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Ishpeming Westwood/East Jordan football

1st & Goal: 2021 Playoff Week 1 Review

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

November 2, 2021

The beginning of playoffs in any sport often is looked at as starting over or a second chance – especially by teams that maybe didn’t accomplish everything they’d wanted during the regular season.

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A number of teams took advantage of those opportunities during the first weekend of these 2021 MHSAA Football Playoffs.

Of 144 games total, 38 were rematches from the regular season – and 18 were won by the other team this time, with a number of those highlighted in this week’s “review” below.

(And in case you’re wondering, the upcoming 11-Player District Finals and 8-Player Regional Finals feature 25 more rematches.)

11-Player Division 1

HEADLINER Dearborn Fordson 21, Detroit Cass Tech 14 (OT) Antonio Gates Jr. caught two touchdown passes including the eventual game winner in overtime as Fordson (8-2) moved on against a familiar playoff foe. Fordson had fallen to Cass Tech (6-4) in the playoffs the last two seasons and has faced the Technicians in the postseason eight straight years. Click for more from the Dearborn Press & Guide.

District Digest Howell 35, Hartland 28 (3 OT) The Highlanders (8-2) trailed Hartland 14-0 at halftime before coming back to avenge a Week 6 loss to the Eagles (7-3). Oxford 38, Clarkston 28 After losing to Clarkston 20-17 in Week 5 to cap a 1-4 start, the Wildcats (6-4) haven’t fallen again – with this win breaking a four-game losing streak against the Wolves (8-2). Belleville 14, Ann Arbor Huron 10 The Tigers (9-1) got their biggest scare since late September but held on to end Huron’s most successful season since 2001 at 8-2.

11-Player Division 2

HEADLINER Port Huron Northern 13, Port Huron 0 After falling to Port Huron High 14-7 just three weeks earlier, Northern (8-2) avenged with its third shutout of the season – highlighted by five tackles for loss, four sacks, two fumble recoveries and a blocked punt. The Huskies also broke a three-game losing streak against the Big Reds (6-4). Click for more from the Port Huron Times Herald.

District Digest Bay City Western 25, Midland Dow 23 The Warriors’ best season in a decade added another highlight, as Western (8-2) avenged its one-point Week 5 loss to the Chargers (6-4). Battle Creek Lakeview 49, Dexter 48 (OT) The Spartans (7-3) made it three straight seasons with a playoff win with a rain-soaked overtime extra point against the Dreadnaughts (5-5). Muskegon Mona Shores 31, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 7 The reigning champion’s potential all-road game march back to Ford Field began in a big way as Mona Shores (8-2) handed host Forest Hills Central (8-2) a playoff loss for the third time in four seasons.

Harper Creek/River Rouge football

11-Player Division 3

HEADLINER River Rouge 14, Harper Woods 6 (OT) The reigning Division 3 runners-up rallied after halftime with all of their points and a defensive stand, holding Harper Woods (7-3) to its fewest points this season. River Rouge (7-2) has won a playoff game eight of the last 10 years.

District Digest Allen Park 28, Riverview 20 The Jaguars (8-2) ended Riverview’s season for the third time in four years, this time with the Pirates (9-1) suffering their only defeat in the playoffs for the second straight. St. Joseph 29, Zeeland West 26 The Bears (6-4) bounced back from four straight losses – including three by six points or fewer – to end up on the positive side of a close one against the Dux (6-3). Mount Pleasant 37, Marquette 6 The Oilers (10-0) won this matchup of league champions to reach double-digit wins for the second time in four seasons, ending Marquette’s at 7-3.

Marquette/Mount Pleasant football

11-Player Division 4

HEADLINER Cadillac 42, Fruitport 35 Cadillac’s outstanding defense received one of its toughest challenges as Fruitport rallied late to pull within a score before the reigning Division 4 runner-up held on for the win. Cadillac (8-2) scored its most points in a game this season, but Fruitport (4-6) also scored the most the Vikings have allowed – with both offenses perhaps benefitting from a second look as Cadillac had won their Week 2 meeting 28-12. Click for more from the Cadillac News.

District Digest Three Rivers 9, Vicksburg 7 In avenging a 46-27 Week 6 loss to Vicksburg (8-2), Three Rivers (6-4) also won a playoff game for the first time since 2017. Croswell-Lexington 6, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 0 The Pioneers (9-1) scored the game’s lone points in the first quarter and held on for a second-straight shutout and fourth this season, against a Notre Dame Prep team (7-3) that averaged 37 points per game entering the weekend. Livonia Clarenceville 36, Madison Heights Lamphere 28 The Trojans (9-1), playing as independents this fall, are enjoying their best season since 2013 with just a three-point Week 7 loss to Berkley from being undefeated and Lamphere (7-3) the second league champ they’ve defeated.

