Ben Fee gets a kick out of kicking a football.

“I watched my brother kick in high school and college. I wanted to be like him.”

He added with a grin, “I’ve surpassed him. He admits it.”

Fee earned All-State honors his junior year last fall as the punter, kicker and kickoff specialist for the defending three-time Division 3 state champion Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Prep.

The soft-spoken Fee employed his lethal right leg to blast 80 percent of his kickoffs into the end zone to prevent opponents from runbacks, average 38-yard punts, and convert 57 of 59 extra-point attempts after touchdowns.

Coach George Porritt called upon Fee only six times for a field goal; he made good on four. The last three, however, put him in the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s record book.

The Eaglets were involved in a tense, nip-and-tuck struggle with Muskegon for the Division 3 title at Ford Field. Fee kicked a 32-yard field goal in the first quarter and a 35-yarder in the second quarter before OLSM scored a TD to trail 14-13 at the half.

With 4:47 remaining in the game, Porritt sent Fee in for a 49-yard attempt. His previous best had been 46 yards earlier in the season. The ball cleared the uprights dead center with a couple of yards to spare to give St. Mary’s its first lead, 23-21 – and set up a wild finish.

Fee recalled the moment. “I was thinking the team needs me. I’ve done it in practice. My time has come.”

The three field goals are the most ever made, and the 49 yards the longest, in a state championship game.

Muskegon took the lead right back. The Eaglets responded with a beat-the-clock 80-yard drive, capped by an 18-yard TD pass with four seconds to play and won, 29-28.

Fee, 16, is the youngest senior on the roster — he’ll turn 17 in November — packs 200 pounds on a compact 5-foot-10 frame. He works tirelessly on a routine of drills to improve his form, kicking power, leg speed and balance.

“And stretching every day,” he said. “Flexibility is important.”

“He works hard,” said his kicking coach at St. Mary’s, Jeremy Ruckhaber. “He has the ability to go to the next level.”

Over the summer, Fee attended camps at Ohio State, Toledo, Michigan State and Wayne State showcasing his considerable talents, hoping to attract interest in an athletic scholarship offer.

Along with form and flexibility, faith is as important to Fee. Asked what motivates him, what keeps him going, he answered without hesitation: “Jesus Christ.”  Inspiration to pray on and off the field that “Jesus is watching over me” comes from his mother and grandmother. “They are devout Christians.”

A severe test of faith is facing Fee and his teammates. The Eaglets have lost their first two games of the season, and it could be three straight this weekend when they come up against a formidable Penn High School in Mishawaka, Ind., which had no difficulty getting past Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, 36-0, last week.

The last time OLSM lost three games in a row to start a season happened a long, long time ago, 1984. St. Mary’s would have to win their remaining five games to qualify for the state playoffs in quest of another state title.



Country Western songwriters have a knack for coming up with music for almost any occasion. Here’s one for the Eaglets’ woes: “Drop kick me, Jesus, through the goalposts of life.”

He never misses, you know.

Contact Don Horkey at [email protected]