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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." 

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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:

Pewamo-Westphalia’s Collin Farmer approaches the finish on the way to winning the Division 3 championship Saturday at MIS.

P-W's Farmer, Traverse City St. Francis Finish Championship Climbs

November 4, 2023

BROOKLYN — Pewamo-Westphalia senior Collin Farmer turned the lowest moment of his cross country career into motivation to be great.

In 2022, Farmer was running with the pack of runners who were battling for second place behind four-time MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 3 champion Hunter Jones of Benzie Central.

Everything unraveled for Farmer around the time runners began to enter the track area at Michigan International Speedway. He faded from sixth place at the two-mile mark to 26th place in the final standings. It was still good enough for all-state, but far from Farmer’s capability.

“I ended up dying at the end of the race last year,” he said. “I took ownership of why I died and really wanted to push myself in the offseason.”

All that work paid off with a first-place finish in Division 3 on Saturday at MIS.

Farmer crossed the line in 15:39.1 to finish his high school season with five consecutive victories.

Traverse City St. Francis’ Leo Swager (1130) pushes with a pack as the top finisher for the team title winner. He applied lessons from his 2022 disappointment to become an MHSAA champion.

“It’s a real a mental battle,” he said. “You’ve got to tell yourself, no, you’re not tired when you feel tired. I didn’t really have that capability last year. This year I learned how to do that.”

Reed City junior August Rohde was second in 15:51.9, and Hart freshman Robert Jazwinski was third in 15:54.0.

“I thought I had a shot at it,” Farmer said. “Jazwinski is a real worker, so he was the guy. If I have to beat someone, I have to beat him.”

The only disappointment for Farmer this time around was that his Pewamo-Westphalia team, which entered the meet ranked No. 2, finished in seventh place.

A Traverse City St. Francis team that has been building its way toward the top won the team championship with 113 points. St. Louis was second with 175.

St. Francis had finished in the top six each of the last four years, its best a runner-up performance last season.

The Gladiators have a chance to repeat, with only one senior among the seven runners who competed Saturday.

Junior Leo Swager was 12th, junior Owen Read 33rd, junior Lewis Walter 35th, senior Tucker Krumm 37th and junior Riley Pattinson 44th for St. Francis.

Click for full results.

PHOTOS (Top) Pewamo-Westphalia’s Collin Farmer approaches the finish on the way to winning the Division 3 championship Saturday at MIS. (Middle) Traverse City St. Francis’ Leo Swager (1130) pushes with a pack as the top finisher for the team title winner. (Photos by Dave McCauley/RunMichigan.com.)