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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:

Drew Everingham (11) dunks during Riverview Gabriel Richard's Semifinal win Thursday. 

Ghosts of 2024 Disappear as Riverview Gabriel Richard Advances in Breslin Return

By Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com

March 13, 2025

EAST LANSING – Experience did indeed win out in the second Division 3 Boys Basketball Semifinal on Thursday at Breslin Center.

Last year, Riverview Gabriel Richard lost in the Semifinals in heartbreaking fashion as Detroit Old Redford hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to win. 

Returning all five starters from that team, Gabriel Richard used its experience to good use and didn’t let Pewamo-Westphalia get close during the second half, earning a 66-45 victory. 

The Pioneers advanced to Saturday’s 4:30 p.m. championship game and will play Arts & Technology Academy of Pontiac in a matchup of programs that have never played in a Final.

“Last year at this time we lost at the buzzer, and those ghosts were in here a little bit when we came into the building,” Gabriel Richard coach Kris Daiek said. “But we squashed those early.”

Seniors Luke Westerdale and Nick Sobush both scored 22 points to lead the way for Gabriel Richard (24-2), which shot 51.9 percent from the field (27 of 52) overall and 36.4 percent (8 of 22) from 3-point range. 

Westerdale went 0-for-5 from 3-point range in last year’s game against Old Redford, something he said was on his mind all year but quickly erased when he made his first 3-pointer of the game.

“I’ve honestly thought about that the entire year,” he said. “All 365 days. For the first play, for a 3 to fall, it was a sense of relief.”

The Pioneers also forced 13 Pewamo-Westphalia turnovers while committing just five of their own. 

Gabriel Richard's Nick Sobush (1) drives to the basket.Daiek said his team used Old Redford’s game-winner last year as fuel the entire offseason.

“I knew it was going to spark us,” he said. “These guys used that shot to become where they are right now.”

Junior Grady Eklund scored 16 points, and junior Trent Piggott had 11 for Pewamo-Westphalia (24-4). 

The Pirates were making their first trip to the Semifinals since winning the Division 3 title in 2019. 

“The farther you go in the tournament, the more the losses hurt,” Pewamo-Westphalia head coach Dominic Schneider said. “I know right now you see the tears in their eyes. You see how much they care, and that is what brings you back as a coach. The kids care and put it all on the floor. Tonight wasn’t our night. They hit more shots than us and were the better basketball team.”

Gabriel Richard led 27-24 at halftime before starting to separate itself late in the third quarter. 

The run began when Westerdale drove the lane and fed a perfect alley-oop pass to Drew Everingham, who finished with a thunderous dunk to give the Pioneers a 44-32 lead.

Everingham and Westerdale then hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put Gabriel Richard up 50-34 lead with 42 seconds to go in the third quarter. 

“After that, it was over, I felt like,” Sobush said. 

The Pioneers didn’t let up in the fourth, putting the game away by going up 61-39 with 3:17 remaining on a layup by Westerdale. 

Gabriel Richard led 15-12 after the first quarter following an Eklund half-court shot that beat the buzzer.

Click for the full box score.

PHOTOS (Top) Drew Everingham (11) dunks during Riverview Gabriel Richard's Semifinal win Thursday. (Middle) Gabriel Richard's Nick Sobush (1) drives to the basket.