DIVISION 4
CHRISTIAN 37, BRAWLEY 16
East County Sports
EL CAJON – The Christian High Patriots endured one of the most unforgiving regular-season slates the team has faced in several years. Competing in the rugged Eastern League — home to the likes of St. Augustine, Point Loma, and San Diego High — left the Patriots with a misleading 3-7 record heading into the postseason.
But those challenges clearly hardened Christian for playoff football. On Friday night at Valley Stadium, the Patriots delivered their most complete performance of the season, dispatching the visiting Brawley Wildcats, 37-16, in a Division III first-round contest.
It was another great game for junior quarterback Kaleb Runkle, who completed 12-of-16 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 31 yards and a score. His 130.2 passer rating marked a season high, and it showed in how efficiently the Patriots’ offense operated from start to finish.
Christian (4-7) opened fast, building a 20-0 halftime lead behind a sharp passing attack and a defense that bottled up Brawley’s traditionally powerful run game early.
Runkle connected with senior Ronnie Scott on a leaping 5-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter to make it 13-0, then capped another drive with a short scoring toss to standout junior Kai Rosier, who finished with three receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown.
Rosier also produced one of the game’s pivotal plays in the second half, turning a short pass into a long gain down to the 2-yard line to set up freshman running back Julian Morones’ 1-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. The score gave the Patriots a commanding 30-13 lead and all but sealed the win.
Morones emerged as a major factor in the second half, controlling the ground game and finishing with 57 yards rushing and 49 receiving on four catches. His balance helped Christian maintain long drives and keep Brawley’s defense on the field.
Senior Hank Houston added a short rushing touchdown, while junior Soren Lucey provided a big spark with a 60-yard reception.
Defensively, the Patriots limited Brawley to just 72 passing yards and made key stops when it mattered.
Sophomore Drew Gaut recorded an interception and senior Jacob Zacharzuk contributed a fumble recovery, while the front seven — led by seniors Zacharzuk, H. McFarlane, and B. Schroeder — consistently controlled the line of scrimmage.
Brawley (2-9), which struggled through a difficult season of its own, still showed flashes of its trademark physical play.
Sophomore Rick Rubio was a bright spot, rushing for 114 yards on 13 carries, while senior Aiden Arriquive added 70 yards and two touchdowns. But the Wildcats’ lack of balance through the air — just 345 total passing yards for the season entering the game — made it difficult to keep pace once Christian built an early cushion.
The Patriots led 23-13 after three quarters and outscored the Wildcats 14-3 in the fourth to secure their first playoff win since moving into Division III. The 37 points marked Christian’s highest output since Week 3.
The victory also snapped a three-game home losing streak for Christian and gave head coach Danny Mitchell’s squad a chance to continue its late-season momentum.
Next up, the Patriots advance to face No. 3-seeded Ramona (9-1) in the Division III quarterfinals on Friday night at Ramona High.
For Brawley, the loss ends its season at 2-9 and extends its road losing streak to seven games dating back to last year.
For Christian, though, the reward is clear — after a regular season spent fighting uphill battles against upper-division competition, the Patriots appear to be finding their stride at the right time.
Christian improves to 4-7 and will travel to face Ramona in the CIF Division III quarterfinals next Friday at 7 p.m.
Christian 37, Brawley 16
Division III First Round – at Valley Stadium (Granite Hills HS)
Brawley – 0 – 0 – 13 – 3 – 16
Christian – 7 – 13 – 3 – 14 – 37
CHS Leaders:
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Passing: Runkle 12-16, 210 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
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Rushing: Morones 6-57, Runkle 9-31-1, Houston 5-14-1
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Receiving: Rosier 3-58-1, Morones 4-49, Lucey 1-60, Scott 2-24-1
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Defense: Gaut INT, Zacharzuk FR, McFarlane & Zacharzuk combined 2.5 TFL
BHS Leaders:
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Rushing: Rubio 13-114, Arriquive 14-70-2
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Passing: Rubio 5-9-72, 1 INT
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Receiving: Lofton 1-30, Valdez 1-35
