Soccer Districts Kick Off on MHSAA TV
October 13, 2020
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
The first round of District play in the 2020 MHSAA Lower Peninsula Boys Soccer Tournament highlights another full week of activity on the NFHS Network and MHSAA.tv.
Games this week begin Wednesday (Oct. 14).Here’s the schedule:
Wednesday – Oct. 13
Grosse Pointe North vs. Detroit Cass Tech - 4 PM
Macomb 'Anse Creuse North vs. Port Huron - 4 PM
Garden City vs. Detroit Cesar Chavez Academy - 5 PM
Lake Orion vs. Utica Eisenhower - 5 PM
Birmingham Seaholm vs. Birmingham Groves - 5:30 PM
Reed City vs. Hart - 5:30 PM
Brownstown Woodhaven vs. Taylor Preparatory - 6 PM
Fenton vs. Davison - 6 PM
Northville vs. Walled Lake Western - 6 PM
South Lyon East vs. Milan - 6 PM
St. Clair Shores Lake Shore vs. St. Clair Shores South Lake - 6 PM
St. Joseph vs. Sturgis - 6 PM
Waterford Mott vs. Utica - 6 PM
East Lansing vs. Swartz Creek - 7 PM
Hemlock vs. Saginaw Swan Valley - 7 PM
Saline vs. Belleville - 7 PM
Thursday – Oct. 15
Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood vs. Madison Heights Lamphere - 4 PM
Manchester vs. Ann Arbor Greenhills - 5 PM
East Grand Rapids vs. Wyoming - 6 PM
Grand Blanc vs. Lapeer - 6 PM
Grand Rapids South Christian vs. Grand Rapids Covenant Christian - 6 PM
Novi vs. Brighton - 6 PM
Petoskey vs. Bay City Western - 6 PM
Clare vs. Pinconning - 7 PM
Comstock Park vs. Portland - 7 PM
Bloomfield Hills vs. Troy - 7:30 PM
Friday - Oct. 16
Vicksburg vs. Niles - 6 PM
During the coming week, nearly 700 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.
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
Friday - Oct. 16
Dearborn Heights Robichaud vs. Dearborn Heights Annapolis - 4:30 PM
Lowell vs. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern - 6:55 PM
Brownstown Woodhaven vs. Trenton - 7 PM
Caro vs. Cass City - 7 PM
Chesaning vs. Byron - 7 PM
Clare vs. Harrison - 7 PM
Comstock Park vs. Sparta - 7 PM
Corunna vs. Lake Fenton - 7 PM
Dearborn Divine Child vs. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood - 7 PM
Detroit Catholic Central vs. River Rouge - 7 PM
Frankenmuth vs. Birch Run - 7 PM
Grand Rapids Catholic Central vs. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern - 7 PM
Grosse Pointe North vs. Warren Woods-Tower - 7 PM
Holt vs. Portage Northern - 7 PM
Hopkins vs. Wyoming Godwin Heights - 7 PM
Houghton vs. Negaunee - 7 PM
Howell vs. Brighton - 7 PM
Kingsley vs. Sault Ste. Marie - 7 PM
Lake Orion vs. Farmington - 7 PM
Livonia Clarenceville vs. Oakland Christian - 7 PM
Manchester vs. Michigan Center - 7 PM
Maple Valley vs. Webberville - 7 PM
Marquette vs. Escanaba - 7 PM
Mason vs. Lansing Catholic - 7 PM
Mayville vs. International Academy of Flint - 7 PM
Millington vs. Hemlock - 7 PM
Montrose vs. Otisville LakeVille - 7 PM
New Lothrop vs. Durand - 7 PM
Niles vs. Buchanan - 7 PM
Northville vs. Novi - 7 PM
Ortonville Brandon vs. Clio - 7 PM
Ovid-Elsie vs. Mt Morris - 7 PM
Peck vs. North Huron - 7 PM
Petoskey vs. TBA - 7 PM
Plainwell vs. Three Rivers - 7 PM
Portage Central vs. Battle Creek Central - 7 PM
Rockford vs. Muskegon Reeths-Puffer - 7 PM
Saline vs. Ann Arbor Skyline - 7 PM
South Lyon vs. Highland Milford - 7 PM
South Lyon East vs. Waterford Kettering - 7 PM
St Johns vs. Fowlerville - 7 PM
St Johns vs. Fowlerville - 7 PM
St. Joseph vs. Richland Gull Lake - 7 PM
Stevensville Lakeshore vs. Battle Creek Lakeview - 7 PM
Stockbridge vs. Wyoming Lee - 7 PM
Suttons Bay vs. Mesick - 7 PM
Traverse City West vs. Cadillac - 7 PM
Troy vs. Pontiac - 7 PM
Walled Lake Western vs. Walled Lake Northern - 7 PM
