East County Sports

Patriots trip to Seattle ends in loss

Christian High on the road Friday night in Shoreline, Wash.

2025 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL

KING’S 35, CHRISTIAN 28

EastCountySports.com

 

SHORELINE, Wash. – Christian High made its longest road trip in program history on Friday night, traveling to the Seattle area for King’s season-opener.

The Patriots, looking to bounce back from a tough 21-7 loss to rival Bishop’s a week earlier, showed plenty of offensive firepower behind five touchdown passes from Kaleb Runkle but ultimately came up short in a 42-35 setback.

The Patriots (1-2) faced not only a well-regarded King’s squad but also the challenge of long-distance travel. King’s entered the contest ranked among the Top 100 teams in Washington.

Early on, the Patriots proved they were ready to trade blows.

After King’s tied the game 7-7 in the first quarter, quarterback Kaleb Runkle found junior Kai Rosier on a 45-yard touchdown strike, giving Christian a 13-7 lead.

Senior wideout Hank Houston then emerged as the Patriots’ go-to playmaker, scoring on an 11-yard reception in the second quarter and later hauling in a 74-yard touchdown bomb.

Houston finished with eight receptions for 126 yards and three receiving scores, while also adding two short rushing touchdowns. He capped his all-around effort with a team-high 11 tackles on defense.

Runkle was efficient and accurate throughout the night, completing 25 of 31 passes for 324 yards and five touchdowns.

Senior Jadon Wilkins added a 37-yard touchdown grab, while Rosier totaled six catches for 102 yards and a score.

Freshman Julian Morones contributed five receptions for 35 yards.

Despite the offensive fireworks, Christian couldn’t contain the Knights.

King’s closed the first half with a 10-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 21-20 at intermission, then took control in the third quarter on a 25-yard touchdown pass and two-point conversion.

The Knights added two more scores in the fourth quarter to stay in front, holding off the Patriots’ late pushes.

Defensively, junior Everick Randall collected nine tackles, and senior J. Kirchhoefer recorded a sack.

Christian will have a bye next week before meeting longtime rival Santa Fe Christian in two weeks, renewing one of the San Diego Section’s most enduring series. The teams hadn’t been able to schedule the game until just before the season began.

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