Los Alamitos High School students work behind the microphones during the school’s first student-produced live varsity football broadcast on Sept. 4. (Photo courtesy of Los Alamitos Unified School District) 
A Los Alamitos High School student monitors multiple camera feeds while helping produce the Griffins’ Sept. 4 varsity football game against Junipero Serra High School. (Photo courtesy of Los Alamitos Unified School District) 
Los Alamitos High School students work from the sidelines to produce live coverage of the Griffins’ varsity football game against Junipero Serra High School on Sept. 4. (Photo courtesy of Los Alamitos Unified School District)
Quick look: Students in a new Advanced Live Broadcasting class at Los Alamitos High School put their skills to the test Sept. 4, producing the school’s first live varsity football broadcast run entirely by students.
There were no second takes for a group of Los Alamitos High School students.
Every camera switch, audio adjustment, on-screen graphic and play-by-play call had to happen in real time as students in the school’s new Advanced Live Broadcasting class took control of a live varsity football production for the first time.
Just weeks into the school year, students put those skills to work Sept. 4 as the Griffins took on Junipero Serra High School.
The nearly three-hour production gave students an opportunity to step beyond the classroom and take on many of the responsibilities found on a professional broadcast crew.
Seven students operated cameras positioned throughout the stadium, while student director Zoey Harmon switched between feeds and determined what viewers at home saw on screen. Student announcers Bella Marsh and Colt Carroll opened the broadcast on camera before providing play-by-play commentary throughout the game. Other students handled audio and graphics, including the score, down and distance, and game clock, while student sideline reporter Emma Vernes conducted interviews and provided updates from the field.
Advisers Conner Brown, Matthew Berry and Johnny Flaim provided guidance, but once the game began, the students ran the show.
“This was the first time we have ever attempted something at this level, and our students really stepped up,” Brown said. “They were communicating, making decisions, and solving problems in real time. To see them take ownership of the broadcast and work together as a professional production team was pretty incredible.”
Building skills for the industry
Advanced Live Broadcasting is part of Los Alamitos High School’s Film and Television career technical education pathway. Students begin with Film and Television Production I, where they develop foundational technical and creative skills before moving into advanced coursework.
At the advanced level, students build on common production skills and apply them through different types of projects. Griffin News focuses on school news and journalism, Focus Studios centers on short-film production, and Advanced Live Broadcasting gives students experience with live, multi-camera productions.
The different experiences allow students to pursue projects aligned with their interests and potential career goals while gaining hands-on experience across film, television and broadcasting. The school’s 2026-27 curriculum handbook describes the broader Film and Television Production program as project-based, with an emphasis on real-world skills, teamwork, communication, critical thinking and decision-making.
Those skills were put into practice during the Sept. 4 broadcast, when students had to communicate continuously and solve problems as they arose.
Their work also caught the attention of members of the Spectrum News 1 production crew covering the game. Several students connected with the team and were invited to shadow a future production, giving them an even closer look at where their skills could take them.
“Our goal is to give students opportunities to do real work that connects to what they may want to pursue beyond high school,” Brown said. “When professionals in the industry notice what our students are doing and want to help them take that next step, that is really exciting.”
The class hopes to bring student-produced live coverage to more Los Alamitos High School athletic events, performing arts productions and other activities across campus, giving students additional opportunities to sharpen their skills while sharing what is happening throughout their school.
The students crew is scheduled to return for the Griffins’ next home game on Friday, Oct. 9, ready to build on what they learned from their first live production.