GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The recruiting environment surrounding high school football players continues to grow, becoming more interesting to not just die-hard football fans but casual ones as well. Now, all West Michigan high school football fans have an outlet on television to turn to for the latest recruiting information.
FOX 17 is teaming up with Ira Childress of the Lake Michigan Football Report to bring you the Blitz Spotlight, a weekly segment airing every Monday during the high school football season on FOX 17 News at Six and Ten. Childress will bring his vast knowledge of the college football recruiting scene that he shares every day on the Lake Michigan Football Report to FOX 17 viewers, informing them of which schools are looking at key players from West Michigan.
The Lake Michigan Football Report focuses on Northern and West Michigan athletes featuring player rankings, in-depth recruiting analyses and weekly game breakdowns.
Childress played football at Ferris State University and was a member of the Bulldogs last GLIAC championship team. After graduating, Childress began his career as a sports broadcaster covering many events including the Super Bowl, NBA Finals, and the World Series. He then went back to work for his alma mater before taking a position in the NCAA National Office as the Assistant Director for Student-Athlete Affairs. He now runs his own consulting business, Childress Sports Consulting, providing education and exposure for student-athletes, professional athletes, and athletic professionals.
The Blitz Spotlight is one of several new elements to the award-winning FOX 17 Blitz, West Michigan’s premier high school football show airing 10:30-11:30 p.m. on Friday nights during the high school football season. Childress joins a Blitz team that includes fellow high school sports experts Bret Bakita and Jason Hutton. Steve Amorose and Mitch Fick will anchor the highlights from a redesigned studio this fall.
Due to the Labor Day holiday weekend, the FOX 17 Blitz returns on Thursday, August 29 at 10:30 p.m.
