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 &
Grisdale to be Honored for 40 Seasons on Call for Cheboygan Football
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
September 13, 2024
When Jason Friday was in high school, there were two types of football fans in Cheboygan.
Folks either went to watch the Cheboygan Chiefs play under the lights, or they listened to the game on the radio called by play-by-play announcer Mike Grisdale.
Well, not much has changed. Friday, a 1992 Cheboygan grad, is now the school’s athletic director. And Grisdale is in the middle of his 40th season on the air.
What is changing tonight, though, is Cheboygan will officially dedicate the stadium press box to Grisdale in a special pregame ceremony before the Chiefs (1-1) take on Elk Rapids (1-1).
Former Cheboygan coaches, Grisdale’s family and people who have worked with him on the radio over the years will be on hand for the ceremony.
“We were able to get Dan Miller, George Blaha, Ken Kal and Dan Dickerson — radio broadcasters for all four Detroit sports — to record statements that we will play over the public address system,” said Friday. “Mike will be presented a smaller version of the plaque that we will be hanging in the press box, and he will have a chance to talk.”
Naming the press box after Grisdale has been in the works for more than a year, Friday noted. Grisdale first learned of the plan when he was interviewing Friday during halftime of a football game last year.
“Jason surprised me on the air,” Grisdale recalled. “I was shocked, but honored and thankful.”
Grisdale, a 1979 Cheboygan grad, is humbled noting there are so many people who contribute to the radio broadcasts and football program. He remembers listening with his father to Jorden James and Bob Martin call Chiefs games when some of the older kids from the neighborhood were playing high school football.
“I have just been so fortunate to do it for this long and have become the go-to guy for historical information and perspective,” Grisdale said.
Grisdale, who has also done nearly 1,000 Chiefs basketball games on the air, along with some hockey and soccer, said his interest in sports goes back to his childhood.
Grisdale grew up in Cheboygan with three brothers in a neighborhood full of kids. Sports were a big part of their lives — collecting baseball cards, listening to the Detroit Tigers on the radio, and playing basketball, kickball and wiffle ball.
Grisdale, who also hosts a Saturday morning radio show from a local restaurant called “Coaches Corner,” vividly recalls trying to keep a scorebook while listening to high school basketball games on WCBY radio and dreaming of becoming the next Blaha, or Ernie Harrell, Bob Ufer, or Bruce Martin - four legendary broadcasters of Michigan professional and college sports.
While at Central Michigan University earning a broadcasting degree, Grisdale got extensive of on-air experience on student stations. He worked on Cheboygan radio stations during summers.
Some of his fondest memories of Chiefs broadcasts have come from the locations where they’ve played.
“I have enjoyed having the opportunity to cover games at places like the Pontiac Silverdome, Palace of Auburn Hills, Crisler Arena and the Breslin Center,” Grisdale said. “You remember the exciting moments and big games”
The 40 years on the air, along with earlier turns covering Marshall and Albion football and basketball games, are really just a blur to the highly-revered radio personality.
“The seasons just seemed to run together,” Grisdale said. “There were many, many times when the weather and the long road trips took their toll.”
Grisdale played football at Cheboygan High School and was an offensive end and a defensive safety on a 9-0 squad his senior year in 1978. He caught three touchdown passes that season. He also held for extra points, collecting snaps from his brother Mark, the Chiefs’ long-snapper.
Mike Grisdale doesn’t hesitate to point out the best player he covered was fullback Shannon Scarborough from the 1991 team that reached the Silverdome – “The all-stater was strong and fast and played both ways,” he noted. But Grisdale has loved all the players and teams over the years. “I do it because I enjoy promoting the kids, keeping the traditions alive, seeing the community come together, good sportsmanship, and being part of a team.”
Friday, who also has broadcast multiple games alongside Grisdale over the years, has enjoyed Grisdale’s efforts to promote every player.
“Kids always love to hear their name on the radio,” Friday said. “What I think he does better than anyone is to make sure the offensive and defensive linemen are consistently mentioned — those boys in the trenches often get overlooked, but not with Mike on the call.”
When Cheboygan installed NFHS Network cameras, the athletic department sought to successfully connect Grisdale’s radio broadcast through the video feed.
“That has been a huge bonus and something that many community members have told me they appreciate,” Friday said.
Grisdale, who also works part-time for Black Diamond Broadcasting in its Cheboygan studios and serves Mackinaw Health System based in St. Ignace as its marketing director, has no plans to end his broadcasting career.
“As long as our local radio station can keep the tradition alive and I am still around, it would be my privilege to keep it going,” Grisdale said.
Cheboygan High School games are carried on WCBY (Cheboygan) 1240 AM, 100.7 FM and 98.1 FM, and streaming at BigCountryGold.com.
Tom Spencer is a longtime MHSAA-registered basketball and soccer official, and former softball and baseball official, and he also has coached in the northern Lower Peninsula area. He previously has written for the Saginaw News, Bay County Sports Page and Midland Daily News. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Mike Grisdale, right, and partner Nate King broadcast a Cheboygan game from Central Michigan University. (Middle) The Cheboygan stadium press box will be dedicated to the longtime broadcaster. (Below) Grisdale is on the call for another Chiefs game. (Photos provided by Grisdale and the Cheboygan athletic department.)