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High 5s: 11/28/12

November 28, 2012

The final MHSAA championships of the Fall 2012 season give us our final High 5s before heading into winter. This week, we recognize both an individual and a team that achieved new heights. 

Drake Harris
Grand Rapids Christian junior
Football

A 6-foot-4, 180-pound receiver who has committed to play both football and basketball at Michigan State beginning in 2014, Harris posted one of the finest receiving season in MHSAA history capped by playing a huge role in his team's first MHSAA championship. The Eagles beat Orchard Lake St. Mary's 40-37 in overtime Saturday for the Division 3 title. His eight catches for a Finals-record 243 yards and a touchdown put his unofficial season totals at 91 catches for 2,015 yards and 25 scores. Once confirmed, the season yardage will rank as the most in MHSAA history and 12th nationally for one season (his yards per game rank fourth and yards per catch sixth on the NFHS lists). Harris also ranked fourth for catches and second for touchdown catches on the MHSAA single-season lists.

Just ducky: "I'm probably more energized now after he hit that kick," Harris said after teammate Joel Schipper's winning field goal Saturday. "I was probably more tired a little bit during the game. But we condition all practice. We play fast. We play like Oregon, move the ball, (at) a high tempo. We're all in condition, so we really weren't that tired." 

Bring on the new guy: Harris has caught more than 3,000 yards worth of passes from senior Alex VanDeVusse over the last two seasons, but will play with a new quarterback in 2013. "I've been with Alex since sophomore year. I guess I have to start over and work hard all next season and hope to get back here."  

Be like Calvin: "Calvin Johnson, I want to be just like him when I get older. I know I'm a little skinny right now, but when I get to college, I know they'll put weight on me. I watch film on him all the time, watch him running routes. So I take my game after him. He's the best wide receiver in the NFL right now, probably one of the best wide receivers to play the game, in my opinion." 

Click to read more. 

Portland football

The Raiders, unranked despite entering the postseason 8-1, finished with their first MHSAA title won in their first trip to the Finals. Portland defeated Grand Rapids West Catholic 12-9 in the Division 5 championship game after knocking out 2011 champion Flint Powers Catholic in the Regional Final. For the playoffs, Portland outscored its five opponents 169-66 while holding three to nine or fewer points. In finishing 13-1 and setting a school record for wins, the Raiders beat nine playoff teams total including eventual Division 3 Semifinalist DeWitt. 

Click to read more. 

Previous 2012-13 honorees:

Dearborn Unified poses for a photo with its newly-won Division 1 championship trophy.

Dearborn Unified Boys Build On Regular-Season Just-Misses to Achieve Finals Successes

By Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com

March 1, 2026

ALLEN PARK — Even as his team was struggling until about February, Dearborn Unified boys bowling coach Paul Marcon could still sense greatness brewing.

“In the regular season, we lost seven matches in our league by 20 pins or less,” Marcon said. “You could see it coming. They were going. I just knew.”

On Sunday, the whole state knew as well. 

Dearborn Unified completed a hot final month of the season in the best way possible, claiming its first MHSAA Finals championship by sweeping Grandville in the Division 1 title match at Thunderbowl Lanes.

Dearborn was unstoppable in the Final, earning a 220-212, 226-149, 204-173 victory in a matchup between the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds out of the qualifying block. 

“It feels outstanding,” said Dearborn senior Christian Lamb, who was the individual champion at his team’s Regional. “This was my dream coming into my freshman year. To finish my senior year with a win, it’s phenomenal. We just believed in ourselves competing against these teams.”

After placing seventh out of qualifying, Dearborn began its journey in match play with a sweep of Wyandotte Roosevelt in the Quarterfinals. 

The most nerve-wracking match of the day for Dearborn was in the Semifinals, when it trailed Hudsonville 2-1. 

But Dearborn pulled out an 187-183 win in the fourth game to force a fifth, and won that 203-188 to get into the championship match. 

“We didn’t win a lot during the regular season, but we had a lot of faith and a lot of confidence coming into this tournament,” Lamb said. 

Grandville was making its second appearance in the championship match in three years after winning it all in 2024. 

The Bulldogs were in 11th place going into the second and last regular game of the qualifying block, but rolled a 1,009 in that game to net the No. 8 seed by 26 pins ahead of Clarkston.

Fully energized by qualifying, Grandville knocked off top-seed and neighboring school Jenison in the Quarterfinals, 3-1, before sweeping traditional power Davison in the Semifinals. 

After losing a close first game to Dearborn, Granville just couldn’t get it going over the last two.

Still, Grandville head coach Nick Watkins couldn’t have been happier with how his team performed.

“They didn’t miss and we had a couple of open (frames),” Watkins said. “We had such a great time. My boys won it in 2024 ,and my girls won it in 2025. This is my first time taking second and I tell you what, I’m just as happy having this as I was the other ones. Watching these kids grow and have the experience today was amazing.”

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