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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:

Today In The MHSAA

Today In The MHSAA: 5/12/21

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

May 12, 2021

1. Baseball: Blissfield coach Larry Tuttle became the state’s winningest all-time at 1,317 victories with the Division 3 No. 5 Royals’  sweep of Hillsdale – Adrian Daily Telegram

2. Track & Field: The Marion girls and Manistee Catholic Central boys clinched West Michigan D League championships – Cadillac News (Girls) | Manistee News Advocate (Boys)

3. Girls Tennis: Utica outpaced the rest of the Macomb Area Conference Blue to claim the league tournament championship – Macomb Daily

4. Girls Soccer: Top-ranked Troy Athens downed No. 3 Rochester 5-1 in a matchup of statewide contenders in Division 1 – Oakland Press

5. Track & Field: Escanaba swept Gladstone and Iron Mountain in girls and boys meets, with Ethan Milam breaking the boys school high jump record set in 1994 – Escanaba Daily Press

6. Baseball: Division 4 No. 16 Muskegon Catholic Central earned coach Steve Schuitema his 300th career win with a 6-2 victory over Muskegon Western Michigan Christian – Muskegon Chronicle

7. Girls Soccer: Division 2 top-ranked DeWitt remained undefeated with a 5-0 win over Division 3 No. 8 Lansing Catholic – Lansing State Journal

8. Baseball: Division 1 No. 20 Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice edged Division 3 No. 3 Detroit Edison 9-8 – Detroit News

9. Baseball: Division 2 No. 14 Essexville Garber downed Saginaw Swan Valley 3-0 as future University of Michigan pitchers faced off – WJRT

10. Girls Soccer: Division 3 No. 9 Boyne City held on to a share of first in the Lake Michigan Conference with a shutout of former co-leader and Division 4 No. 18 Charlevoix – MI Sports Now

Also of note …

Officials: Longtime northern Michigan official Terry Wakeley, an MHSAA Norris Award honoree in 2007, died Sunday at the age of 77 – Up North Live

Boys Golf: Longtime coach Chris Fedewa plans to retire at the end of this spring after 39 years of teaching and coaching a variety of teams at Clare – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun