Homewood-Flossmoor senior quarterback Ronald Johnson is getting real comfortable in his new digs. The Sandburg transfer, playing in his second game with the Vikings, already appears to be in midseason form.
Johnson put his full arsenal of attributes on display against No. 9 Stevenson Friday night in Flossmoor. The Patriots didn’t have an answer and were upset on the road 35-27.
“That’s a very talented team over there we beat tonight ,” Homewood-Flossmoor coach Craig Buzea said. “They were ranked in the Top 10, I didn’t see us anywhere in there.”
Taje Smith ran for 154 yards on 24 carries, including a 28-yard touchdown run. He also added an 11-yard touchdown reception. Johnson was 9 for 16 for 180 yards and three touchdown passes covering 29, 11, and 45 yards, while running for another 33.
The Vikings (2-0) set the tone early on the first drive of the game, needing just three plays to cover 75 yards. Willie Ross capped it off with a 29-yard touchdown catch from Johnson. Jakari Rowe took the opening play 40 yards to set up the score.
After both teams exchanged punts, the Patriots (1-1) answered with a 41-yard touchdown pass to Alan Velev from Willie Bourban to tie the game 7-7 with 4-minutes, 55-seconds left in the first.
Smith caught his 11-yard touchdown pass from Johnson late in the first, and Johnson followed a 28-yard keeper with a 3-yard touchdown run with 5:04 left and a 21-7 halftime lead.
Patrick Sheehan built the Vikings lead to 28-7 after a 45-yard touchdown catch from Johnson. The Patriots answered on the ensuing drive behind a 3-yard touchdown run from Danny Nowak. Nowak cut the lead to 28-21 with 7:59 left in the fourth on an 8-yard run following another long special teams return by the Patriots that gave them good field position again.
The Patriots got the ball back with 5:01 left but couldn’t get any closer than their own 45. The Vikings put the game away on a 28-yard run by Smith with 1:42 left.
“The coaches have helped me out a lot and I love that I can air it out over here,” Johnson said. “Nobody backs down on this team we are all fighters.”
Patriots quarterback Wesley Steward was 20 for 39 for 249 yards and two TD, including one late to Velev. Cameron Green had six catches for 105 yard for the Patriots.
