Patriots deliver perfect Homecoming

By Ramon Scott
Updated: September 21, 2026

Gavin Runkle (14) with brother, Kaleb Runkle on Friday night. / Bella Merritt

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL

Morones, Rosier give Patriots a Homecoming to remember

No. 17 CHRISTIAN 44, CALEXICO 0

By Ramon Scott
EastCountySports.com

EL CAJON — Five broken tackles on one touchdown run offered a pretty good explanation for why Christian’s Homecoming became a celebration long before the second half.

Julian Morones kept finding a way through Calexico. Kai Rosier kept finding ways over it. And the Patriots’ defense gave the Bulldogs nowhere to go.

Morones rushed for 119 yards and three touchdowns on eight carries, Rosier threw for 235 yards and three scores, and Christian remained unbeaten with a 44-0 victory Friday at El Cajon Valley High’s Priest Field.

The Patriots improved to 4-0, building a 38-point lead before halftime and giving numerous junior varsity players second-half opportunities. Calexico fell to 2-3.

Christian shifted its Homecoming game from its usual home venue at Granite Hills because the Eagles were hosting Los Alamitos. The change of scenery did little to interrupt a team finding more offensive answers while its defense continues to set the standard.

Rosier, the senior playmaker who took over at quarterback following Kaleb Runkle’s lower-leg injury against Bishop’s, completed 7 of 9 passes and added a rushing touchdown. His four touchdowns accounted for more than half of Christian’s seven trips to the end zone.

Morones supplied the other three, scoring on runs of 18, 2 and 55 yards during a stretch that turned an early advantage into a runaway.

The 55-yarder was the signature play. Morones broke at least five tackles refusing to let Calexico end a run that carried him all the way to the end zone.

It was the most emphatic contribution in a remarkably efficient night for the sophomore. He averaged 14.9 yards per carry, reaching the end zone on three of his eight attempts.

Rosier started the scoring with a 20-yard touchdown run. Although the extra point was blocked, Christian soon struck again when Rosier connected with Connor Nguyen on a 63-yard touchdown pass for a 12-0 lead.

Morones then delivered his three consecutive rushing scores. His two-yard touchdown helped put Christian ahead 25-0 with nine minutes remaining in the first half, and the tackle-breaking 55-yarder extended the margin to 31-0.

With 2:45 remaining before halftime, Rosier found Soren Lucey for a 26-yard touchdown, helping make it 38-0.

Lucey finished with two catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns, accounting for the Patriots’ remaining score as well.

Nguyen caught three passes for 105 yards, giving Christian a 100-yard receiver to accompany Morones’ 100-yard rushing performance. Quentin Uhland added a 29-yard reception.

Christian’s posted offensive totals credited the Patriots with 375 yards, including 140 on the ground. Rosier contributed 21 rushing yards on two carries.

The defense made sure none of that production came with the pressure of having to answer Calexico.

The Bulldogs’ posted totals showed just 89 yards of offense — 56 rushing and 33 passing. Quarterback Ivan Hurtado completed seven of 14 attempts, but Calexico never found the end zone.

Xander Molina led Christian’s listed tacklers with five, and Gavin Runkle added four. The shutout was the Patriots’ first of the season and continued a stretch in which they have allowed nine points over three games.

For coach Patrick Bugg’s team, the night provided production from the players carrying the revised offense, a clean scoreboard for the defense and playing time for younger Patriots. Christian heads to Monte Vista on Friday with its unbeaten start intact.

Rosier gives Christian another way to win

Christian’s response to losing its starting quarterback has become one of the defining developments of its September.

Rosier’s mobility offered an immediate solution when Kaleb Runkle went down. Against Calexico, his passing gave the Patriots much more than a way to keep the offense moving.

Seven completions produced 235 yards and three touchdowns. Nguyen supplied the long early strike, Lucey finished with two scoring catches, and Uhland contributed another substantial gain.

