Sandburg transfer Johnson leads H-F to win over former team

FLOSSMOOR | Homewood-Flossmoor quarterback Ron Johnson played Friday night as if he knew his opponent front and back, which he did.

The senior transfered from Sandburg to Homewood-Flossmoor this year, and showed his former teammates what they were missing. Johnson threw for three first-half touchdowns to lead the host Vikings to a 21-8 SouthWest Suburban Conference Blue victory over the Eagles on Senior Night.

"There was a lot of trash talk before the game, but we came out and did our thing," said Johnson, who threw for 145 yards and rushed for 48. "We've got the best head coach in the country, and I don't think there is a team that can hold us down."

The Vikings wasted no time. Vashon Nutt broke lose for a 40-yard run on the first play from scrimmage, and caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from Ron Johnson on the next play to put the Vikings on the scoreboard.

The Vikings also scored on their next series, a five-play, 56-yard march that was capped when Johnson hit Patrick Sheehan on an 11-yard fade.

The stunned Eagles (7-2 overall, 5-2) seemed unable to get their footing for the rest of the half. Their best opportunity for points came after pinning the Vikings deep in their own territory. The Eagles got the ball back at the Vikings' 34 yard line and drove to the 12 yard line, but a fourth-and-three situation fell short when Damon Davies limited Lemonte Booker for a short gain.

The Vikings (7-2 overall, 5-2 SWSC) came right back with a drive of their own, this one with success. The 14-play drive, which started midway through the second quarter, was closed out with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to Taje Smith on third-and-goal to put the Vikings ahead, 19-0 at halftime.

Sandburg managed a touchdown early in the fourth quarter on a 5-yard run by backup running back Miles Taylor, but the Eagles also burned all of their timeouts in the third quarter, which allowed the Vikings to run down the clock behind the carries of Taje Smith, who finished with 137 yards rushing.

The Vikings added a safety midway through the fourth quarter when Thaddeus Little tackled Taylor in the end zone two plays after the Eagles pinned themselves deep with an interception that gave them the ball on their own 1-yard-line.

"The defense just didn't give anything up," Vikings coach Craig Buzea said. "We just turned the game over to them (after the early lead)."