Modesto Christian loses wild one to McNair

STOCKTON – Through three quarters on Friday night, the Modesto Christian football team put up 55 points but knew it would need more against high-flying McNair.

In the end, the Crusaders ran out of steam.

Running back Chris Brown had three touchdown runs and quarterback Bransen Reynolds threw for three more, but talented McNair pitched a 12-0 shutout over the final 12 minutes for a 62-55 victory.

McNair quarterback Osai Brown, who entered the game with 17 touchdown passes, threw for three TDs and ran for three more to keep MC winless on the season.

Coming into the game, the Crusaders (0-3) knew the Eagles would be a tough opponent. McNair put up 74 points against Calaveras – a team the Crusaders lost to the previous week – and fell to Downey 61-50.

But MC nearly pulled of what many would call an upset.

The Crusaders went head-to-head with the team from Stockton for three quarters.

MC opened the scoring on a Brown 5-yard TD run. McNair matched it with a Brown touchdown run of its own.

MC scored on its next possession and McNair did the same. Both teams traded scores through the end of the half, and the Eagles took a 42-41 lead into intermission.

Following a Crusaders red zone interception of Brown, MC junior fullback Paul Puuauli scored on a 77-yard touchdown run to give the Crusaders a 55-50 lead with about a minute left in the third quarter.

But McNair’s Austin Sith scored on a 13-yard touchdown run a few minutes later, and after an MC punt, Brown closed out the scoring with a 2-yard TD run with about five minutes left.

The Crusaders play at 2-1 Vanden on Friday.

This story was originally published September 19, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Modesto Christian loses wild one to McNair."