Rose's Legend Grows in Shores Repeat
January 22, 2021
By Jason Schmitt
Special for Second Half
DETROIT – Game planning for an all-state football player like Brady Rose certainly isn’t easy.
In fact, it’s downright awful just to think about.
The Muskegon Mona Shores senior quarterback once again proved that point to be true Friday afternoon, leading his team to a 25-19 victory over Warren De La Salle Collegiate and a second consecutive MHSAA Division 2 championship at Ford Field in Detroit.
Rose rushed 22 times for 154 yards and a pair of touchdowns. But it was a 65-yard scamper early in the fourth quarter that proved to be the play of the game – a game filled with key plays by Rose.
“We ran that play quite a bit (today), but I wasn’t being patient, I wasn’t bouncing it to the outside,” Rose said. “(This time) I just let it develop, let it do what it was supposed to do and I bounced it outside and took it down into the red zone.”
The play lifted the spirits of the entire team and provided a much-needed boost of confidence.
“We get the ball down there, everybody is excited again. Everybody is hyped,” he added. “After that run, we knew we were going to punch it in. Anytime we get into the red zone, we have to punch it in, and we did.”
Three plays later, senior wideout Keondre Pierce scored on a 10-yard pitch to the right side, giving Mona Shores a 19-7 lead with 9:25 left in the game.
De La Salle, which trailed 13-0 at halftime, didn’t give up. The Pilots answered right back on a 52-yard touchdown run by senior JC Ford with 7:58 to play. The drive took just 1:21 off the clock and also included a 23-yard pass from Ford to senior running back Brett Stanley to help set up the touchdown run.
After a quick three-and-out, the Sailors then relied on their defense to get the ball back. Coach Matt Koziak’s team came up with a clutch stop on fourth down, on De La Salle’s half of the field. Seven plays later, Rose scored his second touchdown of the game, this time from four yards out to give his team a 25-13 lead with just 1:47 left to play.
De La Salle did move the ball down the field quickly, scoring on a four-yard keeper by sophomore quarterback Brady Drogosh with 16 seconds to play. But it wasn’t enough, as Rose recovered the ensuing on-side kickoff attempt and then took a knee to end the game.
“They did have us on our heels a little bit,” Koziak said. “We jumped up on them, 13-0 going into halftime, then they come right back in the second half. We said it at halftime, ‘They’re not going to go away. They’re not going to let you win this, you’ve got to go take it.’”
The Mona Shores defense, led by senior Kyree Hamel, who finished with 11 tackles and an interception, held De La Salle to just 50 total yards and three first downs in the first half. The Pilots totaled 62 yards on the ground during their drive to start the second half. Ford provided a change of pace for De La Salle, running the ball six straight times to begin the drive. After runs of 15 and 10 yards by freshman Rhett Roeser moved the ball inside the 5-yard line, Ford capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown run to get his team on the scoreboard.
“We didn’t run a lot of plays in the first half, and we couldn’t get into a rhythm,” De La Salle head coach Dan Rohn said. “So we went into halftime and said, ‘Let’s change things up a little bit and up the tempo.’ It’s kind of been JC’s role all year long. We haven’t needed it in the playoffs because he’s playing two ways.”
Ford finished with 111 yards on 15 carries and those two touchdowns. Stanley had 42 yards and Roeser added 38 for the Pilots. Defensively, junior Will Beesley had a game-high 20 tackles, while senior Jayden Conklin added 14. Junior Dionte Dandridge had an interception.
Mona Shores (12-0) finished with 311 rushing yards. Along with Rose, junior Elijah Johnson also had a good game on the ground. He carried the ball 14 times for 81 yards and had a nine-yard touchdown in the first half. Rose also returned three kicks for 48 yards, averaged 39 yards on his three punts, blocked an extra point and had eight tackles on the other side of the ball.
“What a legacy for him to leave,” Koziak said of Rose, who will play collegiately at Ferris State University. “Obviously he’s a tremendous player, a tremendous competitor. It’s so easy to root for a dude like that. He’s not 6-foot-3, he doesn’t run a 4.3 40 (yard dash). He’s not a 5 star. But all great stories usually have an underdog in it, so it’s easy for people to get behind him, for his teammates to get behind him. They love him. I think when we look back on one of the great players, and performances, in the state over the past two seasons, he’s got to be in the conversation.”
