P-W/New Lothrop Tops MHSAA TV List
November 13, 2019
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
A monster rematch of the last two Division 7 champions will highlight the schedule of MHSAA Football Playoff Regional Finals streaming live video this week on MHSAA.tv and the NFHS Network.
Undoubtedly the game of the week statewide, 2016 and 2017 champion Pewamo-Westphalia (12-0) travels to 2018 winner New Lothrop (12-0) for a 7 p.m. game Friday (Nov. 15). The teams have split their last two meetings, P-W winning a Pre-District contest 35-14 in 2017 and New Lothrop rebounding in the Regional Final last year, 26-14.
The game is one of nine being shown on the NFHS Network this weekend, in addition to three games being streamed live on the Prep Zone.
The Prep Zone games can be seen on FoxSportsDetroit.com and on FOX Sports Go! for handheld and streaming devices like Roku. Here are this weekend’s Prep Zone games, all at 7 p.m. Friday:
- Utica Eisenhower at Davison (Div. 1)
- Port Huron at Birmingham Seaholm (Div. 2)
- Allen Park at Chelsea (Div. 3)
MHSAA.tv has live streaming video Thursday (Nov. 14) of Volleyball Regional Finals at Howell, St. Clair Shores Lake Shore, Bear Lake and Plymouth Christian Academy.
Here’s the complete schedule of upcoming events on MHSAA.tv:
Thursday - Nov. 14
2019 MHSAA Div 1 Volleyball Regional Final | Macomb L’Anse Creuse North v. Fraser - 6 PM
2019 MHSAA Div 4 Volleyball Regional Final | Southfield Christian vs. Cardinal Mooney - 6 PM
2019 MHSAA Div 4 Volleyball Regional Final | Leland vs. Traverse City Christian - 7 PM
2019 MHSAA Div 1 Volleyball Regional Final | Ann Arbor Skyline v. Novi - 7 PM
Friday - Nov. 15
2019 MHSAA Div 5 Football Regional Final | Kalamazoo United v. Lansing Catholic - 7 PM
2019 MHSAA Div 4 Football Regional Final | Pontiac Notre Dame Prep v. Flint Powers Catholic - 7 PM
2019 MHSAA Div 7 Football Regional Final | Pewamo-Westphalia v. New Lothrop - 7 PM
2019 MHSAA Div 2 Football Regional Final | Livonia Churchill v. Walled Lake Western - 7 PM
2019 MHSAA Div 2 Football Regional Final| Portage Northern v. Muskegon Mona Shores - 7 PM
2019 MHSAA Div 8 Football Regional Final | Lenawee Christian v. Reading - 7 PM
2019 MHSAA Div 4 Football Regional Final | Hudsonville Unity Christian v. Paw Paw - 7 PM
2019 MHSAA Div 6 Football Regional Final | Onsted v. Hillsdale - 7 PM
2019 MHSAA Div 1 Football Regional Final | Brighton v. Hudsonville - 7 PM
Saturday - Nov. 16
2019 MHSAA Div 6 Football Regional Final | Calumet v. Maple City Glen Lake - 1 PM
2019 MHSAA Div 4 Football Regional Final | Cadillac v. Grand Rapids Catholic Central - 1 PM
2019 MHSAA Div 6 Football Regional Final | Monroe SMCC v. Montrose - 2:45 PM
Now in its 11th 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 the events. The SBP also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions.
NFHS Network subscriptions begin at $10.99 a month. Subscribers will have access to all live video and streaming statistics across the country. All content becomes available for free, on-demand viewing 72 hours after being shown live. School Broadcast Program participants benefit as a portion of every subscription sold by a school goes to its program.
A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA Website.
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.)