Grand Rapids South Christian/Plainwell football

11-Player Division 5

HEADLINER Clare 32, Gladwin 12 It’s a rare season when Clare is left out of the Jack Pine Conference title, but the second-place Pioneers made some major amends by handing the champion Flying G’s (9-1) their lone loss to end their season. Gladwin had won the first meeting 48-42 in Week 7. Al Warner scored all five of Clare’s touchdowns, including with runs of 50 and 79 yards. Click for more from the Mount Pleasant Morning Sun.

District Digest Olivet 3, Williamston 0 (OT) Tyler Latunski’s 22-yard field goal was the difference in this matchup of league champions, after Olivet (8-2) had also edged Williamston (6-4) 20-19 in Week 8. Grand Rapids West Catholic 42, Comstock Park 0 The Falcons reached 40 points for the seventh time this season in moving to 9-1 overall, while shutting down a Comstock Park offense that had averaged nearly 51 points per game during that team’s 9-0 regular season. Dundee 6, Macomb Lutheran North 0 The Vikings (6-4) earned their first District Final berth since 2011, against a Mustangs team (6-4) that shared a league title.

11-Player Division 6

HEADLINER Michigan Center 8, Jonesville 6 A scoreless game through three quarters played out dramatically in the fourth as Michigan Center (9-1) put the first points on the board and kept Jonesville from tying after its lone touchdown. The Cardinals then made a near-goal line stand to close out a second playoff win over the Comets (9-1) in as many seasons. Click for more from the Jackson Citizen Patriot.

District Digest Calumet 35, Menominee 20 The Copper Kings (8-2) also won a matchup of league champions, defeating Menominee (5-5) in the playoffs for the third straight season. Boyne City 19, Grayling 18 The Ramblers (9-1) stopped a two-point conversion try late, avenging last season’s District Final loss to the Vikings (7-3). Detroit Southeastern 16, Detroit Pershing 0 The Jungaleers (7-3) have won seven straight, with this shutout of Pershing (5-5) their second on the field this season and part of a defensive effort that’s given up only 9.5 points per game over its last six played (with two wins coming by forfeit).

Negaunee/Gladstone football

11-Player Division 7

HEADLINER New Lothrop 34, Montrose 7 The reigning Division 7 champion Hornets (7-3) opened with a decisive win over one of the other two co-champions in the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference, avenging a 35-14 Week 5 loss to the Rams (7-3). New Lothrop and Montrose also had entered the playoffs tied for the No. 10 spot in Division 7. Click for more from the Owosso Argus-Press.

District Digest Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker 49, Reese 6 After falling to Reese 27-18 in Week 7, Laker (8-2) found what worked in the rematch and remains the only one of three Greater Thumb Conference West co-champions still standing. The Rockets (8-2) had averaged nearly 32 points per game entering the weekend. Ishpeming Westwood 44, East Jordan 6 The Patriots (9-1) held an eighth opponent this season to single digits in winning a matchup of league champions over the Red Devils (6-3). Hemlock 20, Bad Axe 12 The Huskies (6-4) have emerged from a 2-3 start to win three of their last four, including this one over that third GTC West co-champion. Bad Axe still has plenty to celebrate; in addition to the league title, the Hatchets (7-3) posted their highest win total since 2001.

11-Player Division 8

HEADLINER Addison 24, Centreville 16 Given these teams’ defensive prowess, this score makes sense – and this win may soon be recalled among the Panthers’ best at least since the turn of the century. Not only was Centreville the reigning Division 8 champion, but Addison (9-1) reached its highest win total since 2006 in tying the most points the Bulldogs (7-3) had given up over the last three seasons. Click for more from the Adrian Daily Telegram.

District Digest Muskegon Heights Academy 66, Holton 42 The Tigers (6-4), who didn’t play last season and won just one game over the previous two, earned their first playoff victory since 2010. Fowler 28, Flint Beecher 0 The Eagles (7-3) went on the road and came back with their third shutout in five games. Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest 13, Marine City Cardinal Mooney 12 The last month has seen an incredible turnaround for Lutheran Northwest, which went 0-7 a year ago and opened this season 1-4 before winning five straight including this one with a touchdown on the last play of the game. Mooney had won their Week 2 matchup 31-7. 