Rohn, who completed his first year at De La Salle after having won four Division 5 championships at Grand Rapids West Catholic, said he was proud of his team for battling through a lot of adversity over the past year.
“We went against one of the best football teams in the state of Michigan and one of the best football players in the state of Michigan,” Rohn said. “Hats off to Matt (Koziak) and his team. I have nothing but respect for their program and the way they played today. Who would have thought that we’d be sitting here on January 22 with an opportunity to win a state championship?”
Koziak praised Rohn for all his accomplishments at De La Salle, while also crediting players from all over the state for forging ahead despite all the obstacles they faced over the past year.
“I’m proud of our young men. I’m proud of the state of Michigan, the football players,” Koziak said. “These young men have been through the ropes. They’ve been on an emotional rollercoaster. Football prepares you for life. But this season, holy cow, it’s going to teach you disappointment, it’s going to teach you hope, it’s going to teach you surprise, it’s going to teach you humility. I have no doubt these young men are going to be good fathers, and better sons, better husbands because things didn’t go their way this year. Whether it was wins or losses, or COVID, or a pause in the season, whatever it was. They’re all going to be better human beings for it, and I think that’s a special message we tried to preach all year.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Muskegon Mona Shores quarterback Brady Rose drops back to pass during Friday’s Division 2 championship game at Ford Field. (Middle) De La Salle’s Will Beesley makes his move as Shores defenders close in. (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
1st & Goal: 2025 Playoffs Week 3 Review
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 18, 2025
The third weekend of these MHSAA Football Playoffs saw plenty of headlining moments.
A pair of walk-off wins.
Three first-time Regional champions and a team advancing to a Final for the first time.
Three statewide stunners – including two in Division 4 alone.
One team accomplishing something from all of the above on what had to be the most unforgettable night in that program’s history.
Add in the usual high-level matchups to be found this time of year, and it was a wild 48 hours across both peninsulas. See below for notes on all 36 games.
8-Player Division 1
HEADLINER Blanchard Montabella 32, Norway 28 Montabella (11-1) came back from a 28-8 halftime deficit to earn its first trip to an MHSAA championship game in this sport. The defeat was the only one this season for Norway (11-1), which was playing in its first Semifinal since 2006. Click for more from the Greenville Daily News.
HEADLINER Martin 20, Kingston 8 The Clippers (12-0) also trailed at halftime before scoring 20 unanswered points to earn their third Finals trip over the last four seasons. Kingston ended 10-2, with its highest win total since 1996. Click for more from the Kalamazoo Gazette.
8-Player Division 2
HEADLINER Felch North Dickinson 44, Onekama 28 The Nordics (12-0) will play for a Finals championship for the first time since 1998 after finding their stride against an Onekama defense that otherwise gave up only 11.5 points per game this season. The Portagers finished 11-1, setting a school record for victories. Click for more from the Iron Mountain Daily News.
HEADLINER Portland St. Patrick 36, Deckerville 15 St. Patrick denied Deckerville (10-2) a return trip to Superior Dome as the Eagles sought to add to their Division 1 title won a year ago. Instead, the Shamrocks (12-0) will play in their first Final since 2020, and after holding Deckerville to its fewest points since also scoring 15 in Week 1. Click for more from WLNS.
11-Player Division 1
HEADLINER East Kentwood 52, Hudsonville 28 The Falcons (10-2) avenged a 43-42 Week 7 loss to eventual Ottawa-Kent Conference Red champion Hudsonville, in doing so handing the 2024 Division 1 runner-up Eagles (11-1) their only defeat this fall. The Regional title was East Kentwood’s first since 2014 and came in part thanks to three rushing touchdowns and two passing scores from quarterback Kayd Coffman. Click for more from the Grand Rapids Press.
