The home of Michigan high school sports culture.

Lou Bitonti

Founder, Owner and President

With a 30-year winning record as a senior manager at Chrysler, Bitonti continues to push YFP to the top of the standings. Inducted into the Experiential Marketing Hall of Fame, Bitonti often draws up innovative plays from his championship-winning playbook. He leads both the YFP and State Champs! Sports Network teams to score big with game-changing content, Emmy-winning productions and innovative marketing strategies. Bitonti earned a BS in Communications and Marketing from Eastern Michigan University, where he is recognized as a Distinguished Alumni. He always wins over fans by flashing his event marketing insights through guest lectures and a book, “The Cosmic Spiderweb: How to Capture Any Customer Through Event Marketing”.

John Watson

Vice President of Productions and Corporate Partnerships

He is renowned for making the winning shot. With more than 25 years of scoring points in sales and operations management, Watson expertly assists partners in launching effective advertising campaigns like an all-star point guard. His track record from local businesses to Fortune 500 companies almost reads like a highlight reel. His passion and talents keep YFP on the offense while his dedication to family and sportsmanship is always a driving force.

Lorne Plant

Vice President of Operations and Executive Producer

Lorne Plant creates and hosts award-winning productions with a Hall of Famer broadcaster’s smooth touch. An Executive Producer and Television Host, the multitalented Plant has been in the game for over 20 years and boasts seven Regional Emmy wins. With technical degrees hanging on the wall from the Academy of Radio and TV Broadcasting and Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts, Plant is the mastermind behind YFP’s award-winning playbook for creating powerful content across the State Champs! Sports Network.

Marc Crumm

Creative Director

Marc Crumm is Creative Director at Yellow Flag Productions. In this role, he leads brand storytelling and campaign creative across multi-channel platforms, ensuring strategic consistency and visual impact. He is an accomplished Brand Strategist with more than 20 years of experience driving marketing initiatives and sales for Fortune 500 brands and consumer products. With over 15 years as Creative Director at Sports Management Network, a premier sports marketing and management firm, Crumm has developed and executed campaigns for top athletes, events, and global sponsors. As founder of Collective Brand + Creative, he continues to craft bold, experience-driven strategies that engage audiences and elevate brands across automotive, CPG, and lifestyle industries. He has led award-winning campaigns for clients, blending creative direction, brand development, and experiential marketing to deliver measurable impact and lasting connections.

Patti Cesarini

Sports Reporter and Analyst

Patti Cesarini is a versatile sports reporter and analyst with experience covering football, basketball, hockey, and volleyball for State Champs! Sports Network and Oakland University Athletics on ESPN+. A former NCAA Division I volleyball player and 2024 graduate of Oakland University, she brings strong on-air presence, game insight, and a natural connection to athletes and fans. She has also worked as an in-game host for the United Shore Professional Baseball League and interned with the Windy City ThunderBolts, combining deep sports knowledge with vibrant, engaging storytelling.

Robby Elliott

Social Media Manager

Robby Elliott is the Social Media Manager for State Champs! Sports Network and State Champs W and is the host of the high school baseball show “Extra Innings.” He played college baseball at Spring Arbor University for two years before transferring to Specs@LTU to complete his education. He has a true passion for storytelling and excels at capturing the excitement of high school sports through his voice and digital media.

Jonathon Kidd

Production Manager

Jonathon Kidd, the Production Manager at Yellow Flag Productions and State Champs! Sports Network, is a seasoned veteran with more than two decades of media experience. Since the network’s first pitch with Local 4 WDIV in 2002, Kidd has been coaching, guiding, planning, filming, and editing. A Specs Howard School of Media Arts graduate, his early love for sports now shines through each broadcast.

