Rosier answers call after Runkle injury

By Ramon Scott
Updated: September 6, 2026

Christian senior Kai Rosier answered the call at quarterback on Friday.

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2026 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL

CHRISTIAN 17, BISHOP’S 3

Versatile senior Rosier leads two TD drives as Patriots overcome loss of star QB to defeat Bishop’s, 17-3

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON — Christian won its home opener Friday night. The Patriots also may have lost the player around whom their championship aspirations were built.

Senior quarterback Kaleb Runkle suffered a lower-leg injury on Christian’s third offensive snap, forcing the Patriots to abandon their established offense almost before the game had begun.

With no experienced backup quarterback ready to enter, senior receiver Kai Rosier accepted an assignment he had never practiced.

He took the snaps, handed the ball to sophomore Julian Morones, completed five passes and scored both Christian touchdowns as the No. 19 Patriots defeated Bishop’s, 17-3, at Granite Hills High.

“I had never practiced at quarterback,” Rosier said. “I kind of just got thrown in there. My line blocked perfectly, and Julian really stepped up and made the plays we needed to make.”

Christian improved to 2-0 and defeated Bishop’s for the first time since 2023. The Knights fell to 1-2 after playing without several players because of illness.

The result, however, became secondary to Runkle’s condition.

Runkle became tangled up while scrambling across midfield during Christian’s opening series. He walked from the field under his own power but with a pronounced limp and later went to the hospital for evaluation.

Initial reports described the injury as a lower-leg issue. A team correspondent was told that the initial concern was a broken fibula, which would likely sideline Runkle for an extended period.

Runkle’s early departure represented an enormous change for an offense that produced 477 yards in its season-opening 41-20 victory over Valley Center.

He had completed 11 of 13 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns in that game. Against Bishop’s, Runkle completed both of his attempts for seven yards before leaving.

Christian did not attempt to replace him with a conventional quarterback.

Instead, the Patriots placed the ball in Rosier’s hands and asked one of the county’s most dangerous all-around athletes to manage the offense. The senior normally creates explosive plays as a receiver, but Friday’s emergency required him to operate primarily from the wildcat formation.

Rosier completed 5 of 8 passes for 48 yards. His throwing motion and Christian’s limited downfield passing game reflected his lack of preparation at the position, but he avoided an interception and did enough to keep Bishop’s from committing every defender to the run.

His most important contributions came near the goal line.

Rosier scored on a 1-yard run to break a scoreless tie and send Christian into halftime with a 7-0 lead.

“The play was just, ‘Give me the ball and let me work off the offensive line,’” Rosier said. “That’s what we did.”

The Patriots leaned heavily upon Morones between Rosier’s scoring runs. The sophomore carried 20 times for 107 yards, averaged 5.4 yards per attempt and broke a 28-yard run.

Morones has rushed for at least 100 yards in each of Christian’s first two games. He opened the season with 112 yards and three touchdowns against Valley Center and now has 240 yards from scrimmage with five scores through two games.

“It’s great having him next to me because I know I have a great player beside me,” Rosier said. “He can make plays whenever we need one. I can just look to him, and he’s got me.”

Bishop’s received its best scoring opportunity during the third quarter when a Christian backward pass hit the ground and was recovered by Zed Hornsby in Patriots territory.

The Christian defense refused to surrender the lead.

Bishop’s managed only a 20-yard field goal by Max Nguyen, trimming the deficit to 7-3. That represented the Knights’ only scoring of the night.

Christian restored its seven-point advantage with a 25-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.

Rosier then secured the victory with his second short touchdown run with approximately three minutes remaining. The extra point produced the final 17-3 margin.

Rosier finished with only nine net rushing yards on 10 attempts, with Bishop’s repeatedly crowding the line of scrimmage, but his two scoring runs accounted for all of Christian’s touchdowns.

