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Brethren Christian can’t hold off Grace Brethren in CIF-SS East Valley Division semifinals

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Jordan Leonard had just started on the run and the Brethren Christian football team seemingly was shifting into cruise control when things took a turn in its Friday CIF Southern Section East Valley Division showdown with top-seeded Simi Valley Grace Brethren.

The junior running back already had amassed 119 yards and a pair of touchdown runs nine minutes into the game, but a hit to the midsection on a carry later in the first quarter would turn out to be the final carry of the night for Orange County’s rushing leader. He exited the game to never return, on the sideline the remainder of the game, still in uniform and wearing a BC warm-up jacket while sitting on a trainer’s table.

The Warriors were holding a 19-0 lead at that point, soon to turn to 26-0 and later, to 33-6. Grace Brethren took advantage of Leonard’s absence, rode the legs of its own outstanding running back, senior Zikel Reddick, and went on a 40-8 scoring tear to end the game to come away with a improbable, 46-41 victory.

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The win sends the undefeated Lancers (13-0) on to the East Valley Division championship game and a Dec. 5 date with second-seeded Saddleback Valley Christian which held off Irvine Crean Lutheran, 20-14, in Friday’s other semifinal.

BC Coach Pat McInally said Leonard was to be checked for either cracked or bruised ribs.

“It was a shame for Jordan to go down, because he was having a great game,” McInally said of his star running back who had 2,518 yards (209.8 avg.) and 37 touchdowns entering the game. “We were playing really well but Grace Brethren] had a great comeback. They’re a great team.”

Leonard capped the game’s opening offensive series with a one-yard touchdown run for a 6-0 lead in a scoring drive that took less than three minutes to complete. BC middle linebacker Ronald Jones came up with a fumble recovery on Grace Brethren’s first possession at the BC 42. Two plays later, quarterback Joey Gutierrez faked a handoff to Leonard and cut to his right and scored on an outstanding run covering 45 yards for a 45 yards for a 12-0 lead.

BC’s Levon Lester, who took over for Leonard in the backfield, came up with another big play defensively with an interception at the BC 41. The Warriors also cashed in on this miscue when Leonard, on a draw, slipped past a defender near the line of scrimmage, cut to his left, side-stepped another defender at the Grace Brethren 30 and sped down the sideline to complete a 57-yard touchdown run.

The Warriors, tri-champions of the Academy League, had a 19-0 lead on the stunned Lancers with still 2:57 left in the quarter.

BC (11-2) didn’t let up, either. On the first play of the second quarter, Gutierrez found a streaking Josh Gorrell over the middle and the junior receiver caught Gutierrez’s pass in stride at the Grace Brethren 37 and sprinted to the end zone to complete a 54-yard scoring play. The lead ballooned to 26-0.

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Grace Brethren finally cracked the scoreboard on a one-yard scoring run by Reddick, but BC answered with an 11-yard burst up the middle to the end zone from Lester. The Warriors were in front, 33-6, with 6:13 left in the half.

“Levon [Lester] is a very good running back and I thought he did a nice job taking over for Jordan [Leonard],” McInally said. “He’s played a complimentary role to Jordan, but Jordan’s injury changed our game plan on a few fronts.”

Grace Brethren began its comeback at that point, scoring a pair of touchdowns before the half was over to pull within 33-20. Quarterback Nick Juels and receiver Noah Bean teamed up on the first of three huge touchdown pass plays, this one covering 22 yards, and a two-point run by Reddick brought the Lancers to within 33-14. Reddick later score on a two-yard run with 11 seconds left in the half to make it 33-20.

Grace Brethren took the second-half kickoff and marched downfield, scoring on a nine-yard run by receiver D’monique Zachery to draw within 33-27. Gutierrez hit Gorrell with a 19-yard scoring pass, and a two-point run by Lester, both coming with 11 seconds left in the third quarter. BC had scored 41 points on a defense that had given up 44 total points with eight shutouts to its credit in 12 games, and took a 41-27 lead into the final quarter.

The fourth quarter, however, belonged to Grace Brethren. Zachery scored on another nine-yard run around left end. Lancers linebacker Sisto Zele dropped Lester for no gain on a fourth-and-two play from the Grace Brethren 34-yard line, and the Lancers took over there with 7:58 remaining. On the next play, Juels hit Bean with a 66-yard scoring pass. The Lancers went for two but failed when Juels fumbled and recovered a snap from center, and still trailed, 41-40.

They held BC in three plays and got the ball back at their own 42 with 6:44 to go. They rode Reddick early in the drive but scored the go-ahead touchdown when Juels lofted a pass toward Bean who made a finger-tip catch on the run as he glided into the end zone. A two-point pass play failed but the Lancers were on top, 46-41, with 4:42 remaining.

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BC took over at its own 27 and with Gutierrez competing passes to Nate Sagastume and Gorrell, the Warriors had reached the Grace Brethren 22. On third down from there, Lancers linebacker Tyrese Gholar dropped Gutierrez for an eight-yard loss. Facing a fourth-and-14 from the 29, Gutierrez went back to pass, was chased and dragged down back at the 41 by linebacker Stanley Taufoou.

Gutierrez, who threw for 253 yards, was hurt on the play and was attended to for several minutes on the field. He was aided off the field and received medical attention on the BC sideline. McInally said after the game that the junior suffered a concussion.

Grace Brethren took over with 2:35 to play, reached the BC 16 behind three runs by Reddick, who powered his way for 265 yards, and ran out the final minute of the clock.

“[Grace Brethren] had some big plays and we just couldn’t tackle [Reddick],” McInally said. “It was tough to let our big lead slip away.

“But, it was a great season. We went one step further in the playoffs than last year, and two steps further than the year before. Maybe next year we can win the whole thing.”

Brethren Christian (11-2)

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62...Riverside Prep...0

56...Boron...19

49...Workman...7

42...Capo Valley Christian...33

52...Heritage Christian...32

45...Rio Hondo Prep...16

42...Dymally...14

31...*St. Margaret’s...34

49...*Sage Hill...7

51...*Crean Lutheran....36

51...^Sherman Indian...0

49...^Rancho Christian...26

41...^Grace Brethren...46

(*denotes league game; ^ denotes CIF game)

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