Jordan Reid rallies Simeon against Curie

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Jordan Reid had seen enough. “I knew I had to make a big play,” the 6-2 Simeon senior wide receiver said.

Reid and the rest of his team found themselves in peculiar territory early in the second quarter in their showdown with undefeated Curie.

Playing from behind.

The Wolverines entered the game riding a 30-game conference winning streak stretching to the 2008 season. In a tumultuous and dramatic start featuring two turnovers, one tie and a lead change, Curie jumped out to an impressive 14-7 lead behind the sparkling play of quarterback Mike Goldsmith.

Reid changed the complexion of the game with a athletic catch and run he turned into a 64-yard touchdown that ignited Simeon’s run of 33 unanswered points in the No. 21 Wolverines’ 40-21 victory Friday at Rockne.

Reid caught six passes for 180 yards and effectively put the game with a 76-yard bomb from reserve quarterback Dakota Turner Jr. at the start of the fourth quarter. He has now scored two touchdowns in each of the Wolverines’ two conference games.

On third down and 12, Reid lined up on the right flank and darted across the middle for an 18-yard catch from Simeon quarterback Timon Watkins and punctuated the sequence with a juke step and excellent downfield block to reach the left sideline for the early tying touchdown. “I made a good move, and after that it was a lot of sideline,” he said.

Simeon (4-1, 2-0 Redbird) never trailed again.

On the ensuing Curie possession, Goldsmith was flushed out of the pocket by Simeon standout defensive lineman Malik Allen (four tackles for loss) and forced into a tough sideline pass that Simeon senior quarterback Jair Myrick intercepted and rode a convoy of blockers for the 36-yard touchdown return for the 21-14 Simeon lead.

“We changed from man to [zone] cover 2, and I just did my responsibility and I made the play,” Myrick said. “We came out kind of flat today and that was a big momentum change for us.”

Goldsmith connected on his first four passes for 113 yards, using his athleticism to avoid the Simeon rush and find his receivers in space. His four-yard touchdown burst gave the Condors (4-1, 1-1) their only lead.

Curie turned the ball over once in its first four games. By contrast, Simeon forced four turnovers and a 23-yard loss on an errant snap on fourth down that set up a 26-yard touchdown run by Dion Earls Jr. that put the Wolverines up 27-14 at the break.

“The turnovers were the difference,” Curie coach James McDonagh said. “Simeon capitalizes on turnovers. They wait for a team to make a mistake and then they capitalize.

“They’re explosive.”

Junior Simeon linebacker Maurice Fairfield registered an interception and fumble recovery for the Wolverines. Watkins (8-for-13, 148 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions) threw a 33-yard touchdown strike to Matt Fleming on the Wolverines’ first play from scrimmage.

Turner Jr. finished a perfect 3-for-3 and 123 yards. Reserve running back Qwentn M. Bolton added an 18-yard touchdown run.

Curie’s all-purpose back Matthew Cole had touchdown runs of four and nine yards for the Condors.

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