Regional Roundup Detroit Cass Tech 42, Saline 28 The reigning Division 1 champion Technicians (12-0) ran their winning streak to 23 as C.J. Sadler scored four touchdowns to help end Saline’s run at 10-2. Detroit Catholic Central 42, Clarkston 13 The Shamrocks (12-0) clinched a second-straight Regional title, opening a 28-7 lead by halftime and holding Clarkston (10-2) to its fewest points this fall. Rochester Adams 29, Romeo 13 The Highlanders (10-2) also won a second-straight Regional title, adding to a 39-7 win over Romeo (8-4) in their season opener.
11-Player Division 2
HEADLINER Dexter 56, Gibraltar Carlson 42 The Dreadnaughts (11-1) won their second Regional title in four years and this time by scoring their second-most points in a game this fall. Carlson (11-1) – which set a school record for wins this season – had opened up a two-score lead during the third quarter before Dexter stormed back. Quarterback Cooper Arnedt threw for 590 yards and eight touchdowns. Click for more from the Ann Arbor News.
Regional Roundup Portage Central 24, Traverse City Central 20 A lot of Portage Central headlines have gone to the defense this fall, but the offense earned this one as the Mustangs (12-0) took the lead in the fourth quarter and held onto the ball late to deny the Trojans (7-5) one more comeback attempt. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 42, Midland Dow 7 The reigning Division 2 champion Eaglets (9-2) hit the road and scored their most points since Week 6, while also holding Dow (10-2) to its season low. Birmingham Groves 37, St. Clair Shores Lakeview 14 After starting this season 2-3, Groves (9-3) hasn’t lost since September and added a second-straight Regional title while ending a record-setting run for Lakeview (9-3) – which made an awesome jump from 3-6 a year ago,
11-Player Division 3
HEADLINER Warren De La Salle Collegiate 38, Detroit Martin Luther King 20 The Pilots opened up a 24-6 lead by halftime and kept King (7-5) – the reigning Division 3 runner-up – from reaching the Semifinals for the first time since 2020. De La Salle (6-6) has won five of its last seven games, and this was its fifth Regional title in six seasons after last year’s run ended in this round. Click for more from the Macomb Daily.
Regional Roundup Lowell 36, Zeeland West 34 The Red Arrows (10-2) moved past the reigning Division 3 champion Dux (8-4) late, earning their first Regional title since 2016. DeWitt 70, Fenton 26 The Panthers (12-0) reached 70 points for the second time this playoffs to advance to the Semifinals for the seventh time over the last eight seasons, ending Fenton’s longest run since 2016 at 8-4. Mount Pleasant 28, East Grand Rapids 14 The Oilers (12-0) earned their first trip to the Semifinals since 2011 and ended East Grand Rapids’ winning streak at seven games and season at 9-3.
11-Player Division 4
HEADLINER Dearborn Divine Child 10, Harper Woods 6 Divine Child is 11-1, so deciding a degree of upset here is difficult – but Harper Woods (11-1) had defeated Division 1 Saline and Clarkston among others this season and was ranked No. 1 in the final coaches poll, so this made a pretty big statewide wave. The Pioneers were seeking a third-straight Regional title, and Divine Child claimed its first since 2016. Click for more from the Detroit Free Press.
Regional Roundup Vicksburg 42, Portland 41 The Bulldogs (8-4) pulled off another of the stunners of these playoffs, clinching their first Regional title in this sport with a walk-off touchdown catch to hand Portland (11-1) its only defeat of the season. Hudsonville Unity Christian 52, Big Rapids 14 Unity Christian (11-1) won its first Regional title since 2021 with its sixth 50-point game this season, and also held Big Rapids (10-2) to the Cardinals’ season low. Goodrich 41, Williamston 33 The reigning Division 4 champion Martians (12-0) won this matchup of undefeated contenders, ending the Hornets’ longest run since 2020 at 11-1.
11-Player Division 5
HEADLINER Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 42, Frankenmuth 28 This rematch of last season’s Division 5 Final was much closer, but Notre Dame Prep prevailed again as quarterback Sam Stowe through three touchdowns passes and the Fighting Irish (10-2) also returned a blocked punt for a score. Frankenmuth finished 10-2, its only other loss to still-undefeated Goodrich during Week 1. Click for more from the Oakland Press.
