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Harris Grace is hanging up the cleats. The LaGrange High senior is saying goodbye to football and hello to the unknown of what comes next. Grace is not going out without some hardware as he was named a Sports Vision Defensive Player of the Year last week.

“I was really surprised because it really could have gone to anybody on the defense. Since everybody played pretty good this year, we all had some exceptional playmakers. But I was really just honored to get that award because I knew that Malachi (Fannin-Render) was going to get loaded up on awards because he had an outstanding season, so it was an honor to do it alongside him,” Grace said. 

Saying goodbye to football has been one of the hardest things he has ever had to do.

“I’ve thought about playing college ball, and I just feel like it’s best for me just to leave it in high school. Yeah, I’ve really put a lot of thought into it and it was a hard decision, but I think this is what is best,” Grace said. 

The awards were a nice touch, but the memories he made along the way are what really counts to Grace. Being able to reset the standard and help the Grangers make the first semifinals appearance since 2008 this year will last long after the trophies and awards collect dust in a storage box.

“I mean, the Brotherhood we had was amazing. We were all on the same track. We were all looking for that one goal, and that was the state championship, and we came up short. But I can’t be upset with the way we performed, because we made it to the Final Four, and we left something for the underclassmen below us.”

Grace’s impact on an elite Grangers defense was massive. The senior switched from outside linebacker to middle linebacker this season and led the defense for LaGrange. 

“I was really excited because they were going to move me at the beginning of the year when I broke my ankle, so Noah Outland filled in that spot. And then when he got hurt they asked me if I could do it, and I was like let’s go,” Grace said. “So I just made sure in practice that I was soaking up everything my coaches were saying because preparation was key with it being a new spot. And I’ll tell you this, inside backer is a lot more fun. You get a lot more action than an outside backer.”

Grace finished second on the Grangers in tackles with 66 to go along with two interceptions and a forced fumble during his senior season.

The impact he made on the football team went well beyond the numbers. 

The senior linebacker put it all on the line every Friday night for the Grangers. When he put the Granger star on it was all business which made saying goodbye so hard.

“The first two weeks (after his last game) were really difficult because, I mean I still had my adrenaline pumping for like, the next three days after the game,” Grace said. “It’s just we wanted it so bad, and we just came up a little bit short. I can’t be really upset with it, because at this point, looking back, we marked our territory.”