- Michigan
DIVISION 2: Backup QB Brady Rose leads Mona Shores past King to first-ever state title
DETROIT — Every time a coach or teammate jokes about the height of diminutive back up quarterback Brady Rose, the height they give shrinks.
And the longer he plays, the more his legend grows.
Playing in place of all-stater Caden Broersma, who led Muskegon Mona Shores to last year’s Division 2 title game, but couldn’t play this time with a fractured vertebrae, Rose ran for three touchdowns and threw for another, as the Sailors held off Detroit Martin Luther King, 35-26, to win their first-ever state title.
Rose guided the Sailors (12-2) to time-chewing scoring drives on their first and next-to-last drives — the two (5:43 and 8:40) totaling more than a full quarter of the game time off the clock — as Mona Shores posted a seven-minute advantage in time of possession.
He finished with 90 of Shores’ 208 yards rushing, and was 8-for-11 passing for 122 yards.
Oh, and he picked off a pass playing safety, as well, logging every minute on defense.
Peny Boone finished with 198 yards and three scores for King (10-3), the reigning D3 champion. Freshman quarterback Dante Moore threw for 209 yards and a score.
Rose ran for a pair of 1-yard scores in the first half, and Tre’Shawn Hatcher added an 18-yard run, as the Sailors jumped out to a 14-0 lead, and led 21-12 at the half.
Mona Shores answered each of King’s second-half drives, as well.
After Boone scored on a 9-yard run to cut it to 21-20 with 9:42 left in the third, Rose found Jaylen Hopson on a 17-yard scoring strike to bump it back to eight, 28-20.
After Boone ripped off a 66-yard scoring run with 10:45 left to cut it to two, 28-26, Rose guided the Sailors on a 14-play, 72-yard drive that ground 8:40 off the clock, putting it back to a two-score lead at 35-26.
Kolbe Trovinger, wearing Broersma’s No. 4 jersey on the day, picked off a pass with 36 seconds left to seal it.