Regional Roundup Ogemaw Heights 34, Saginaw Swan Valley 14 Ogemaw Heights (11-1) clinched its first Regional title since 2009, holding Swan Valley (10-2) to its fewest points since also scoring 14 in its only other loss this fall in Week 2. Grand Rapids West Catholic 27, Kalamazoo United 0 The Falcons (11-1) posted their first shutout since Week 2, and scored the most points the Titans (9-3) gave up in a game this fall. Monroe Jefferson 71, Michigan Center 45 This one will make the highest-scoring games list for this season, as Jefferson (11-1) scored its most since 2010 and Michigan Center (10-2) went over 40 for the eighth time this season.
11-Player Division 6
HEADLINER Kent City 50, Montrose 20 Kent City (12-0) added a first Regional title to its first District championship won the weekend before, reaching 50 points for the third time this season and after Montrose had given up only 62 points combined over its first 11 games. The Rams completed their winningest season since 2013 at 11-1. Click for more from the Muskegon Chronicle.
Regional Roundup Almont 44, Detroit Edison 8 After edging Edison 53-46 in Week 9, Almont (12-0) pulled away this time to claim a second Regional title in three seasons. The Pioneers set a program record for wins in finishing 9-3. Jackson Lumen Christi 21, Ida 7 The reigning champion Titans (9-3) turned away their strongest challenge since the start of October, and after defeating Ida (9-3) by 21 in a District Final a year ago. Kingsley 18, Reed City 14 The Coyotes (9-3) cut the margin after Kingsley (10-2) won their season-opening meeting 24-6, but the Stags prevailed scoring the go-ahead points on a fourth-down pass.
11-Player Division 7
HEADLINER Clinton 20, Millington 18 This was another classic decided during the final minute, as Clinton (10-2) went ahead on a scoring pass to end Millington’s repeat Division 7 championship hope and season at 9-3. The Regional title was Clinton’s first since 2022. Click for more from the Adrian Daily Telegram.
Regional Roundup Menominee 43, Shelby 0 The Maroons (12-0) have been tough on defense all season, allowing just 10 points per game on average, but they threw their first shutout in ending Shelby’s longest run since 2013 at 7-5. Pewamo-Westphalia 42, Ithaca 21 The Pirates clinched their first Regional title since 2021 and improved to 11-0, running their playoff record against Ithaca (8-4) to 3-0 over the last five seasons. Schoolcraft 22, Hanover-Horton 14 Schoolcraft (10-2) scored the only points of the fourth quarter to claim a second-straight Regional title. Hanover-Horton finished 9-3, setting a program record for wins.
11-Player Division 8
HEADLINER Harbor Beach 26, Beal City 15 The Pirates (12-0) won their first Regional title since 2018 and ended the season for reigning Division 8 champion Beal City (11-1). Harbor Beach continued its impressive defensive run, with the Aggies’ 15 points the most the Pirates have given up – and with Beal City averaging nearly 46 per game entering the weekend. Click for more from the Huron Daily Tribune.
Regional Roundup Hudson 68, Springport 22 The Tigers (12-0) continued their perfect run, scoring their second-most points this fall in handing Springport (11-1) the only loss of its winningest season. Bark River-Harris 22, Maple City Glen Lake 21 The Broncos (10-1) secured their first Regional title since 2003 with a kickoff return touchdown and 2-point conversion on the final plays of the game. Glen Lake (9-2) had scored just seconds earlier to break a 14-14 tie. Allen Park Cabrini 34, Madison Heights Madison 32 The Monarchs’ first Regional title came with a go-ahead touchdown during the fourth quarter, sending Cabrini to 11-1 and ending Madison’s season at 10-2 – an incredible turnaround after the Eagles had won a combined six games over the previous five seasons.
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PHOTOS (Top) Portland St. Patrick running back Brady Leonard (9) accelerates through a hole during the first quarter of his team’s 8-Player Semifinal win Saturday over Deckerville. (Middle) Detroit Catholic Central quarterback Duke Banta targets a receiver during his team’s Division 1 Regional Final win Friday over Clarkston. (St. Patrick/Deckerville photo by Kolleth Photo. DCC/Clarkston photo by Terry Lyons.)