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.
Take 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.”
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 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.)
1st & Goal: 2025 Playoffs Week 2 Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 7, 2025
The term “rivalry week” doesn’t really pop up much during the playoffs, as generally those rivalry games take place during the regular season with maybe a few rematches as we get into November.
This second weekend of the 2025 MHSAA Playoffs might be the exception.
We have several rivalries reigniting – most rematches from the regular season but others with longer histories of seeing each other this time of year, with seasons on the line.
Tickets this weekend are $7 for 11-Player District Finals and $9 for 8-Player Regional Finals and can be purchased at GoFan.co. A total of 63 games also will be broadcast and available to watch with subscription on the NFHS Network.
Games listed below are tonight unless noted.
11-Player Division 1
Rockford (8-2) at Hudsonville (10-0) WATCH
The Eagles are a combined 22-2 over the last two seasons with two wins Rockford, including 35-28 in Week 6 this fall. But finishing a season sweep of the rival Rams would be another major accomplishment. Rockford has won their past four playoff meetings, going back a decade, and the Eagles didn’t have to go through Rockford last year on the way to finishing Division 1 runner-up.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Grand Blanc (10-0) at Clarkston (9-1) WATCH, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek (7-3) at Rochester Adams (8-2) WATCH, Macomb Dakota (7-3) at Romeo (7-3) WATCH.
11-Player Division 2
St. Clair Shores Lakeview (8-2) at Grosse Pointe South (9-1), Saturday WATCH
South’s only loss this season – and only Macomb Area Conference White loss over the last four years – came 25-22 to Lakeview on Oct. 10 and resulted in a shared league title between the Blue Devils and Utica. If South avenges this weekend, it will win a District title for the first time since 2016. If Lakeview wins, the Huskies will celebrate their first District title, ever – and after going 3-6 only a year ago.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Byron Center (7-3) at Portage Central (10-0) WATCH, Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (6-4) at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (7-2) WATCH, Dexter (9-1) at South Lyon (10-0) WATCH.
11-Player Division 3
Gaylord (10-0) at Mount Pleasant (10-0) WATCH
These teams have taken distinctly different paths to reach perfection this deep into the season. Mount Pleasant hasn’t played a single-digit game and impressed primarily by giving up more than 17 points only once – when it outscored Midland Dow 63-39. Gaylord has won seven games by seven points or fewer, showing some serious moxie in outlasting those opponents – an intangible skill that tends to become important with trophies on the line.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Zeeland West (7-3) at St. Joseph (6-4) WATCH, Middleville Thornapple Kellogg (7-3) at Lowell (8-2) WATCH, Fenton (7-3) at Adrian (9-1) WATCH.
11-Player Division 4
Chelsea (9-1) at Goodrich (10-0) WATCH
The reigning Division 4 champion Martians have won 23 straight games, including close ones this fall over Frankenmuth, Lapeer and Fenton. They’ll take on a Chelsea team that’s lost only to Division 2 Dexter and otherwise played one single-digit game, defeating Linden 35-28 two weeks ago. Goodrich’s power running game has long been its catalyst, and Chelsea must either stop it – or match it – to win its first District title since its 2021 Finals championship season.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Haslett (8-2) at Williamston (10-0) WATCH, Harper Woods Chandler Park (8-2) at Harper Woods (10-0) WATCH. SATURDAY Big Rapids (9-1) at Escanaba (9-1) WATCH.
11-Player Division 5
Grand Rapids West Catholic (9-1) at Grand Rapids Catholic Central (10-0) WATCH
This will be the fourth playoff meeting over the last five seasons between these rivals, and Grand Rapids Catholic Central has won the first three of that series – including by two points two years ago and three last season. The Cougars have avenged three losses from last fall – when they reached the Division 5 Semifinals – and haven’t allowed more than 17 points in a game. West Catholic opened this fall with its lone loss, to Grand Rapids Northview, but has been on a roll since and finished the regular season with a 28-16 win over reigning Division 3 champion Zeeland West.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Michigan Center (9-1) at Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (10-0) WATCH, Monroe Jeffers (9-1) at Romulus Summit Academy North (8-1) WATCH, Richmond (9-1) at Frankenmuth (9-1) WATCH.
