbor Pioneer at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood - 5 PM
Junior Varsity Girls Basketball - Salem at Howell - 5:20 PM
Junior Varsity Girls Basketball - Mt. Morris at Otisville-Lakeville - 5:25 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball - Byron at Ovid-Elsie - 5:30 PM
Varsity Girls Basketball - Eaton Rapids at Corunna - 5:30 PM
Junior Varsity Girls Basketball - Midland at Saginaw Heritage - 5:30 PM
Junior Varsity Girls Basketball - Warren Regina at Bloomfield Hills Marian - 5:30 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball - Detroit at Warren DeLaSalle - 5:30 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball - Sparta at Comstock Park - 5:30 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball - Owosso at Fenton - 5:30 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball - Otisville-Lakeville at Mt. Morris - 5:30 PM
Junior Varsity Girls Basketball - Linden at Flint Kearsley - 5:30 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball - Brighton at Novi - 5:30 PM
Junior Varsity Girls Basketball - Calvin Christian at Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian - 5:30 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball - Rockford at Grandville - 5:30 PM
Junior Varsity Girls Basketball - Delton Kellogg at Kalamazoo Christian - 5:30 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball - Michigan Center at Manchester - 5:30 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball – Ewen-Trout Creek at Dollar Bay - 5:45 PM
Junior Varsity Girls Basketball - Calumet at Negaunee - 5:45 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball - Chassell at Calumet - 5:45 PM
Competitive Cheer – at St. Clair Shores Lake Shore - 6 PM
Varsity Boys Basketball - Coleman at Harrison - 6 PM
Junior Varsity Girls Basketball - Essexville Garber at Frankenmuth - 6 PM
Varsity Girls Basketball - Ithaca at St. Charles - 6 PM
Varsity Girls Basketball – Saginaw Swan Valley at Freeland - 6 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball - Carney-Nadeau at Norway - 6:30 PM
Varsity Girls Basketball - Mt. Morris at Otisville-Lakeville - 6:50 PM
Varsity Girls Basketball - Salem at Howell - 6:50 PM
Varsity Boys Basketball – Burton Madison Academy at Corunna - 7 PM
Varsity Girls Basketball - Midland at Saginaw Heritage - 7 PM
Varsity Boys Basketball - Sparta at Comstock Park - 7 PM
Varsity Boys Basketball - Detroit at Warren DeLaSalle - 7 PM
Varsity Girls Basketball - Warren Regina at Bloomfield Hills Marian - 7 PM
Varsity Boys Basketball - Byron at Ovid-Elsie - 7 PM
Varsity Boys Basketball - Michigan Center at Manchester - 7 PM
Varsity Girls Basketball – Westland Huron Valley Lutheran at Southfield Christian - 7 PM
Varsity Girls Basketball – Grandville Calvin Christian at Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian - 7 PM
Varsity Boys Basketball - Rockford at Grandville - 7 PM
Varsity Boys Basketball - Otisville-Lakeville at Mt. Morris - 7 PM
Varsity Girls Basketball - Delton Kellogg at Kalamazoo Christian - 7 PM
Varsity Boys Basketball - Brighton at Novi - 7 PM
Varsity Boys Basketball - Owosso at Fenton - 7 PM
Varsity Girls Basketball - Linden at Flint Kearsley - 7 PM
Varsity Boys Basketball - Chassell at Calumet - 7:15 PM
Varsity Boys Basketball – Ewen-Trout Creek at Dollar Bay - 7:15 PM
Varsity Girls Basketball - Edwardsburg at Plainwell - 7:15 PM
Varsity Girls Basketball - Beal City at Vestaburg - 7:30 PM
Varsity Boys Basketball - Ithaca at St. Charles - 7:30 PM
Varsity Girls Basketball - Essexville Garber at Frankenmuth - 7:30 PM
Varsity Boys Basketball – Saginaw Swan Valley at Freeland - 7:30 PM
Varsity Boys Ice Hockey - Port Huron Northern at Detroit Catholic Central - 7:50 PM
Varsity Boys Basketball - Carney-Nadeau at Norway - 8 PM
Wednesday - Feb. 6
Freshman Girls Basketball - Waterford Mott at White Lake Lakeland - 4 PM
Middle School Girls Basketball - Michigan Center at Manchester - 4:30 PM
Junior Varsity Girls Basketball - Ann Arbor Pioneer at Saline - 5:30 PM
Junior Varsity Girls Basketball - Waterford Mott at White Lake Lakeland - 5:30 PM
Junior Varsity Girls Basketball - Addison at Manchester - 5:30 PM
Varsity Girls Basketball - Waterford Mott at White Lake Lakeland - 7 PM
Varsity Girls Basketball - Bath at Pewamo-Westphalia - 7 PM
Varsity Girls Basketball - Ann Arbor Pioneer at Saline - 7 PM
Varsity Girls Basketball - Addison at Manchester - 7 PM
Thursday - Feb. 7
Freshman Boys Basketball - Montrose at Mt. Morris - 4 PM
Freshman Boys Basketball - Greenville at Comstock Park - 4 PM
Freshman Boys Basketball - Highland Milford at White Lake Lakeland - 4 PM
Freshman Boys Basketball - Ludington at Fremont - 4 PM
Freshman Boys Basketball - Schoolcraft at Kalamazoo Christian - 4:15 PM
Middle School Girls Basketball - Wyoming Kelloggsville at Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian - 4:15 PM
Junior Varsity Girls Basketball - Wyoming Kelloggsville at Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian - 4:15 PM
Freshman Boys Basketball - Midland Bullock Creek at Freeland - 4:30 PM
Freshman Boys Basketball - St. Clair Shores Lake Shore - 4:30 PM
Freshman Boys Basketball - Otsego at Plainwell - 5 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball - Greenville at Comstock Park - 5:30 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball - Highland Milford at White Lake Lakeland - 5:30 PM
Freshman Boys Basketball - Holly at Fenton - 5:30 PM
Middle School Girls Basketball - Wyoming Kelloggsville at Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian - 5:30 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball - Durand at Ovid-Elsie - 5:30 PM
Varsity Boys Basketball - Central Lake at Pellston - 5:30 PM
Junior Varsity Girls Basketball - Burton Bendle at Corunna - 5:30 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball - Montrose at Mt. Morris - 5:30 PM
Junior Varsity Girls Basketball - Schoolcraft at Kalamazoo Christian - 5:30 PM
Junior Varsity Girls Basketball - Swartz Creek at Flint Kearsley - 5:30 PM
Junior Varsity Girls Basketball - Escanaba at Calumet - 5:45 PM
Junior Varsity Girls Basketball - Chassell at Dollar Bay - 5:45 PM
Freshman Boys Basketball - Wyoming Kelloggsville at Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian - 5:45 PM
Varsity Girls Basketball - Clare at Harrison - 6 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball - Midland Bullock Creek at Freeland - 6 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball - Shelby at Hart - 6 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball - Essexville Garber at Frankenmuth - 6 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball - St. Clair Shores Lake Shore - 6 PM
Varsity Girls Basketball - Sandusky at Harbor Beach - 6 PM
Competitive Cheer – MIAA at Southfield Christian - 6 PM (Lutheran Westland, Sterling Heights Parkway Christian, Plymouth Christian)
Junior Varsity Girls Basketball - Haslett at Fowlerville - 6 PM
Varsity Wrestling - Saginaw Heritage - 6 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball - Otsego at Plainwell - 6:15 PM
Junior Varsity Girls Basketball – Rock Mid Peninsula at Norway - 6:30 PM
Varsity Boys Ice Hockey - Negaunee at Calumet - 7 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball - Schoolcraft at Kalamazoo Christian - 7 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball - Burton Bendle at Corunna - 7 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball – Stanton Central Montcalm at Fremont - 7 PM
Varsity Boys Basketball - Greenville at Comstock Park - 7 PM
Varsity Boys Basketball - Montrose at Mt. Morris - 7 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball - Swartz Creek at Flint Kearsley - 7 PM
Varsity Boys Basketball - Durand at Ovid-Elsie - 7 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball - Holly at Fenton - 7 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball - Burton Bendle at Corunna - 7 PM
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball - Wyoming Kelloggsville at Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian - 7:15 PM
Varsity Girls Basketball - Escanaba at Calumet - 7:15 PM
Varsity Girls Basketball - Chassell at Dollar Bay - 7:15 PM
Junior Varsity Girls Basketball - Essexville Garber at Frankenmuth - 7:30 PM
Varsity Boys Basketball - Fulton at Pewamo-Westphalia - 7:30 PM