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Reaves Back In A Big Way

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By JOEY JOHNSTON, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 27, 2007

For the longest time, Southern Miss senior quarterback Stephen Reaves wondered if he would play in a meaningful game again.

There was a transfer from Michigan State. Injuries were haunting (including two knee surgeries), even when he sat out a season while changing schools. He never regained his rhythm. So there he was, his college career in its final countdown, waiting and still hoping.

'I could see where people might have thought it didn't look so good,' said Reaves, the former Plant High standout. 'But in the back of my mind, I knew that somehow, some way, if I kept working, something was going to happen.'

Something has happened.

In a big way.

Reaves, a left-handed pocket passer, has gone from nearly invisible to omnipresent. After stepping into the lineup when Jeremy Young suffered a high ankle sprain on Sept. 27 - and weathering a few initial bumps - Reaves has led the Golden Eagles (4-3, 3-1 Conference USA) to consecutive victories.

In a 33-24 road victory against Marshall, Reaves completed 23 of 30 passes for 310 yards (his highest total since Plant), including an 85-yard touchdown, the longest in Southern Miss history. His big night came in an ESPN standalone game, the perfect time for a showcase performance.

Sunday night, Reaves gets another opportunity when the Golden Eagles host UCF (4-3, 2-1) on ESPN. Young, best known for his mobility, still has physical limitations and isn't quite ready. But why change now? Reaves has the hot hand.

'Stephen has been through a lot here, and he has really played terrific for us the last few weeks,' Southern Miss offensive coordinator Jay Johnson said. 'He has made a bunch of plays. I'm proud of how he hung in there.'

In his past nine quarters, Reaves has completed 55 of 70 passes for 688 yards and three touchdowns (with just one interception). He also has thrown for a 2-point conversion and run for a TD. His 310-yard effort was the first time a Southern Miss quarterback has surpassed 300 yards since Oct. 1, 2005 (Dustin Almond, 324 against East Carolina).

'Ever since I came to Southern Miss, my opportunities were somewhat limited,' Reaves said. 'I knew when I got a shot, I was going to have to take advantage of it.'

ODDS AND ENDS: Stanford senior Evan Brown (Berkeley Prep) won the Pacific Coast Conference Women's Single-Handed Sailing Championship with a perfect score of eight points. Brown will compete for a national championship in the event next weekend in Seattle. She finished fifth in nationals last season. ... Dunedin's Bryce Breslin, a member of an Okeechobee-based bass fishing club, recently won a state tournament that allows him to represent Florida in the Junior World Bassmaster Classic in February at Greenville, S.C. Breslin, 17, is active in Big 'O' Teen Anglers Incorporated, sponsored by Coverall Cleaning Concepts. Breslin won the 15-to-18-year-old division with five bass that cumulatively weighed 13.91 pounds. ... Shelley Lyle (The Cambridge School), a senior defender for Florida's women's soccer team, was named to the TopDrawer Soccer National Team of the Week. Lyle, who has started every match this season, has been part of a back line that helped the Gators to four shutouts in the past five matches.

Reporter Joey Johnston can be reached at (813) 259-7353 or jjohnston@tampatrib.com.

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