Christian finished with 201 yards—145 rushing and 56 passing—after producing 477 yards one week earlier. The Patriots’ production declined sharply following Runkle’s injury, yet they protected the football well enough and relied on their defense to win a dramatically different type of game.

“We definitely have momentum right now, but we still have a lot of stuff to work on,” Rosier said. “In practice, we just have to stay disciplined and do our jobs.”

The Patriots limited Bishop’s to three points after the Knights had scored 45 in their victory over Coronado. Bishop’s defenders Reid Dielman recorded 11 tackles, while twins Isaiah Garcia and Jonah Garcia made eight apiece.

Christian has now allowed 23 points through two games and has surrendered only nine points over its past five quarters.

The victory also reversed a recent turn in the longtime series.

Christian defeated Bishop’s in 2022 and 2023, but the Knights answered with victories in each of the past two seasons. Friday’s result gave the Patriots their 14th victory in 23 meetings dating to 1993.

The Patriots reclaimed the rivalry and remained undefeated. How they replace Runkle will determine whether Friday represents merely a difficult night they survived—or the moment that transforms their entire season.

Christian faces an quarterback decision

Christian has a long tradition of productive quarterbacks, but the Patriots may not have a developed passer ready to replace Kaleb Runkle immediately.

That leaves fifth-year head coach Patrick Bugg and his staff with a consequential decision.

The Patriots can continue using Kai Rosier in a wildcat-centered offense, taking advantage of his vision, speed and ability to improvise. They also could begin developing a younger quarterback while returning Rosier to his customary role as one of the county’s most explosive downfield playmakers.

The comparison to Christian assistant Jesse Mathews is difficult to overlook. Like Mathews, who became a standout receiver at San Diego State, Rosier possesses the size, athleticism and playmaking instincts to influence a game from several positions.

But making Rosier the full-time quarterback carries a substantial cost.

He entered the season as one of the county’s most explosive downfield receivers. Moving him behind center would remove Christian’s leading vertical threat from the passing game at the same time the Patriots are attempting to replace their leading passer.

Rosier also acknowledged that he had never practiced at quarterback before being pressed into service Friday.

Christian could install a younger quarterback and leave Rosier at receiver, allowing the senior to remain the offense’s premier playmaker. That option depends upon whether one of the Patriots’ developing passers can become ready quickly enough to operate the offense.

A combination may be the immediate answer: a young quarterback handling portions of the passing offense, with Rosier taking selected snaps in wildcat and goal-line packages.

Against Bishop’s, necessity made the decision for Christian. Beginning this week, the Patriots must determine which alignment gives them the best opportunity to remain a championship contender.

LOOKAHEAD: Christian at Olympian

Christian travels to face Olympian on Friday at 6:30 p.m. in Chula Vista.

Under normal circumstances, the matchup would appear favorable for the Patriots. Christian is 2-0 and has outscored Valley Center and Bishop’s by a combined 58-23. Olympian is 1-2 after suffering a 44-7 loss to Mission Bay.

Mission Bay quarterback Austin Stefl threw five touchdown passes and rushed for another against the Eagles. Sean Lander and Nestor Bautista caught two scoring passes apiece.

Olympian has allowed 102 points through three games, an average of 34 per contest. Christian entered the week averaging 339 yards, while the Eagles have averaged 222.3.

The uncertainty at quarterback should tighten the matchup considerably.

Olympian can now prepare specifically for the offense Christian used after Runkle’s injury. The Eagles can crowd the line against Morones, account for Rosier on every snap and force an inexperienced passer—or Rosier himself—to complete throws downfield.

Morones should remain the foundation of the Patriots’ attack after consecutive 100-yard games. The larger question is whether Christian can restore enough of its passing threat to prevent Olympian from defending the offense the same way Bishop’s did.

The Patriots should possess enough talent and defensive strength to survive the remainder of their nonleague schedule. Their larger concern is the eventual league race and postseason, when stronger opponents will be equipped to punish a one-dimensional offense.

Christian escaped the first night without Runkle.

The work of retooling its offense now begins.