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: 3/22/21

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

March 22, 2021

The first of four consecutive jam-packed high school sports weekends to finish the winter saw postseason and regular season championships as most basketball teams played their final games before playoffs and the rest of remaining MHSAA sports advanced through another round of their tournaments – with the state’s top female wrestlers celebrating statewide championships Sunday as well.

1. Wrestling: Bullock Creek’s Sydney Kutzke reached 100 career wins Saturday at her Division 3 Individual District, then won her weight at the Michigan Wrestling Association state finals Sunday – Midland Daily News

2. Hockey: No. 5 Novi downed No. 4 Livonia Stevenson 2-1 in a Division 2 Regional Final – State Champs Sports Network

3. Hockey: Top-ranked Calumet downed No. 6 Houghton 3-1 to claim a Division 3 Regional title – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

4. Boys Basketball: Detroit Martin Luther King defeated Detroit Pershing 56-48 to claim the Detroit Public School League Tournament title – Detroit News

5. Bowling: Tecumseh swept girls and boys team and individual Division 2 Regional championships – Adrian Daily Telegram

6. Girls Basketball: Bloomingdale clinched its first Southwest 10 Conference championship in this sport, downing Centreville 59-38 – Sturgis Journal

7. Boys Basketball: Grand Ledge downed Holt 75-65 to clinch the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue title, its first league title since 2003 – Lansing State Journal

8. Girls Basketball: Haslett clinched the CAAC Red title with a 46-32 win over Williamston – WILX

9. Boys Basketball: Eaton Rapids won a title-clinching matchup of first-place teams in the CAAC White, defeating former co-leader Lansing Catholic 62-48 – WILX

10. Competitive Cheer: Reigning Division 2 champion Allen Park claimed its fourth-straight District title – Southgate News-Herald

Also of note …

Boys Basketball: Detroit U-D Jesuit edged Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice 64-62 to claim the Detroit Catholic League Tournament title – Detroit News

Girls Basketball: East Lansing downed Grand Ledge 79-43 to finish a perfect run through the CAAC Blue – Lansing State Journal

Boys Basketball: Ubly clinched its first league title since 2011 with a 35-33 win over Harbor Beach in the Greater Thumb Conference East – Huron Daily Tribune

Boys Basketball: Charlevoix clinched the Lake Michigan Conference outright championship with a 49-45 win over Elk Rapids – Petoskey News-Review

Boys Basketball: Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart finished an outright title run in the Mid-State Activities Conference with a 63-26 win over Coleman – Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart

Girls/Boys Basketball: The Big Bay de Noc girls and Kinross Maplewood Baptist boys clinched Northern Lights League championships – Escanaba Daily Press