White Lake Lakeland vs. Walled Lake Central - 7 PM
Whitmore Lake vs. Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest - 7 PM
Norway vs. Manistique - 8 PM
Saturday - Oct. 17
Traverse City St. Francis vs. Ogemaw Heights Oct 17, 2020 - 1 PM
Girls Volleyball
Tuesday - Oct. 13
Dearborn Heights Robichaud vs. Hamtramck - 4 PM
Multi-team Event @ Dollar Bay - 4:20 PM
East Lansing vs. TBA - 5 PM
Galesburg-Augusta vs. Martin - 5 PM
Holt vs. TBA - 5 PM
Bay City John Glenn vs. Saginaw Arthur Hill - 5:30 PM
Grand Rapids Christian vs. East Grand Rapids - 6 PM
Mayville vs. Caseville - 6 PM
Plainwell vs. Hopkins - 6 PM
Romulus Summit Academy North vs. Dearborn Henry Ford Academy - 6 PM
Sturgis vs. Vicksburg - 6 PM
Vermontville Maple Valley vs. Stockbridge - 6 PM
Madison Heights Lamphere vs. Warren Mott - 6 PM
Hartland vs. Canton - 6:15 PM
Mt Morris vs. Otisville LakeVille - 6:15 PM
Brighton vs. Howell - 6:30 PM
Chesaning vs. Montrose - 6:30 PM
Erie-Mason vs. Ottawa Lake Whiteford - 6:30 PM
Grand Blanc vs. Midland Dow - 6:30 PM
Grand Rapids South Christian vs. Thornapple Kellogg - 6:30 PM
Macomb L'Anse Creuse North vs. Utica Eisenhower - 6:30 PM
Maple City Glen Lake vs. Frankfort - 6:30 PM
Negaunee vs. Calumet - 6:30 PM
New Lothrop vs. Ovid-Elsie - 6:30 PM
Novi vs. Northville - 6:30 PM
South Lyon vs. South Lyon East - 6:30 PM
Southfield Christian vs. Plymouth Christian Academy - 6:30 PM
Walled Lake Northern vs. Highland Milford - 6:30 PM
Whitmore Lake vs. Allen Park Inter-City Baptist - 6:30 PM
Harbor Beach vs. Sandusky - 6:45 PM
Bear Lake vs. Marion - 7 PM
Bloomfield Woodhaven vs. Dearborn Edsel Ford - 7 PM
Brethren vs. Manistee Catholic Central - 7 PM
Garden City vs. Riverview - 7 PM
Grandville vs. Hudsonville - 7 PM
Kingsley vs. Leland - 7 PM
Pentwater vs. Baldwin - 7 PM
Rockford vs. Grand Haven - 7 PM
Waterford Our Lady vs. Warren Regina - 7 PM
West Bloomfield vs. Berkley - 7 PM
Caro vs. Vassar - 7:30 PM
Cass City vs. TBA - 7:30 PM
Dryden vs. Akron-Fairgrove - 7:30 PM
Wednesday - Oct. 14
Flushing vs. Linden - 5:15 PM
Holly vs. Fenton - 5:15 PM
Grosse Pointe North vs. Marysville - 6:30 PM
Petoskey vs. Gaylord - 6:30 PM
St. Joseph vs. Richland Gull Lake - 6:30 PM
Wayland Union vs. Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills - 6:30 PM
Traverse City West vs. Alpena - 6:45 PM
Bay City John Glenn vs. Birch Run - 7 PM
Bridgeport vs. Saginaw Swan Valley - 7 PM
Cadillac vs. Traverse City Central - 7 PM
Morley Stanwood vs. White Cloud - 7 PM
Waterford Our Lady vs. Riverview Gabriel Richard - 7 PM
Dearborn Divine Child vs. Wixom St. Catherine - 7:15 PM
Clare vs. Farwell - 7:30 PM
Harrison vs. Gladwin - 7:30 PM
Hemlock vs. Millington - 7:30 PM
Thursday - Oct. 15
New Lothrop vs. Beal City - 5:30 PM
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep vs. Clio - 5:30 PM
Armada vs. Yale - 6 PM
DeWitt vs. St Johns - 6 PM
Fowlerville vs. Mason - 6 PM
Mayville vs. Kingston - 6 PM
Plainwell vs. Three Rivers - 6 PM
Wayland Union vs. Wyoming - 6 PM
Williamston vs. Lansing Waverly - 6 PM
Warren Woods-Tower vs. St. Clair Shores Lakeview - 6:15 PM
Dollar Bay vs. L'Anse - 6:20 PM
Blanchard Montabella vs. Remus Chippewa Hills - 6:30 PM
Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood vs. Royal Oak Shrine Catholic - 6:30 PM
Flint Powers Catholic vs. Flint Carman-Ainsworth - 6:30 PM
Galesburg-Augusta vs. Saugatuck - 6:30 PM
Grand Blanc vs. Saginaw Arthur Hill - 6:30 PM
Highland Milford vs. Walled Lake Central - 6:30 PM
Ishpeming vs. Hancock - 6:30 PM
Kalamazoo Christian vs. Lawton - 6:30 PM
Macomb L'Anse Creuse North vs. Romeo - 6:30 PM
