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: 5/24/22

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

May 24, 2022

1. GIRLS SOCCER Division 1 top-ranked Northville downed No. 8 Livonia Stevenson 2-1 to win the overall Kensington Lakes Activities Association championship – Observer & Eccentric

2. GIRLS SOCCER Division 1 No. 2 Hudsonville clinched the outright O-K Red title with a 3-0 win over No. 11 Rockford – FOX 17

3. SOFTBALL Millington won a matchup of the top-ranked teams in Divisions 3 and 4, respectively, 3-1 and 5-3 over Unionville-Sebewaing – Saginaw News

4. BOYS GOLF Ovid-Elise secured its first league title since 2005 with a win at the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference Tournament – Owosso Argus-Press

5. GIRLS SOCCER Muskegon Mona Shores defeated Zeeland East 3-2 to finish a fifth-straight Ottawa-Kent Conference Green title run – Local Sports Journal

6. SOFTBALL Division 2 honorable mention Hamilton and Division 1 honorable mention Zeeland West clinched their division championships in the O-K Conference – Holland Sentinel

7. SOFTBALL Division 2 honorable mention Milan clinched the Huron League title outright with a 9-0 win over New Boston Huron – Ann Arbor News

8. BASEBALL Division 2 No. 7 Essexville Garber clinched the outright Tri-Valley Conference 8 title with a sweep of Birch Run – Saginaw News

9. BASEBALL Division 2 No. 2 New Boston Huron clinched a share of the Huron League title with a 2-0 win over Milan – Monroe News

10. GIRLS SOCCER Division 1 No. 10 Rochester Adams delivered No. 6 Midland Dow its first defeat of the season, 1-0 – Midland Daily News

Also of note …

BOYS BASKETBALL Andrea Cabana, who coached Grass Lake’s girls to the 2021 Division 3 championship, was hired to take over Chelsea’s boys program – Ann Arbor News

GOLF The Kingsford girls and Marquette boys won Great Northern Conference Tournament titles – Iron Mountain Daily News

SOFTBALL/BASEBALL Rochester Adams and Birmingham Seaholm softball and Division 1 No. 9 Adams baseball clinched division titles in the Oakland Activities Association – Oakland Press

GIRLS TENNIS/GIRLS SOCCER Traverse City St. Francis – No. 9 in Lower Peninsula Division 4 – won the Lake Michigan Conference Tournament by a point, and Traverse City West clinched a share of the Big North Conference title with a 2-1 win over Petoskey – Traverse City Record-Eagle