Houston, Patriots problem for Defenders

2025 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL

2025 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL 5-AA CHAMPIONSHIP

CHRISTIAN 27, CERRITOS VALLEY CHRISTIAN 13

Houston’s Historic Defensive Masterclass Sends Patriots to First-Ever State Division Championship Game

CERRITOS — After a 2-7 start to the season, the Christian Patriots’ most unlikely road to a state bowl berth somehow found room for one more twist on Friday.

After a four-hour stop-and-crawl nightmare on Interstate 5 — the Christian High team bus trapped in gridlock caused by a jumper on an overpass that paralyzed North County traffic on an already crowded Friday night — the Patriots arrived in Cerritos with barely enough time to warm up as the start of the game was pushed back 15 minutes.

Turns out, they didn’t need one.

Because on Friday night, under the lights at Valley Christian, senior Hank Houston delivered what may stand as the greatest single-game defensive performance in program history, spearheading a relentless Christian defense that battered the CIF-SS Division 9 champions, sacked QB Liam Sweeney repeatedly, came away with three interceptions, and powered the Patriots to a 27–13 victory and the school’s first-ever SoCal Regional championship.

With the win, Christian (8–7) advances to the CIF State Division 5-AA Championship next week against Oakland Bishop O’Dowd, which defeated Chico, 23–20, in the NorCal final.

But the story of this night — even beyond the surreal four-hour delay — was Houston, who was a big problem for the Defenders.

A Delayed Arrival, A Fast Start

The Patriots opened the game as if the freeway chaos had never happened.

On their first possession, junior RB Julian Morones made the first big statement of the night, exploding for a 52-yard rushing touchdown with 8:58 left in the first quarter to put Christian ahead 7–0.

The defense immediately followed suit: after a strong return gave Valley Christian (11–4) the ball at the CHS 40, the Defenders fumbled, and Soren Lucy pounced on it for the Patriots’ first takeaway of the evening.

Christian moved again behind back-to-back physical runs from Jacob Kirchhoefer, and although the drive stalled after WR Ronnie Scott was shaken up on a deep goal-line pass attempt, the tone was already set: the Pats were the aggressor.

Defenders Strike Back

The Defenders answered early in the second quarter behind star playmaker Oliver Boateng, who caught a slant from Sweeney for his 15th touchdown of the season, tying the game at 7–7 with 11:53 left in the half.

But the tie would be short-lived.

Runkle, Rosier Regain Control

QB Kaleb Runkle, poised and in full command throughout, hit his rhythm on the next CHS series. Behind multiple chunk runs from Kirchhoff and a key timeout to reset the offense, Runkle found Kai Rosier on a crisp 23-yard strike to retake the lead, 14–7, at 7:04 of the second quarter.

It was Rosier’s team-leading eighth touchdown of the season — and a preview of what he would still deliver late.

Houston Erupts — And Doesn’t Stop

Moments later came the play that began Houston’s all-timer of a night.

Sweeney’s next pass was read perfectly by Houston, who jumped the route and raced 35 yards for a pick-six. The PAT missed, but Christian had fully seized momentum at 20–7 with 4:00 left before halftime.

Houston’s impact would only grow from there.

Special Teams Spark: Benson Punts a Gem

After Christian’s offense stalled late in the half, senior kicker Benson delivered a crucial hidden-yardage moment, lofting a 40-yard punt that died beautifully at the Valley Christian 1-yard line, where Everick Randle downed it.
The Defenders limped to halftime, unable to flip field position, down 20–7.

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SECOND HALF — FULL CONTROL THROUGH DEFENSE

Houston Again — A Brutal Hit and Another Takeaway

Valley Christian opened with a three-and-out, but on its next possession the tone of the half changed permanently.

A massive hit by Houston on Sweeney jarred a ball loose in the air, and Houston — everywhere all night — came down with Christian’s second interception of the half, giving the Pats the ball at the VC 30.

Runkle then dropped a perfect high ball on 3rd-and-15 to Houston, who out-leaped his defender for a spectacular catch inside the 10. Though Christian missed the resulting short field goal, Houston’s imprint had become overwhelming.

Torgerson, Kirchhoefer, Randle Join the Onslaught

Valley Christian’s next series ended with Chase Torgerson flattening Sweeney for another sack, continuing the punishment applied all night by the CHS front seven.
Randle, Kirchhoefer, and lineman Jacob Zacharzuk also contributed key pressures and finishes throughout the second half.

Rosier Delivers the Dagger

Early in the fourth quarter, with the Pats stuck on 3rd-and-10 at the VC 43, Runkle dialed up another deep shot — this time to Rosier, who executed an out-and-up and blew past the defender.

Runkle dropped the ball in stride for a 43-yard touchdown, Rosier’s ninth of the season, pushing the lead to 27–7 with 10:12 remaining.

