STOCKTON – When Brookside Christian junior Reuben Lee became eligible to play for the Knights after transferring from Lincoln, there was no question he would make a difference for a team that had started 0-4.
Since joining the Knights, No. 3-seeded Brookside Christian has gone on an eight-game win streak, including Saturday’s 54-21 drubbing of No. 1 Merced-Stone Ridge Christian in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division VII championship tilt. Lee rushed for a pair of touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass from each team’s quarterback in the victory at Podesto Field at Bear Creek High.
The Knights now wait for their seeding in the state playoffs which begin after Thanksgiving.
Lee’s impact was clearly felt by Stone Ridge Christian, who’d beaten Brookside Christian 33-26 without him on Sept. 24, as the junior rushed 17 times for 159 yards and grabbed a pair of passes for 70 yards.
Brookside Christian sophomore quarterback Quincy Glasper, who completed 16 of 28 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns and pair of interceptions, found Lee on a 55-yard scoring strike early in the fourth quarter to make it a three-score lead and the Knights began to roll.
On Stone Ridge’s next possession, Lee intercepted freshman quarterback Jacob Tanori at his own 35 and outraced the defense to the end zone for a 40-14 lead with 9:09 left in the game.
“That’s who Reuben is,” Brookside coach Jordan McGowan said. “Whenever we needed it to happen, (Lee) made it happen. This was his worst game (rushing) and he averaged 10 yards a carry. We split him outside and we threw a vertical (pass) to him (for a touchdown) and that put the game away. After that, he got an interception for six (points). Whatever needs to happen, he is able to do it.”
Lee also had touchdown runs of 55 and 34 yards to help fuel the Brookside Christian ground game, as his team rushed 22 times for 209 yards.
“Stone Ridge held me back a little bit, so I had to make new ways to help the team,” said Lee, who was surprised to return an interception for a score. “I was shocked that I caught it. I went out to the flat and read the quarterback’s eyes and I knew I had an opportunity to pick off the ball. To go from a losing streak to a winning streak is pretty special. I’m proud of my team; proud of my brothers.”
Stone Ridge Christian remained dedicated to its ground attack, rushing 54 times for 267 yards, but hampered itself with two fumbles and three interceptions, two of which became pick sixes.
Glasper was a crisp 7-of-10 passing for 58 yards on Brookside Christian’s first scoring drive, capped by his 6-yard toss to a wide open Stedman Quartermaine.
The two-point conversion pass from Glasper fell incomplete for a 6-0 lead.
A Brookside Christian onside kick didn’t bear fruit, and Stone Ridge Christian had good field position at Brookside Christian’s 45.
But Tanori’s first pass of the game was reeled in by Knights cornerback Justin Williams at the 40, and the senior raced 60 yards for the touchdown on the first play of the second quarter for a 12-0 lead.
“We had to bounce back from our mistakes,” said Glasper, who has 37 touchdown passes this year. “Stone Ridge is a real good team. (Lee) has helped a lot the last few games and it just came down to who wanted it more. It’s a great feeling to win. I remember winning my Pop Warner Super Bowl and that was probably the happiest moment of my life. This (victory) tops it by far.”
Glasper also threw a 16-yard touchdown to junior Tyrone Vickers, who finished with five catches for 91 yards.
Brookside Christian freshman running back ran for a 31-yard touchdown for Brookside Christian’s final score if the game.
Now, the Knights will await word on whether they will be invited to a regional or state bowl game