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:

Today in the MHSAA: 2/27/23

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

February 27, 2023

1. WRESTLING Lowell ran its Finals championship streak to 10, Dundee earned its sixth-straight title, Hudson repeated as well and Detroit Catholic Central finished first for the first time since 2020 at the MHSAA Team Wrestling Finals – MHSAA.com

2. BOYS BASKETBALL Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice claimed its first Detroit Catholic League tournament championship since 1990 with a 68-63 win over Detroit U-D Jesuit – Detroit Free Press

3. BOYS BASKETBALL Hamilton delivered its first league title since 1988, claiming the Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue with a buzzer-beating win over Coopersville – WZZM

4. COMPETITIVE CHEER Allen Park moved back ahead of Gibraltar Carlson to claim a Division 2 Regional title – Southgate News-Herald

5. BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING Northville claimed the overall Kensington Lakes Activities Association championship – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

6. COMPETITIVE CHEER Pontiac Notre Dame Prep was first and Richmond second at their Division 3 Regional – Macomb Daily

7. BOWLING The North Farmington boys and Lake Orion girls won Division 1 Regional titles, North Farmington after a just-miss a year ago – Oakland Press

8. BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING Midland Dow ran its Saginaw Valley League championship streak to four – Midland Daily News

9. BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING Battle Creek Lakeview claimed its third-straight Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference championship – Battle Creek Enquirer

10. GIRLS BASKETBALL Alix Bleau’s buzzer beater gave Big Bay de Noc a 48-45 win over Kinross Maplewood Baptist and the Northern Lights Conference championship; Maplewood clinched the boys title against Hannahville – Escanaba Daily Press

Also of note …

HOCKEY Alpena tied a program record for wins and advanced to a Division 2 Regional Final with a 5-0 shutout of Traverse City Central – Alpena News

GIRLS BASKETBALL Petoskey finished a repeat run in the Big North Conference with a 58-47 win over Traverse City Central – Petoskey News-Review

BOYS BASKETBALL Cadillac and Traverse City Central shared the Big North Conference title, and Boyne City and Traverse City St. Francis are co-champions in the Lake Michigan Conference – Traverse City Record-Eagle

GIRLS BASKETBALL Ithaca earned a share of the Tri-Valley Conference 10-2 title with a win over Saginaw Nouvel – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

BOYS BASKETBALL Durand downed Chesaning 67-56 to create a three-way championship with those two and Ovid-Elsie in the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference – Owosso Argus-Press

BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING Ludington swam to the Coastal Conference championship – Ludington Daily News

GIRLS BASKETBALL Brethren finished an outright West Michigan D League title run with a 41-40 win over Manistee Catholic Central – Ludington Daily News

BOYS BASKETBALL Gavin Pebble went over 1,000 career points in Gaylord St. Mary’s win over Johannesburg-Lewiston – Petoskey News-Review

BOYS BASKETBALL Kaden Hansel broke a 34-year-old single-game scoring record for Indian River Inland Lakes in a win over Central Lake – Cheboygan Daily Tribune