Houston Nearly Does It Again

A few minutes later, Houston read another Sweeney throw perfectly and jumped it for his third interception of the game, weaving his way 90 yards for another apparent touchdown — only to see it wiped out by a penalty during the return.

Christian retained possession but lost the points. The takeaway still counted, though, sealing a defensive effort for the ages.

Valley Christian’s Final Push

The Defenders finally broke through late, as Sweeney hit Dylan Teays for a 29-yard score with 5:06 left, trimming the deficit to 27–13.

The ensuing short kickoff was mishandled by the Patriots and recovered by VC at the CHS 27, offering a potential lifeline. But Christian’s defense responded immediately with consecutive sacks — one by Houston and another by Kirchhoefer — forcing a 4th-and-29 and another turnover on downs.

Final Defensive Stand

In the closing minute, Sweeney, injured multiple times throughout the second half, returned and hit Boateng for a 36-yard completion, but a sack by Zacharzuk and the return of CHS’s all-out pressure forced Valley Christian to insert its backup until the final play.

On 4th down from the CHS 10 with 21 seconds left, Sweeney re-entered — and was sacked again, this time by Hayden Jeremiah, the exclamation point on Christian’s most physical defensive showing of the season.

The Patriots bled out the final seconds and celebrated a historic regional championship — born from chaos, earned through toughness, and driven by a senior defender who submitted one of the unforgettable nights in program lore.

“First ever to do it,” Houston said of the Patriots’ first-ever appearance in a state divisional title clash next week.

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HANK HOUSTON: A NIGHT FOR THE RECORD BOOKS

Houston’s performance may rank as the greatest defensive performance in Christian High football history, especially given the stakes and opponent.

• Three interceptions

• One pick-six (35 yards)

• A second 90-yard INT return wiped out by penalty

• Multiple sacks

• Multiple tackles for loss

• Multiple pressure hits on the quarterback

• On offense, a crucial leaping reception of a long bomb at the 6-yard line, outjumping his one-on-one defender

The impact of the 6-foot, 210-pound star changed field position, momentum, body language, and ultimately the outcome.

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PATRIOTS OVERCOME FOUR-HOUR TRAVEL DELAY

The team bus spent four hours stuck in freeway gridlock due to a suicide-attempt incident that shut down I-5 in North County. The Patriots arrived in Cerritos with only a sliver of warm-up time but responded with their sharpest first half of the postseason.

The resilience that defined their five-game late-season surge reappeared yet again.

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BATTLE OF TOP RECEIVERS — ROSIER WINS THE NIGHT

Entering the game, Valley Christian’s Oliver Boateng (1,053 yards) and Christian’s Kai Rosier (1,046 yards) were statistical mirrors.

Rosier controlled the matchup:

• 23-yard TD in the second quarter

• Crucial third-down conversions

• The 43-yard dagger TD in the fourth

Boateng had a long late catch but was otherwise contained by CHS.

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CHRISTIAN’S DEFENSIVE LINE DOMINATES

The CHS front seven was overwhelming:

• Torgerson with a sack and multiple stops

• Kirchhoefer with a series-changing sack late

• Zacharzuk with a huge late-game sack

• Randle with special teams and defensive contributions

The group consistently collapsed the pocket, stripped Sweeney of time, and disrupted VC’s rhythm.

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SPECIAL TEAMS TURNING POINT

Benson’s awesome punt — a towering 40-yarder downed at the 1-yard line by Randle — was arguably the special teams play of the game. It pinned the Defenders deep late in the half and helped Christian preserve momentum heading to the locker room.

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RONNIE SCOTT RETURNS

After leaving the first half shaken up on a deep end-zone attempt, WR/RB Ronnie Scott returned and played the rest of the way. His presence helped occupy coverage and open space for Rosier and Houston’s offensive touches.

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LOOK-AHEAD: CIF STATE DIVISION 5-AA CHAMPIONSHIP

CHRISTIAN (8–7) vs. BISHOP O’DOWD (10–4)

Location/Time: TBD by CIF

Bishop O’Dowd captured the NorCal 5-AA title with a dramatic 23–20 road win over Chico, marking the Dragons’ second regional championship in this division (they also won in 2016).

Christian enters the state final having won six straight, riding:

• A surging offense built around Runkle, Rosier, Scott, Morones, and Houston

• A defense that just produced its most dominant outing of the season

• Momentum from the program’s first SoCal Regional title

The Dragons will present a dual-threat quarterback tandem, and the matchup will likely hinge on whether Christian’s pass rush — led by Houston, Torgerson, Kirchhoefer, and company — can replicate the pressure that dismantled Valley Christian.

Both programs live on resilience. Both just survived emotional regional battles. And both now stand one win from a CIF state championship.

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