Manchester vs. Michigan Center - 6:30 PM
Marcellus vs. Three Oaks River Valley - 6:30 PM
Southfield Christian vs. Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest - 6:30 PM
White Lake Lakeland vs. Walled Lake Northern - 6:30 PM
Whitmore Lake vs. Westland Huron Valley Lutheran - 6:30 PM
Calumet vs. Ishpeming Westwood - 6:45 PM
Harbor Beach vs. Cass City - 6:45 PM
Bear Lake vs. Onekama - 7 PM
Brownstown Woodhaven vs. Taylor Preparatory - 7 PM
Escanaba vs. Sault Ste. Marie - 7 PM
Grandville vs. Caledonia - 7 PM
Hopkins vs. Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian - 7 PM
Marquette vs. Houghton - 7 PM
Plymouth Christian Academy vs. Oakland Christian - 7 PM
Rockford vs. East Kentwood - 7 PM
Troy Athens vs. Utica - 7 PM
Kingsford vs. Gladstone - 7:15 PM
Bad Axe vs. Vassar - 7:30 PM
Caro vs. Reese - 7:30 PM
Dryden vs. Peck - 7:30 PM
Pellston vs. Johannesburg-Lewiston - 7:30 PM
Unionville Sebewaing vs. Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker - 7:30 PM
Friday - Oct. 16
Bloomfield Hills Marian vs. Dearborn Divine Child - 7:15 PM
Wixom St. Catherine vs. Farmington Hills Mercy - 7:15 PM
Saturday - Oct. 17
Bad Axe vs. TBA - 8:30 AM
Fenton vs. TBA – Part 1 - 8:30 AM
Linden vs. TBA - 8:30 AM
Multi-team Event @ St. Joseph - 8:30 AM
Chesaning vs. TBA - 9 AM
Flushing vs. Grand Blanc - 9 AM
Howell vs. TBA - 9 AM
South Lyon East vs. TBA - 9 AM
Cadillac vs. Grandville - 10 AM
New Lothrop vs. TBA - 10 AM
West Bloomfield vs. Rochester Adams - 12:30 PM
Grand Rapids Christian vs. Farmington Hills Mercy - 1 PM
Houghton vs. TBA - 3 PM
Niles vs. TBA - 5 PM
West Bloomfield vs. TBA - 7 PM
Monday - Oct. 19
Multi-team Event @ Petoskey - 5 PM
Negaunee vs. Ishpeming Westwood - 5 PM
Flushing vs. Flint Kearsley - 5:15 PM
Holly vs. Linden - 5:15 PM
Dollar Bay vs. Ewen-Trout Creek - 6:20 PM
Brighton vs. Novi - 6:30 PM
Galesburg-Augusta vs. Kalamazoo Christian - 6:30 PM
South Lyon vs. Highland Milford - 6:30 PM
South Lyon East vs. Waterford Mott - 6:30 PM
Sterling Heights Parkway Christian vs. Warren Fitzgerald - 6:30 PM
Walled Lake Northern vs. Waterford Kettering - 6:30 PM
Calumet vs. Houghton - 6:45 PM
Frankenmuth vs. Essexville Garber - 7 PM
Hemlock vs. St. Louis - 7 PM
Bay City John Glenn vs. Bay City All Saints - 7 PM
Marcellus vs. Lawrence - 7 PM
Livonia Clarenceville vs. Clawson - 7:30 PM
Tuesday - Oct. 20
Marcellus vs. TBA - 5 PM
Southfield Christian vs. Brighton Charyl Stockwell - 5:30 PM
St Ignace vs. Brimley - 5:45 PM
DeWitt vs. Williamston - 6 PM
East Lansing vs. Lansing Waverly - 6 PM
Kinde North Huron vs. Carsonville-Port Sanilac - 6 PM
Mason vs. Haslett - 6 PM
Mayville vs. Dryden - 6 PM
Norway vs. Carney-Nadeau - 6 PM
Peck vs. Genesee - 6 PM
Vermontville Maple Valley vs. Lansing Christian - 6 PM
Munising vs. Rapid River - 6 PM
Chesaning vs. New Lothrop - 6:15 PM
Mt Morris vs. Byron - 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
St. Clair Shores Lake Shore vs. St. Clair - 6:30 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
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
Grand Rapids South Christian vs. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern - 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
Troy Athens vs. Madison Heights Bishop Foley - 7 PM
Kingsford vs. Escanaba - 7:15 PM
Cass City vs. Caro - 7:30 PM
Now in its 12th 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 program 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. A portion of every subscription sold by an SBP school goes to benefit 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.)