Vanessa Litchard

Social Media Specialist

Vanessa Litchard is a Social Media Specialist at Yellow Flag Productions. In this role, she supports clients and internal projects through social-first content strategy, visual storytelling and brand-forward design. In addition, she develops and manages content calendars across platforms, produces high-quality photography and short-form video for Reels/TikTok/Shorts, and delivers polished and branded creative assets from graphics and copywriting to editing and publishing with a focus on accessibility and performance. Litchard brings hands-on experience leading multi-channel growth and creative production in both sports and residential marketing, paired with a Communications & Media degree from the University of Michigan and a strong command of Adobe Creative Cloud, Meta Business Suite, and analytics-driven reporting. In her spare time, she likes hanging out with her dog and cat, reading, watching hockey, and cosplaying.

Amanda Mooradian

Photographer and Social Media Manager

Amanda Mooradian is a photographer and social media manager at Yellow Flag Productions. A proud alumna of University of Colorado Boulder, she captures the essence of Lawrence Technological University through her photography. Whether she’s behind the camera or skiing down the slopes with her family and playful pup, her passion for storytelling is a slam dunk every time.

Chuck Pellerito

Executive Producer

Chuck Pellerito is an Executive Producer at Yellow Flag Productions, specializing in athletics. A 2014 graduate of Specs Howard’s Digital Media Arts program, he began his journey with YFP as a freelance videographer from 2016 to 2019 before being hired as a producer. His current responsibilities include editing, videography, motion graphics, directing live broadcasts, and building broadcast graphics. He also explores graphic and audio design.

Alec Sweet

Content Producer

Alec Sweet started at Yellow Flag Productions as a freelance videographer and quickly became a key player as a Content Producer. Teaming up with Lawrence Technological University, Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts, and a lineup of talented student interns, Sweet broadcasts and creates highlight reels for Lawrence Technological University Athletics, ensuring every moment is a game-changer. A proud graduate of Wayne State University with a BA in Media Arts and Studies: Productions, Sweet’s expertise is a home run for YFP.

Gabrielle VanAmberg

Web Champion

Gabrielle VanAmberg since 2019 continues to play a starring role in the digital lineup at Lawrence Technological University. After earning a BFA in Game Art from LTU, VanAmberg has become a strategic coach in understanding user behavior and trends. Their efforts make the university’s online presence a true game-changer — with accessible digital spaces that are always a step ahead of the competition.

Ryno van Eeden

Software & App Developer

Ryno is a full-stack software engineer originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, and now based in Michigan. He enjoys building clean, practical digital experiences using technologies like HTML, CSS, Tailwind, JavaScript, React, React Native, Next.js, Node.js, and MongoDB. Alongside his 15-year career in software, Ryno was also active as a musician in South Africa, where he wrote, arranged, produced, sang, and recorded original music projects. He brings that same creative mindset into his development work, blending problem-solving, design, and attention to detail in everything he builds. Ryno studied IT in New Zealand and has worked in South Africa, London, Germany, and now the United States, where he now calls home.

Ravian Hannah

Video Production Specialist

Ravian Hannah serves as Video Production Specialist at Yellow Flag Productions, where he plans, leads, and engineers every State Champs! Sports Network broadcast. His experience spans both esports and traditional broadcast production, including events such as The Big House and The Automotive Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Ravian brings this expertise — along with a genuine passion for sports — to every YFP production, working to capture the story on the field and bring it directly to you, wherever you're watching from.

Maria Adamo

Social Media Specialist

Maria Adamo is an Associate Producer, Content and Creative at Yellow Flag Productions, where she develops digital content, manages Lawrence Technological University's social media, and creates compelling visual and written storytelling across multiple platforms. She graduated from Miami University in 2025 with a Bachelor of Arts in Media and Communications and Marketing. Passionate about strategic communications and creative content, Maria enjoys bringing ideas to life through digital media and storytelling.

Alec Cohen

Digital Content & Social Media Manager

Alec is the Digital Content & Social Media Manager for State Champs! Sports Network. In this role, he oversees the network's social media strategy and operations, creating engaging content that showcases Michigan high school sports. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Alec has a background in sports social media and photography, with experience developing digital content and managing social media for a variety of sports teams and brands.

Brenda Durham