Christian hopes to put ‘finishing touches’ on comeback season

EL CAJON – The calendar read Oct. 30, Halloween eve. With only one regular-season game remaining, Christian High School’s football team was staring at a 2-7 record.

“They weren’t pointing fingers. They never did,” Patriots coach Patrick Bugg said of his players. “That, I’m proud of. But you could tell it was weighing on them.”

“The mood, for sure, was down,” said senior linebacker/running back Chase Togerson. “We felt beat up. No one likes losing that many games.”

Added fellow senior inside linebacker Hank Houston: “It was rough.”

Friday morning, the Patriots will board buses for a 109-mile drive to Buena Park High School. Come 4 p.m., the Patriots (8-7) will play Oakland Bishop O’Dowd (10-4) for the Division 5-AA state championship.

From seeming ruin to potential rings, how did Christian run off six straight wins and put itself in position to win the first state football title in the program’s 51-year history?

To hear the players and coaches tell their tale, it was part healing, part luck, part small-school football charm and part incredible passing and scrambling by an athletic quarterback who plays bigger than his 6 feet and 175 pounds.

Regarding junior quarterback Kaleb Runkle, who began his high school career less than a mile down the road at Granite Hills, Bugg said: “He sets the tone for the team. He makes the offense go.”

Christian will suit up 36 players against Bishop O’Dowd, but only 20 to 22 of them see action. Eight players see significant time on offense and defense. So when the team was battered and bruised during the season, missing three or four players meant six or eight starting positions were impacted.

“We had so many injuries throughout the year,” said Bugg. “The guys playing all nine games were just worn out.”

The good fortune came in the form of the CIF San Diego Section playoff format. In 11-man football, 72 teams advanced to the playoffs across seven divisions. Only 16 teams turned in their uniforms once the regular season was history.

“You make it to the postseason, it’s a clean slate,” said senior center Jack McGinnis. “Everything’s wiped away, and we’re going like it’s the first time we ever played.”

The turnaround began with a 13-7 win over San Diego in the regular-season finale, beating a Cavers team that qualified for and won two games in the Division 2 playoffs. Christian’s final MaxPreps ranking positioned the Patriots in Division 3.

Sixth-seeded Christian opened the postseason with a 37-16 thumping of Brawley. Then, in succession, Christian knocked off No. 3-seeded Ramona, No. 2-seeded Army-Navy Academy and No. 1-seeded Central, 28-14, in the San Diego Section Division 3 championship game.

The 31-28 overtime win at Ramona was particularly thrilling, with senior Steven Benson drilling a walk-off 38-yard field goal then getting mobbed by his teammates. Benson, who kicked a 51-yarder this season, has played club soccer for seven years. He has scored at least 100 goals by his estimation, yet nothing compared to the rush of booting his team deeper into the playoffs.

“That,” he said, “was insane.”

To reach the state championship, Christian defeated Cerritos Valley Christian 27-13 in the Southern California Regional.

As for Christian’s small-school charm, the Patriots do not have a home field. Home games are played at Granite Hills. Their practice field offers just one set of goal posts. No seniors earned college football scholarships.

Senior Ronnie Scott, a basketball player, was coaxed into coming out for spring football. He liked it, and has since carved out a key role on the team. Five of his 15 catches have resulted in touchdowns. On defense, he has intercepted a pass and totaled 46 tackles. On special teams, he blocked a field-goal attempt.

On Tuesday, with the mercury in El Cajon topping at 84 degrees, only 24 players suited up for practice. There were four coaches. By comparison, Cathedral Catholic — which faces Folsom in Friday night’s Division 1-AA state title game — practiced this week with 98 players and 13 coaches.

One of Christian’s best players is 5-10, 190-pound freshman Julian Morones, who fills an unusual double: running back and defensive lineman. He’s the Patriots’ second-leading rusher and fourth-leading tackler.

Said Bugg: “He’s going to be special.”

But the straw that stirs Christian’s elixir is Runkle. He has thrown for 2,752 yards and 28 touchdowns with just six interceptions. With 507 yards, he’s the Patriots’ leading rusher.

“I try to remind him to be careful every game,” Bugg said. “Just to be aware of the situation. If it’s the first quarter and it’s the second time you’ve taken off, you don’t need to take the hit. If it’s the fourth quarter, OK, get after it. That’s the competitor in him. That’s what we love about him.”

Said Runkle: “Every week, they tell me to be careful. But I’m hungry to hit. I love it. I love the game.”

A season that began with the first practice on July 31 has reached the ultimate stage just 13 days before Christmas.

From 2-7 to one win away from being sized for rings.

“I can’t believe it. I’m still astonished,” McGinnis said. “Oh my gosh, this is insane. A state championship will be like icing on the cake. It’ll make it like the perfect masterpiece, the final touches on a beautiful painting.”