11-Player Division 6
Traverse City St. Francis (7-2) at Kingsley (8-2) WATCH
St. Francis won these rivals’ Week 5 matchup 21-20 with a stop on a 2-point conversion try. This will be their first playoff rematch since 2018, and Kingsley retained homefield advantage thanks to a schedule that also included a loss to undefeated Division 3 Gaylord and a big Week 9 win over previously-unbeaten Charlevoix. That said, this will be St. Francis’ eighth game against a team with a winning record – with its losses to reigning Division 6 champion Jackson Lumen Christi and last year’s Division 5 title winner Pontiac Notre Dame Prep.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Kent City (10-0) at Belding (9-1) WATCH, Warren Michigan Collegiate (6-4) vs. Detroit Edison (8-2) at The Corner Ballpark, Marine City (7-3) at Almont (10-0) WATCH.
11-Player Division 7
Clinton (8-2) at Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (8-2)
This is a rematch from Week 1 and a repeat of last season – and actually the third year in a row these two will meet in the playoffs. St. Mary, last year’s Division 7 runner-up, opened this fall with a 42-6 win over Clinton and obviously won last year’s District Final matchup as well. Clinton’s only other loss this fall was to still-undefeated Hudson, while SMCC closed the regular season with defeats to Riverview and Detroit Country Day over a three-week span before bouncing back with a 27-2 win over Leslie to open the playoffs.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Bronson (8-2) at Hanover-Horton (8-2) WATCH, Lawton (8-2) at Schoolcraft (8-2) WATCH. SATURDAY Ithaca (7-3) at Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker (8-2).
11-Player Division 8
New Lothrop (7-3) at Springport (10-0) WATCH
Springport is pursuing its first District championship in this sport and after falling in last year’s District Final against Reading by just a point. The Spartans closed this regular season with a pair of close calls, defeating Union City by a point and Bronson by seven, but opened the playoffs by downing Manchester 47-8. New Lothrop is back in the mix after missing the playoffs last season for the first time since 1999, and the Hornets bounced back from a pair of late league losses to win close in Week 9 over Cheboygan and then 19-14 last week over Fowler – which missed Ford Field with a one-point Semifinal defeat a year ago.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Iron Mountain (6-3) at Bark River-Harris (8-1) WATCH, Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central (8-2) at Beal City (10-0) WATCH, Riverview Gabriel Richard (5-5) at Allen Park Cabrini (9-1) WATCH.
8-Player Division 1
Climax-Scotts (8-2) at Martin (10-0) WATCH
Climax-Scotts is playing to win a first Regional title since 2019 and has put up 72 points – and given up at least 62 – in both of its last two games, last week avenging a Week 1 defeat against Gobles. The Panthers are averaging 54 points per game but likely will run up against their toughest challenge yet in the Clippers, who have allowed 87 points total this season – and more than 14 only twice. Martin won the Division 1 championship back-to-back in 2022 and 2023 before falling in this round last season. The Clippers also have a win over Gobles from Week 4.
Other Regional Finals FRIDAY Pickford (8-1) at Norway (10-0) WATCH, Merrill (8-2) at Blanchard Montabella (9-1) WATCH, Capac (8-2) at Kingston (9-1) WATCH.
8-Player Division 2
Mendon (10-0) at Portland St. Patrick (10-0) WATCH
Mendon has reached at least the Regional Finals four of its five seasons in 8-player football, and this will be the first time doing so undefeated. The Hornets have the highest-scoring player in MHSAA 8-player history in running back Owen Gorham, and they’ll run up against a defense giving up only 8.5 points per game. The Shamrocks can score too, topping 40 points in all but one of their wins on the field (one win was by forfeit). But the Hornets also have shown they can slow down top offenses – they held Climax-Scotts, noted above, to just 20 points three weeks ago.
Other Regional Finals FRIDAY Gaylord St. Mary (8-2) at Onekama (10-0) WATCH. SATURDAY Lake Linden-Hubbell (8-2) at Felch North Dickinson (10-0), Deckerville (9-1) at Britton Deerfield (9-1) WATCH.
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PHOTO Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central's Sean Foley (2) breaks down the sideline during a Week 7 game against Ithaca. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)