The Mountlake Terrace High School football team travels to Stanwood Friday night for the first game of the 2012 season.

If you can’t make the trip or are out of town, you can watch the game — along with every home and away MTHS game this season —  live via MLTnews.com on the Hawks Live Sports Network, presented by MS Helping Hands. All games will also be archived for later viewing.

The face and the voice of the Hawks Live Sports Network is known to many at Mountlake Terrace. Calling the play-by-play will be Steve Willits, a MTHS Class of 1991 grad and a former Terrace football player, who also played JV basketball for current MTHS head boys coach Nalin Sood.

A Brier resident and graduate of Seattle Pacific University, Willits describes himself as “a huge fan of the MTHS sports program” who has been a consistent presence in the stands as alumnus since graduation.

Willits also has significant experience in collegiate and professional sports operations. He started out working for the Seattle Supersonics in high school, coordinating in-game activities, halftime shows and promotional giveaways. He was employed by the Sonics until the team moved to Oklahoma City, after which Willits spent a year working for the Thunder.

Willits now serves as Member Relationship Manager for the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, but he still participates in various sporting events through his Sonics connections. The highlight of 2012 was working at this year’s NCAA Final Four Tournament in New Orleans, he said. In addition, he assists with the Everett-based Washington Stealth lacrosse team.

Willits, who is single, is also an avid runner currently training for his 13th marathon.

During the broadcasts, Mountlake Terrace High School broadcasting and journalism students will work directly with their respective teachers – Angelo Comeaux and Vince DeMiero – to gain in-game technical, research and reporting experience. The pre-game shows will be broadcast approximately 10 minutes prior to the game and will include interviews with coaches and a look at the upcoming game matchups. The half-time show will feature interviews with special guests.

MLTnews donates a portion of all sponsorships to the Mountlake Terrace Sports Booster Club to fund student athletic programs. Sponsors in addition to MS Helping Hands include Harris Ford Lincoln, Edmonds Sports Academy, Action Jackson Plumbing, Revelations Yogurt, Waldron Chiropractic and Wesco Athletics.