Beal City/Bark River-Harris football

8-Player Division 1

HEADLINER Britton Deerfield 36, Deckerville 14 Despite losing its starting quarterback to injury at the end of the regular season, Deerfield (9-1) rallied for the most impressive win so far of its 8-player debut. A defense that has shined all fall continued to do so as well – Deckerville (8-2) hadn’t been held to 14 or fewer points in a game since 2018. Click for more from the Adrian Daily Telegram.

Regional Roundup Rudyard 38, Munising 14 After finishing as one of three runners-up in the Great Lakes Eight Conference East, Rudyard (8-2) topped the champion, avenging a 30-12 Week 4 loss to the Mustangs (7-3). Indian River Inland Lakes 38, Rogers City 24 The Bulldogs (10-0) faced one of their toughest matchups of the season, but emerged to earn a showdown this week with also 10-0 Suttons Bay. Martin 41, Tekonsha 0 This win over another league champion was Martin’s third-straight shutout and pushed the Clippers to 10-0.

8-Player Division 2

HEADLINER Colon 35, Portland St. Patrick 13 The Magi (9-1) will move on this time after falling to Portland St. Patrick in last year’s Regional Final and watching the Shamrocks finish Division 2 runners-up for the second-straight season. Colon held St. Patrick (9-1) to its fewest points in a game since 2018, sticking almost exactly to the 11.2 it’s giving up this fall. Click for more from the Sturgis Journal.

Regional Roundup Crystal Falls Forest Park 8, Lake Linden-Hubbell 0 The Trojans (8-2) won for the first time in three weeks by avenging their first loss of the season, to the Lakes (7-3), and to earn a rematch with the team that dealt Forest Park its other defeat (Powers North Central). Hillman 32, Mio 26 The Tigers’ 1-3 start is becoming a distant memory as they’ve won six straight with this one avenging a Week 2 12-0 defeat to the Thunderbolts (6-4). Kinde North Huron 48, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart 21 Just as we saw a number of teams avenge in rematches over the weekend, North Huron (10-0) instead was able to hold off the Irish for the second time. Sacred Heart (7-3) had finished second to the Warriors in the North Central Thumb League Stars.

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PHOTOS (1) Westwood's Zach Carlson [2] gets around East Jordan's Granger Kitson [25] and down to the 1-yard-line before getting tackled. (2) Harper Woods and River Rouge players prepare for contact Friday. (3) A Mount Pleasant defender attempts to wrap up a Marquette ball carrier. (4) A Grand Rapids South Christian ball carrier eludes a pair of Plainwell defenders. (5) Gladstone quarterback Nate Young [6] holds onto the ball before getting tackled by Negaunee's Eli VanBuren [8], Jed Anderson [35] and another defender. (6) Beal City defenders pull down a Bark River-Harris ball carrier in their Division 8 matchup. (Photos by Cara Kamps (1 and 5), Quintin Love Jr. (2), High School Sports Scene (3 and 6) and Gary Shook (4).

Monroe Jefferson’s Luke Beaudrie sprints toward the end zone during a game last season.

Beaudrie's Rebuild of Jefferson Football Gaining Speed with Fast Start

By Doug Donnelly
Special for MHSAA.com

September 17, 2025

NEWPORT – Rob Beaudrie has found the secret formula to building a winning football team.

Mid-MichiganTake over as head coach. Tap his freshman son (even if unexpectedly) as the starting quarterback. Mix in a couple of years hitting the weights, consistent offseason workouts and getting the underclassmen to buy into the playbook and new culture.

Oh, and winning a few games doesn’t hurt.

“Kids like to win,” Beaudrie said. “They don’t want to go out and practice two or three hours every day and go 0-9. It’s not fun for them. These kids have bought in. They’ve been playing football together since they were in youth football. It’s a good experience for them.”

Beaudrie is the head football coach at Monroe Jefferson, a Division 6 school in Newport, along the shores of Lake Erie and home to the Fermi 2 nuclear power plant. The Bears were once a football power, winning the Class BB championship in 1994, but have struggled for the last 20 years or so.

Being from the area, Beaudrie knew all about Jefferson. He took the job three seasons ago. He stayed on the course and things slowly improved.

This year, everything has come together as the Bears are off to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2006. One more win and they’ll have more victories than in any one season since 2016, which was the last time Jefferson qualified for the playoffs.

“We’ve come a long way,” Beaudrie said. “We are doing a lot of things right. We are attacking the ball, pursuing. We’re blocking together. There are still some growing pains. We are young in some areas, but they’ve come along well. They are very talented.”

