As Moniteau football continues rebuild, new student-run broadcast adds another element to the excitement: Merda Adams
Dylan Beachem had “launch a football broadcast” on his long-term wish list when he first took over as Moniteau’s athletic director.
More than a year since he was hired, Beachem has crossed that off the list.
Moniteau football games for the first time this year have featured student-run broadcasts on their Hudl livestreams. The trio of Cam Hershey, Dawson Cook and Carson Minear have called most home games this year and will do so again in Friday’s home finale against Kane.
“When I got here, taking a fresh look at everything, ‘Hey, how can we make everything better,’” Beachem said. “Cam last year knew he’d have free time this year, he started talking about it more. … He’s such a good self-motivated kid for this.”
Hershey, Cook and Minear are one of two student-run broadcast teams in Butler County. North Catholic has had one for a few years, and most other teams either have livestreams with no announcers or dedicated local radio stations. Some teams have their games broadcast occasionally on TV, too.
It’s been a welcome addition and experience for fans, the student announcers and a football team that is rebuilding after 2024’s winless campaign and is now 3-5.
“It’s definitely fun in general, no matter what,” said Hershey, a senior who is the color commentator. “But having a program that’s working its way up, rebuilding, it feels refreshing almost.”
“Cameron threw the idea out there (in the spring), and me and Carson kind of jumped on it,” said Cook, a senior who handles play-by-play, which made him initially nervous. “After the first game, I realized just how fun it was and really enjoyed it since.”
Hershey began working with Beachem, technical director Alex Greenwalt and Moniteau media teacher Mike Lafayette in the spring. He roped in Cook and Minear.
“I never really thought about doing anything like this before,” said Minear, who is the broadcast spotter pointing out who made the plays on the field for his booth partners. “It sounded like a pretty cool idea we could do as a school.”
Hershey said they met with the school principals at the end of last school year, then he went to a camp at Waynesburg University and came back with ideas to bring to Lafayette and check out the available equipment the school has.
He spent multiple days during the summer with Greenwalt, Beachem and his classmates to get ethernet cables into the press box, learn how to make graphics and test audio, and set up Hudl’s broadcast program called Production Truck, which required hours of learning and speaking with Hudl’s tech support team.
“It was pretty difficult to figure out,” Hershey said. “We had to go back and forth with Hudl a lot.”
Beachem said he’s been impressed with the behind-the-scenes work the students have put in since the summer. Cook said they spend time after school Tuesday and Wednesday before their next broadcast setting up stats and graphics. They reach out to the opposing team for roster information and season stats.
Hershey laughed when he said he thought he’d just be able to show up an hour before the game and be ready to go. He didn’t realize the amount of preparation needed before the season, which also includes getting headshots, starting lineups and pronunciations.
Because they know many of the players in their own classes — Cook is the older brother of Moniteau sophomore starting quarterback Weston Cook — they can add anecdotes during broadcasts about someone who just made a big play.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Dawson Cook said. “You’ll hear us three chirping at times when (Weston) has a completion; when he has a bad throw, you’ll hear about it.”
Hershey’s favorite call this season was when backup Jeremiah Donaldson, who does not see the field much, scored a touchdown in a Week 3 win over Bucktail. Minear enjoys getting the information quickly to Cook and Hershey to keep the broadcast running smoothly.
Beachem has been impressed by their improvisation, as well — an opposing player was injured and on the ground before getting carted off earlier in the season, and Cook and Hershey instinctively turned the camera back towards them and filled nearly 20 minutes of air time. They had not rehearsed what to do in those situations before.
Everyone has heard positive feedback from the school and community.
“After, a lot of people come up to us and say, ‘Hey, you did a great job,’” Cook said.
The trio has one more game this week. They are thinking about adding basketball broadcasts during the winter season and possibly more sports in the future.
Cook and Hershey will graduate in the spring, but Minear is already thinking about taking over next year as a senior.
Moniteau hosts Kane at 7 p.m. Friday, then hits the road for the season finale next week at St. Marys.
Jake Merda Adams is the sports editor at the Butler Eagle.
