Andrew Porter, a three-sport standout at Southgate Anderson High School, wanted to mention something important about his successful high school career. And it really says a lot about this amazing young man.

“I would like to thank my parents, family, teammates, teachers and all of my coaches for building me up to be the young man I have become,” he said.

Porter also offered some advice to youngsters just starting their sports journey.

“Play every day like it will be the last time you will ever play that sport,” he said. “No matter if it is practice, a game or if it’s just a backyard roughhouse. As my time in sports is ending, I regret not putting more time and effort into my sports because now I wish they had never ended.”

Porter is being a little humble. He put plenty of time and effort into his three sports and the results prove it. He has been a major contributor for the Titans on the football field, basketball court and baseball diamond during his four years at Southgate.

Porter started playing football when he was six years old and it was love at first hike.

“I loved playing the sport because it was fun and I was able to tackle people without breaking any rules,” he said.

Porter wrapped up his final football season with a strong senior year. He was All-League, All-Region and All-News Herald First Team. As a starting safety on defense, Porter finished with a school record of 95 tackles. On offense, he played both slot receiver and running back and finished with over 500 receiving yards, 200 rushing yards and six touchdowns.

“If this past season had a chapter title, it would be, ‘adversity,’” he said. “The seniors knew it was our last chance to prove something. We had major wins against Trenton, Woodhaven and Wyandotte. But we had a lot of ups and downs.”

The Titans (7-3) won their last four games to make the playoffs, where they lost to River Rouge in the first round.

Over the winter, Porter ran point for the Southgate basketball team.

“This past basketball season was super eventful,” said Porter, who was the team MVP and All-League. “We played our best basketball in years and went 14-10 with big wins against Lincoln Park, Allen Park and Wyandotte. Our bond as a team grew a lot from past years, only winning three games the prior year to having a winning record.”

The Southgate baseball team is coming off a 25-10 record from last year.

“Our goals this year for baseball is to go far beyond districts and to achieve a better record than last year,” said Porter, who plays all over the field. “Our team this year has the ability to go a long way but it will only happen with hard work and dedication.”

Andrew, 17, is the son of Kerry and Kelly Porter. He has a 3.8 GPA and is a member of the Big Brothers Program, National Honor Society and Honor Roll. He said his future plans are undecided but he will take the lessons he learned from sports with him on his journey.

“What I do know is that I’d like to become a history teacher,” he said. “Sports have taught me to persevere through everything and anything. This doesn’t just occur in sports, but in life. Every day something bad may happen – sports have taught me to overcome those situations.”