The Debut of SHP Gameday

Everyone on campus anticipates Valpo Bowl night as the most intense and exciting football game of the year; however, this year had a special surprise: SHP Gameday! SHP Gameday, inspired by the famous ESPN Gameday, included numerous interactive segments both during lunch and between the two Valpo Bowl games. It was a great way to involve, excite, and connect students of all grade levels, through school spirit and passion for sports commentating.

Baron Frolik ‘26, who took the lead on the project, voiced that he was inspired “because it was the first Valpo Bowl with the girl’s game and also the boy’s game, we thought it was a good opportunity to have something that could encapsulate both of those exciting games.” To include both teams, this genius segment recruited experts in both flag football and football. Featured on the panel representing Sacred Heart was former flag football sensation Sanaia Shields ‘26, alongside Charlie Scully ‘25, Jack Garlinghouse ‘25, and Charlie Van Dyke ‘26. Joining the SHP students were Menlo students Hannah Bernthal ‘26 and James Wernikoff ‘25.

The show included a giant desk for all the commentators to stand around, bright professional lighting from SHPTV resources, the speakers wearing formal attire, and fans filling the background with spirited signs. The atmosphere of the production perfectly emulated ESPN Game Day’s iconic characteristics. Baron Frolik shared that he, along with Karlis McBride ‘26, spent over 12 hours building the desks. 

During lunch, SHPTV hosted a field goal competition, with four participants: Zoe Grossman ‘28, Will Espinosa ‘26, Emmanuel Orocio ‘26, and Karl Sylvester ‘25. Students rushed from the cafeteria to Gator Nation Field to watch the action with enthusiasm. Later on Friday evening, following the girl’s flag football game, the production started with an interview with Menlo’s own flag football player Ellie Knoll ‘25, who shared her exhilarating experience in the big game. Other discussed topics of the game included important play breakdowns, score predictions, and lots of cheers. For the boys’ game, they brought back alumni RJ Stephens 23’ to reflect on his experience as a former SHP football star who now plays at the University of California, Berkeley. Another exciting aspect of the night was a special feature from former NFL player John Lynch, who now manages the San Francisco 49ers. He sent a video detailing his predictions of an SHP Victory for the much anticipated game.

Long before the game, Thomas Klemens ‘26 shared his hopes that SHPTV would “try something new, that no high school has ever done before. Because SHPTV has never done a pregame show, we want to experiment with a different part of sports broadcasting.” The success of their SHP Gameday show has gathered attention not only school-wide, but has also gone viral on TikTok. Safe to say, even though it took many hours of preparation to develop, the show might have brought enough hype to Valpo Bowl that it could be back next year. It only takes a passionate student with enough motivation to make something great in our community.