DETROIT — Mona Shores won its first football state championship in school history Friday.
The Sailors took on Detroit Martin Luther King High at Ford Field. It was Mona Shores' third trip to the state championship in six years. The Sailors came out on top, 35-26.
Mona Shores was without starting quarterback Caden Broersma, who was injured in the state semifinal win against Walled Lake Western.
However, junior quarterback Brady Rose stepped up in his place early on.
Rose gave Sailors a 7-0 lead after a 1-yard touchdown run that capped a 13-play, 64-yard drive on the opening possession of the game.
The Sailors would lead 7-0 after one quarter of play, but extended that lead less than two minutes into the second. Tre'Shawn Hatcher found the end zone from 18 yards out to put Mona Shores in front 14-0.
After a King touchdown, the Sailors answered right back as Brady Rose found the end zone for his second score of the afternoon. The 1-yard score made it 21-6 after the extra point by Keegan DeKuiper.
The Sailors led 21-12 at the half.
In the third quarter, the Crusaders struck again when Peny Boone found the end zone from nine yards out for his second score of the day. A successful two-point conversion cut the Mona Shores lead to 21-20.
At the end of the third quarter, Rose imposed his will on the defensive side of the ball as he picked off a Dante Moore pass at midfield. The Sailors capitalized off of the turnover as Rose found Jaylen Hopson on the 17-yard touchdown pass with just 16 seconds left in the quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Rose continued his big day as he scored from a few yards out to notch his third rushing touchdown of the game to make it 35-26 Sailors. Kolbe Trovinger sealed the Mona Shores victory with an interception in the final minutes.
Rose finished with a passing touchdown and three scores on the ground.
"Grit, that's our team word, we all had grit going into this game and the playoffs," Rose said after the win. "Three out of our five playoff games, Coach Koziak said we were picked to lose but our team still has the grit to get the win."
As for Coach Koziak, he's still in disbelief.
"I still don't think it's set in," Coach Koziak laughed, "I think when we finally get to pick out some rings and see the news that we're state champs and holding that trophy maybe it'll kick in but it's incredible."
