DETROIT — The Detroit Lions announced today the continuation of the football education program Detroit Lions Michigan High School Football Game of the Week, now powered by Hudl.
The program will relaunch its new format the week of August 23, where the Lions will showcase one top game from a selection of games provided by the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association (MHSFCA). During a 48-hour window each week of the Michigan high school football regular season, schools, communities and high school football fans can vote at www.detroitlions.com/highschool for their game to be selected.
The game with the most votes will be the Detroit Lions Michigan High School Football Game of the Week.
"We couldn't be more excited to start up our Michigan High School Football Game of the Week program again and to bring Hudl into the fold," said Detroit Lions Director of Football Education Chris Fritzsching. "Youth football – and high school football specifically – is a bedrock in many communities throughout the state. Not only does this initiative bring a spotlight to several teams, the technology Hudl offers elevates the game to new heights."
Using video-sharing service Hudl, video content from each participating team will be used to compile a highlight package for weekly review. This highlight package of the Detroit Lions Michigan High School Football Game of the Week will be distributed via Lions Football Education social media accounts and posted on Detroitlions.com each weekend. Hudl provides video review and performance analysis tools for sports teams and athletes at every level.
The partnership between the Detroit Lions and Hudl would be the first of its kind relative to High School Game of the Week programming across the NFL.
"We're excited to partner with the Detroit Lions and the MHSFCA to highlight the best high school football in the state of Michigan this season," said Hudl Vice President of Competitive Sports Greg Nelson. "This partnership allows us to continue our mission to help teams win and showcase the best moments in sports."
Each school selected as the Detroit Lions Michigan High School Football Game of the Week will receive a $550 grant toward future Hudl subscriptions and upgrades.
Week one will focus on Division 1 schools, while the following seven weeks will focus on remaining Divisions 2-8 in 11-man football, and week nine will feature a game selected from the combined Divisions 1 & 2 in eight-man football.
Nominated games for week one:
- Detroit Catholic Central vs. Chippewa Valley – August 26 at 7 p.m.
- Rockford vs. Sterling Heights Stevenson – August 26 at 7 p.m.
- Hudsonville vs. Saline – August 27 at 3:30 p.m.
- Clarkston vs. Davison – August 27 at 7 p.m.
- West Bloomfield vs. Rochester Adams – August 27 at 7 p.m.
The Detroit Lions Michigan High School Football Game the Week first launched in 2019 with weekly onsite game-day takeovers. In 2021, the program is exclusively digital. For more information, contact Detroit Lions Director of Football Education Chris Fritzsching at [email protected].
