By Matthew Peaslee
MORGANTOWN — Four years ago, a group of Morgantown High parents volunteered their time to improve the school grounds.
Their task: get the video board at Pony Lewis Field up and running again.
“Marty Dombrowski and Dick Riley took an extreme interest in this endeavor,” said John Bowers, MHS athletic director. “They researched and learned the ins and outs of operation and loading content.”
The group, known as the Press Box 4 crew, has been responsible for providing video clips, graphics, slideshows and music on the video board for football, soccer and lacrosse games.
“It sounded like a fun hobby,” Dombrowski said. “It’s really been a fun challenge over the years.”
Then the pandemic hit. The challenge became a new opportunity.
The press box crew was now going to take their show online.
When it appeared that the fall 2020 sports season would be played, albeit with limited capacity in the stands, Bowers identified a software program called BlueFrame Production Truck. Dombowski, an engineer, and Riley, an accountant, downloaded the program on their personal computers and learned how to reach an expansive audience who would not be able to attend sporting events in person.
“This is not like something we do at our day jobs,” Riley said. “We’re volunteers who accepted a challenge to see what we could do.”
Dombrowski and Riley weren’t going into this blind, though. When they first took up the task in 2017, they had to learn a lot of the technical issues with the highly detailed equipment. Dombrowksi credits Jack Johns, the former MHS and WVU public address announcer, for taking him under his wing and introducing him to the features at Pony Lewis Field.
“He was just so kind,” Dombrowski said. “Working with him was so critical. As we’re doing this and building on it, I realized that I had a ton of questions so I just started reaching out to people I knew.”
Bob Walker, an IT professional and MHS parent, came in and offered a crash course on stadium technology. Joe Webb and Bill Shultz, who work with the video programs for WVU athletics, came and helped with speakers and wiring. The crew then learned how to produce GIFs and graphics, and developed soundtracks for the football team.
“We were playing our old classic rock tunes,” Dombrowski said. “But shortly after we started doing that, we heard some football players say that the girls’ soccer team had a better playlist than we do.”
So, once the music was straightened up, the press box crew needed a camera. A video camera would allow them to record the game help the video board reach its full potential.
Teacher Melissa Forinash offered her family video camera.
“I was so worried that we were going to zap her Christmas memories or something,” Dombrowski said. “I backed up her whole thing so we wouldn’t lose it.”
Eddie Christy, from the National Energy Technology Laboratory, also donated a camera and Dr. Morgan Lyons, a cardiologist from Mon General, gave up a video switcher which allows for footage from multiple cameras to be seen.
The whole production makes events more entertaining.
“Are we doing more to amuse ourselves by trying to entertain the people in the stands,” Riley said with a laugh. “One of the motivations for me is to be able to give back at some level and support these coaches who have done so much for my kids when they were athletes. What I’m really happy to do is support the athletic department.”
But in 2020, the focus switched from entertaining fans in the stands to providing a service for those unable to break restrictions due to social-distancing guidelines.
Fans could tune in via Production Truck, pay a small fee, and watch a professional-level broadcast put on by the folks of Press Box 4. They utilized their two-camera system, one with a wide angle and one with a close-up angle, and added another camera to always display the scoreboard.
With the help of Dan Lohmann and Dave Wilson, the crew broadcasted all home football and soccer games in the fall. Abby Wolfe, a Mohigans volleyball coach, played a big role in the winter and spring as the video crew was able to work with the school’s current Hudl program to broadcast volleyball and basketball games.
Once the basketball teams reached the regional championships, they tried a new system called Open Broadcaster Software, which allowed for viewing free of charge. In all, the crew has helped with nearly 30 events. A few hundred people have tuned in for each broadcast.
The biggest show came May 15 with the Morgantown Invitational track meet at Mylan Park. For the 7-hour broadcast almost 1,700 viewers tuned in. The meet hosted 11 teams from around the state and supporters of those schools were invited to tune in, too. For broadcasts of the fall and winter sports, Bowers encouraged opposing teams’ fans to tune in to Production Truck to see their teams play against Morgantown.
“We’ve been a great team because we have different skills and different perspectives,” Riley said. “When a problem arises we are able to figure it out and bounce solutions around to each other.”
Added Dombrowski, “When we make a mistake we’re harder on ourselves, but we know we’re not the best. But we are getting better. We truly are. We’re always looking for feedback.”
Bowers called the crew, “Mohigan excellence.”
“We are indebted to them for their hours of service in a labor of love for our students, and student-athletes and their families.”
From the beginning, Bowers entrusted the crew to handle most things on their own. That free reign paid off as Pony Lewis Field became one of the best facilities in the state of West Virginia to watch a sporting event.
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