Beaudrie inserted his son Luke, then a freshman, into the starting quarterback role his first year as head coach. It was an unexpected move because Luke had been a slot receiver or running back while playing youth football and middle school football. When the player Beaudrie expected to be the starting quarterback quit the team, Beaudrie turned to his son.

“He’s not a true quarterback, but he’s learning,” Beaudrie said. “He’s learned to understand the offense and read the defense. He’s a leader.”

In Jefferson’s 52-21 win over Milan on Friday, Luke Beaudrie returned a kickoff 99 yards, had touchdown runs of 65, 2, 50 and 32 and returned an interception 89 yards for a touchdown – all in the first half.

“He’s a special athlete,” Rob Beaudrie said. “He was never tackled in middle school. He’s very fast and has great vision.”

Luke said he has adapted to being the quarterback.

“When I first started, I didn’t think it was for me,” he said. “But you have to have the mindset ‘whatever is best for the team.’ I started learning it, and now I’m more comfortable.”

Jefferson coach Rob Beaudrie holds a pad while Luke works on making a cut during practice.Through three games, Beaudrie has 487 yards rushing, 243 yards passing and has scored 13 touchdowns.

The Beaudries have used this same game plan before, but at a different school. Rob was head coach at Erie Mason, a program that had struggled. His son Noah became the starting quarterback as a freshman, went through some growing pains, but developed into an all-stater his senior season as Mason won a league championship.

Noah went on to play college football at Mount Union University (Ohio) where he quarterbacked the Purple Raiders into the Division III national championship game last season. This year, Noah transferred to Adrian College where he is the starting quarterback and has the Bulldogs off to a 2-0 start.

Being close to home has allowed him to serve as an assistant coach for Jefferson.

“The schedules line up really well,” Rob Beaudrie said. “He can be at (our) practice just about every Sunday and Monday and can be at most of our games. He helps Luke out a lot. He’s brought a lot of college experiences with him to the playbook.”

Another former player Rob had at Mason, Tanner Herrera, is helping coach the Jefferson offense.

“I didn’t want to do it all,” Beaudrie said. “I offered him the OC (offensive coordinator) job, and he’s run with it.”

Beaudrie said he thought this could be the year Jefferson turned things around. The Bears still have a difficult Huron League schedule ahead of them. This week they take on Riverview, then have Flat Rock and Division 7 No. 1-ranked Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central.

“The good thing is, these kids don’t know what they don’t know,” Beaudrie said.

Roster numbers have gone up steadily since Beaudrie took over. His first season the Bears had 23 players in the entire program. Last year they had 36 players in all and no seniors. This year Jefferson counts 61 players – plenty enough for a JV and varsity program.

“That has been a huge help,” he said.

The first two years weren’t easy as he brought his system to Jefferson. He faced skepticism over the team’s passing attack. For years, even decades, Jefferson was known for its rushing offense; at one time, the Bears would go weeks without attempting a pass.

“This is all new at Jefferson. People would tell me, ‘They don’t know anything about passing the ball; you can’t do that,’” Beaudrie said. “I told them, ‘You’d be surprised what kids can learn.’ We came in and did our thing. We were out-manned a bit the first few years.

“Sometimes the first couple of years you get a new coach in, and some people don’t like what you are doing. It wasn’t going to ruffle my feathers. I have thick skin. There’s a plan, and you have to trust the process, trust the system.

“Now, the kids are excited, the parents are excited, everyone is excited. Everybody likes a winner. I’m excited to see what happens next year as well, but we are going to enjoy these wins right now.”

Jefferson athletic director Alyssa Eppler said the football success has brought excitement to the games and district.

"There’s an incredible buzz in our school and community right now, and it’s been building for a few years now,” she said. “It’s exciting to finally see it all come together. You can feel the energy in the hallways and see it in the stands on Friday nights. Or first home game truly had the atmosphere of a homecoming. We’re proud of the momentum and what it means for our kids."

Luke Beaudrie is happy with how things have worked out, even if he had to learn a new position.

“The first few years were a little rough,” he said. “Now, everyone is starting to buy in, and everyone expects some good things the next couple of years. It feels amazing. This hasn’t happened here in a while.”

Doug DonnellyDoug Donnelly has served as a news and sports reporter at the Adrian Daily Telegram and the Monroe News for 30 years, including 10 years as city editor in Monroe. He's written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. He is now publisher and editor of The Blissfield Advance, a weekly newspaper. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.

PHOTOS (Top) Monroe Jefferson’s Luke Beaudrie sprints toward the end zone during a game last season. (Middle) Jefferson coach Rob Beaudrie holds a pad while Luke works on making a cut during practice. (Photos courtesy of the Monroe News.)