That distribution matters as Christian prepares for opponents better equipped to challenge its running game. A defense concentrating on Rosier’s keepers and Morones between the tackles still has to account for receivers capable of turning a completion into a major gain.

Rosier does not have to reproduce the offense Christian envisioned with Runkle to keep the Patriots dangerous. Friday showed how productive this version can be when the passing game complements its ground threats.

A shutout shared across the roster

The offensive highlights made Christian’s margin grow quickly. The defensive work ensured Calexico never had a chance to make the game competitive.

The Patriots held the Bulldogs below 100 total yards and limited their rushing production to 3.3 yards per attempt.

Molina and Gavin Runkle topped the tackle list. Gael Lopez, Shuuluk Benegas and Joshua Taylor each recorded three tackles, while Mason Turvey, Caleb Brierley, Drew Gaut and Jaden Jones were credited with two apiece.

The substantial second-half participation by junior varsity players gave the shutout a broader significance. Christian was able to extend playing opportunities while protecting the zero on the scoreboard.

Through four games, the Patriots have allowed 29 points — an average of 7.3 per game. Their offense has adapted to a quarterback change; their defense has continued providing a dependable foundation.

Homecoming queen Jazmyn Bugg as queen and king Ryker Leeman

Homecoming royalty, football on both sides

Christian crowned a pair of football players at Homecoming, honoring Jazmyn Bugg as queen and Ryker Leeman as king. Bugg stars in flag football, while Leeman is a senior lineman for the unbeaten Patriots. With Christian celebrating a 44-0 victory over Calexico, the football programs had plenty to celebrate beyond the scoreboard.

A football-playing Homecoming queen once might have meant a girl handling kicking duties on the tackle team. The growth of girls flag football gives that tradition a new dimension, with Bugg earning her own football identity. She also comes from an accomplished athletic family: her sister, Jordyn Bugg, plays professional soccer for Seattle Reign FC in the NWSL.

LOOKAHEAD: Patriots visit rested Monarchs

CHRISTIAN (4-0) at MONTE VISTA (2-2)
Friday, Sept. 25, 7 p.m., at Monte Vista High

Christian’s next assignment brings a different challenge: a road game against a rested local opponent with reason to view the final nonleague week as a fresh start.

Monte Vista comes off a bye after consecutive losses erased a promising 2-0 opening. The Monarchs defeated Crawford, 31-23, and Montgomery, 29-14, before losing to Morse, 47-0, and Rancho Buena Vista, 34-8.

Those last two results have pushed Monte Vista toward the lower end of the current Grossmont Valley League pecking order, arguably ahead of only one league rival at this stage. That is an assessment of its early form, however; the Monarchs have yet to play a league game.

Nor should September’s difficulties erase the character of a program that often becomes more formidable as its interior line develops and its running game gains consistency.

The bye gave Monte Vista additional preparation time before facing Christian and opening league play at Valhalla on Oct. 2. The Monarchs need to turn that time into longer possessions and fewer opportunities for an opposing offense to take control.

There were flashes even in the Rancho Buena Vista loss. Daesean Jenkins broke a 61-yard run in the first quarter, although Monte Vista could not capitalize. The Monarchs later made two fourth-down stops and eventually scored on a late touchdown by Branden Silie.

For Christian, the priority will be preventing those isolated Monte Vista gains from becoming sustained drives. Winning early downs would force the Monarchs away from the patient rushing approach that gives them their best chance to control the game.

On offense, the Patriots bring several ways to attack. Morones can challenge the interior, Rosier can threaten with his legs, and the production from Nguyen and Lucey gives Monte Vista more to defend beyond the line of scrimmage.

Christian should enter as the clear favorite, but Monte Vista’s home field, extra preparation and potential for improvement up front make this an assignment requiring attention. The Patriots’ opportunity is to carry Friday’s offensive efficiency and defensive discipline into a fifth consecutive victory.