Behind new QB, Army-Navy ready to show rival it can play

CARLSBAD — Asked to name his offensive linemen from left to right, Army-Navy Academy quarterback Judah Bogard easily passed the test.

While Bogard didn’t know the spellings and sometimes used nicknames, he easily rattled off all his protectors — Porter Lynch, Lucas Pilcher, Lincoln Brunson, Kymani Tuitasi and Zach De Los Santos.

“I’m very grateful to have those guys in front of me,” Bogard said. “I promised to take them to In-N-Out. Those guys can eat. It might cost me, but it will be worth it.”

Army-Navy is a military boarding school for grades 7 through 12. About half of the students live on campus.

“The team was in need of a quarterback, and the Lord sent us Judah,” Lincoln Brunson said. “Now it’s our job to keep him standing, keep him from getting hit so he can run the offense.”

Bogard, a 6-foot-5, 205-pound junior, started his high school career at Maranatha Christian. The family moved to Texas for a year before returning to the area.

Bogard knew Army-Navy coach Nehemiah Brunson and believed in the school’s mission.

“So it was a good fit, the best decision I’ve ever made,” he said. “Coach Brunson is great. We only have 28 players. He calls us his babies.”

“The fact we have a great offensive line and great skill players — guys like Landon Schrom, Jacob Eastley, Troy Samoa, Jonah Tua, Vincent Leatherman — is a bonus.”

Bogard has gone through his share of adversity. Not long ago, he broke both elbows at the same time.

“And I grew too fast, had knee problems, so was way down on the depth chart wherever we were,” said Bogard, who has former NFL first-round draft pick Akili Smith as a quarterbacks coach. “I’m healthy now and learning how to get down and not take big hits when I run.”

The Warriors are off to a 5-0 start, beating The Meadows School from Las Vegas (49-22), Castle Park (49-6), Valhalla (43-14), Canyon Hills (34-0) and La Jolla Country Day (37-9).

In those five games, Bogard has completed 39 of 62 passes for 846 yards and 12 touchdowns with one interception.

“Judah’s stats are a bit misleading,” said Nehemiah Brunson. “Because we’ve had big leads, he has only played a full game twice.”

On Saturday, Army-Navy opens Coastal League play at Santa Fe Christian (6-0). The Homecoming game starts at noon.

In a series that started in 1978, Santa Fe Christian leads 18-6 and has won 14 in a row. The series was suspended after the 2006 game and resumed in 2023, with SFC winning 35-7 that year and 44-14 last season.

“We’re clicking on all cylinders right now,” said Nehemiah Brunson. “But in our league, Santa Fe Christian and Bishop’s are different animals.  Naturally, we think we can win Saturday, but at the very least we want to let SFC we’re closing the gap. We’re more competitive than we’ve been in years.”

For decades, the Eagles were a run-first Wing-T team. This season, SFC quarterback Dax Labrum has thrown for 1,464 yards and 18 touchdowns with only three interceptions. Receiver Lincoln Mundis is averaging 38.3 yards per catch, while 6-foot-5 tight end Jarius Bolden has 15 catches for 242 yards and Joshua Husman has 242 rushing yards and 125 receiving yards.

The keys for Army-Navy will be giving Bogard time to throw while two-way players Schrom, Eastley, Tua, Samoa and Lincoln Brunson shine.

Schrom has 663 yards of total offense and 28 tackles and an interception on defense. Eastley has 513 yards of total offense and 11 tackles and two interceptions on defense. Samoa has 247 yards of total offense and eight tackles, while Tua has 24 tackles and seven sacks and Lincoln Brunson has 26 tackles and a pick.

“We’re talented, have four receivers, so teams can’t really afford to double-team anyone,” said Schrom, who has committed to play at Idaho next season, where he figures to play strong safety. “As for Saturday, SFC is good, really good. We want to show them we can play.”